Who needs transit? September 19, 2018

About the Coalition an alliance of organizations and individuals joined to promote the full and equal participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of life.

Who needs Transit? People with Disabilities! Three Harris polls over the last 25 years report transportation as a crucial concern.

Who needs Transit? People with Disabilities in urban and rural areas. 29% of all households in Tennessee are home to a person with a disability. Slightly higher in rural areas – 32.6% in rural Middle Tennessee.

The statistics adults with disabilities are twice as likely as those without disabilities to have inadequate transportation (34 percent vs. 16 percent). Nearly 2 million people with disabilities never leave their homes. 560,000 cite transportation difficulties as the reason. Individuals with disabilities represent approximately 40% of those who have difficulty getting adequate transportation. First bullet CDC Promoting the Health of People with Disabiilites, Department of Health and Human Services, at http:// www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/pdf/ AboutDHProgram508.pdf Second bullet “Opportunities for Creating Livable Communities,” Mia R. Oberlink, April 2008 at http://assets.aarp.org/ rgcenter/il/2008_02_communities.pdf Bullet 3 Individuals with disabilities represent approximately 40% of the 15 million people in the United States who have difficulty getting adequate transportation services (U.S. Department of Transportation & Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2003).

The impact Transportation and mobility play key roles in the struggle for civil rights and equal opportunity in the disability community. Affordable and reliable transportation allows people with disabilities access to important opportunities in education, employment, health care, housing, and community life.

People with disabilities are underrepresented in the workforce . People with disabilities are underrepresented in the workforce at a staggeringly high rate compared to their non-disabled peers. and as a result many live in poverty although they may be able and willing to work, and a high percentage of people with disabilities report that the lack of transportation is a significant barrier to obtaining and retaining employment. Ensuring that adequate, accessible transportation options are made available is therefore a critical part of the solution to the unemployment and corresponding poverty that is an every-day reality for millions of persons with disabilities

Disability Employment Today Tennessee ranks 44th in the nation for the employment rate of workers with disabilities 47 % employment participation gap between those with a disability and those without Doubled unemployment rates (accounting for all education levels) Tennessee ranks 44th in the nation for the employment rate for workers with disabilities This leaves us at only 30.4% employment for people with disabilities, resulting in one of the largest employment gaps between workers with and without disabilities in the nation (ODEP, 2018)

Who needs Transit? Seniors! By 2030 one in five people in the US will be over the age of 65. By 2040 Tennessee is projected to nearly double its senior population to nearly 800,000. Aging and Disability – hand in hand. By 2030, one in five people in the United States will be over the age of 65. Currently, more than 4.7 million Americans aged 65 years or older have a sensory disability involving sight or hearing, and more than 6.7 million have difficulty going outside the home. As the population of elders grows, it is likely that the number of people aged 65 and older with disabilities also will grow, particularly among those 75 years of age and older.1 Thus, it makes sense for the disability community and aging community to work together, align goals, and share resources to address the challenges ahead.  

Seniors need transit Nashville metropolitan area experiences the fourth lowest transit access in the nation: 85% of Nashville-area seniors have poor transit access. Nationally, more than one in five seniors do not drive More than half of these non-drivers stay home on any given day because they lack transportation options. seniors without transportation options make 15% fewer doctor’s visits, 59% fewer shopping trips and restaurant visits and 65% fewer trips for social, family and religious activities.

Characteristics of usable transit Accessible Safe Reliable Affordable Behind these statistics are many personal stories of lives severely limited by the lack of transportation. Some people with disabilities who are willing and able to work cannot do so because of inadequate transportation. Others cannot shop, socialize, enjoy recreational or spiritual activities, or even leave their homes. And some individuals with disabilities who need medical services must live in institutions due solely to the lack of safe, reliable transportation to needed medical services.

Questions? Carol Westlake Tennessee Disability Coalition www.tndisability.org carol_w@tndisability.org 615-383-9442