Dear Friends of Pathfinder,
April is Autism Acceptance Month and we at Pathfinder proudly support individuals living with autism, their caregivers, professionals who assist them, and the entire disability community. While nationwide we recognize this month as a time to bring awareness and spread the message of acceptance for those living with autism, we thought it important to focus this month’s newsletter on accessible transportation, a topic that affects the autism community and the disability community at large.
Transportation is essential for people living with a disability. It plays a vital role in many aspects of daily life including access to employment, education, health care, and recreational activities. It is a topic that we’ve come across often when working with members of the disability community, particularly the Latinx community. Despite its importance, many members of the Latinx community have difficulty getting adequate transportation services. It is important to highlight some of the most prominent barriers the Latinx community faces.
The Latinx Community often reports bus routes and medical transport rides are unreliable, infrequent, or even unsafe. Some families have even been left at their doctor’s office. In addition, there are limited resources for immigrants, so families often must share access to a vehicle among more people, wait for a ride, or cancel a doctor’s appointment because some immigrants might be less comfortable driving, or others have not yet learned to drive. The language barrier is another obstacle. Some families aren’t comfortable scheduling a ride because most agencies do not have Spanish-speaking providers or interpretation services available.
Education is another important barrier to note. Most parents face social pressures due to their level of education. Some families need more support and/or guidance. The Multicultural Team at Pathfinder works hard to alleviate some of the barriers the Latinx community faces. We help families schedule, cancel, or change transportation options. We provide information on transportation in their native language, (Ex: information on how to schedule a ride). We also connect families and help them apply to the Family Support Program for help with transportation expenses and assist families with the Family Support Re-Eligibility Application to help facilitate the process.
Improvement in Tennessee transportation services for members of the Latinx and disability communities is needed on a systemic and individual level. We have witnessed in our work some positive changes and hope to see more in the future. In the meantime, we hope that you will find some very important information on transportation in this issue of the newsletter and continue to contact us if you need help navigating these services.
Best Wishes,
Jennifer Padron, MS
Multicultural Services Coordinator
Tennessee Disability Pathfinder