To the Editor:

In response to “Trouble with Taxis” which appeared in the Nov. 19-25 issue of North Country This Week: I completely agree with you. The lack of accessible transportation for individuals that are disabled and use a wheelchair is a huge problem in our area.

I find that not many individuals are aware of their rights, however. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities. Among other rights, the ADA guarantees individuals with disabilities equal access to transportation. This includes both public transportation and private companies that primarily engage in the business of demand-response transportation.

Title III of the ADA requires private transportation businesses to provide readily accessible vehicles for individuals with disabilities. Private transportation services, including taxi companies, must provide service in a manner that does not discriminate against people with disabilities and must comply with ADA requirements as businesses that primarily engage in demand-response transportation.

Taxi companies cannot deny a ride to an individual because of disability, refuse to assist an individual with disability aids (such as a wheelchair), charge a higher fee because of a disability or require you to wait for a lift-equipped vehicle. Taxi companies must take reasonable steps to accommodate customers with disabilities who would otherwise be able to use their taxi.

If the taxi company doesn’t have an accessible vehicle to provide transportation for a disabled individual requesting service, they may be obligated to find and arrange for equivalent service that is comparable in terms of response time, fares, hours and days of service, without restrictions based on trip purpose.

Agencies that provide public transportation services (bus, train, subway) are prohibited under the ADA from discriminating against individuals with disabilities and are required to provide comparable complementary paratransit services to people with disabilities. Paratransit service must be comparable in terms of routes/geographic area served and availablility. For additional information on paratransit, see ADA guidelines, PART 37— Transportation Services for Individuals With Disabilities, Subpart F—Paratransit as a Complement to Fixed Route Service: § 37.121 Requirement for comparable complementary paratransit service.

Leigh Ward

Independent Living & Resource Specialist, Maximizing Independent Living Choices, Massena