Nov. 20–SCRANTON — Individuals with disabilities and their advocates appear to agree on one factor: The County of Lackawanna Transit System and different transportation companies present nice service — besides after they do not.
Transportation issues got here up early and infrequently at a public listening to Tuesday to obtain enter for Pennsylvania’s subsequent three-year State Plan for Unbiased Dwelling.
The discussion board, hosted by My Middle for Unbiased Dwelling on Sanderson Avenue, was the fourth of 5 scheduled throughout the commonwealth to solicit testimony in regards to the human companies wanted to help impartial dwelling by people with disabilities. The statewide plan receives about $300,000 yearly.
Mary Claire Boylan, social work coordinator for the Lackawanna Blind Affiliation, instructed listening to moderator Matt Seeley that her company quizzed purchasers in regards to the major barrier to their independence “and all people got here up with the identical subject — transportation.”
“Enormous,” she mentioned. “It is the largest drawback.”
Though she described the shared-ride service COLTS gives to low-income, aged and disabled individuals as “fantastic,” Boylan cited a sequence of eventualities the place each the shared trip and the common COLTS bus service do not meet the wants of visually impaired residents, together with veterans.
She identified it’s extra handy for a disabled veteran to get a bus to the Mohegan Solar Pocono on line casino than to the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Middle, each of that are in Plains Twp.
“So what’s extra vital? Playing or the veterans?” Boylan requested.
Ron Biglin, a visually impaired veteran from Newton Twp., additionally praised the shared trip system however mentioned there must be extra coordination between COLTS and the Luzerne County Transportation Authority to make it simpler for individuals who need to journey to medical appointments within the Wilkes-Barre space.
Tim Moran, chief govt officer of MyCIL, mentioned he reviewed each State Plan for Unbiased Dwelling for the previous 25 to 30 years and located the important thing areas of focus are nearly the identical in all of them. Transportation is the No. 1 concern, adopted by housing, employment and socialization, he mentioned.
“I am sick and bored with seeing the identical issues within the state plan each single time it comes out as a result of there is no such thing as a decision to any of it,” Moran mentioned.
Seeley, govt director of the Pennsylvania Statewide Unbiased Dwelling Council, who opened the discussion board with a reminder that options ought to be sensible, reiterated there may be solely about $300,000 accessible statewide annually to implement no matter is contained within the plan. Not many massive points could be solved with $300,000, he mentioned.
“The final three or 4 plans are nearly an identical as a result of we hear the identical issues,” Seeley mentioned. “However, we won’t repair county-to-county transportation. We will not repair employment.”
When Moran requested if there has ever been a examine to find out what could be mounted, Seeley requested whether or not the $300,000 ought to be spent on that.
“It is higher than nothing each three years,” Moran mentioned. “Not less than it is progress.”
Keith Williams, MyCIL advocacy and outreach coordinator, recommended utilizing a portion of the $300,000 to develop a pilot program for offering post-graduation transitioning companies for younger individuals with disabilities.
Whereas in class, most of these younger individuals have individualized education schemes and are eligible for a wide range of companies that finish abruptly as soon as they graduate at age 18 or 21, he mentioned.
“It is like strolling off a cliff,” Williams mentioned.
Contact the author:
dsingleton@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9132
___
(c)2019 The Instances-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.)
Go to The Instances-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.) at thetimes-tribune.com
Distributed by Tribune Content material Company, LLC.
