STATEMENT OF DAN DIRKS COMMUNITY RELATIONS REPRESENTATIVE THE STATE OF MICHIGAN HAS MANDATED ACCESSIBLE LARGE BUSES ON STATE FINANCED REGULAR ROUTE SERVICE SINCE 1979. SINCE THAT TIME, SMART HAS WORKED ACTIVELY WITH ITS OLDER ADULT AND DISABLED CUSTOMERS TO IMPROVE SERVICE THROUGH A VERY ACTIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. I THERE HAS BEEN MUCH CONCERN ABOUT TRANSPORTING WHEEL CHAIR USERS ON THE LARGE BUS REGULAR ROUTE SERVICE OFFERED BY LOCAL TRANSIT AUTHORITIES. SUGGEST THAT IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE IN THE SYSTEM TO MAKE THE BUS SYSTEM AVAILABLE FOR ALL THE DISABLED. APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS AGO, MICHAEL PATTEN, A STAFF MEMBER OF THE VISUAL HANDICAPPED SERVICES DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTER AT WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE SMART ADVISORY GROUP, COMPLAINED ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY IN SIGNALING THE SMART BUS IN THE DOWNTOWN DETROIT AREA. THERE ARE TWO TRANSIT PROVIDERS IN DETROIT, THE DETROIT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (FOR DETROIT ONLY TRIPS), AND SMART DAN G. DIRKS (FOR DETROIT TO THE SUBURBS, AND SUBURB TO SUBURB TRIPS). VISUAL IMPAIRED RIDERS COULD NOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A DETROIT BUS, A SMART BUS, OR EVEN A TRUCK. MICHAEL WORKED WITH THE STAFF TO DISCOVER A SOLUTION. TOGETHER WE DEVELOPED A MITT WHICH COULD EITHER BE PLACED OVER THE HAND OR ON A CANE, THE MITT'S DESIGN COORDINATED WITH THE COLORS AND LOGO OF THE TRANSIT AUTHORITY TO MAKE IT EASY FOR THE SMART BUS DRIVERS TO RECOGNIZE. IT WAS AN IMMEDIATE SUCCESS. THE FIRST ORDER OF MITTS WAS 100. WITHIN SIX AFTER USING THE MITT FOR TWO YEARS, A WHEEL CHAIR DAN G. DIRKS AND AS A RESULT, SOME CHAIR USERS WERE BEING PASSED UP. THE COMMITTEE RECOGNIZED THE MITTS AS A COMPLAINTS ABOUT DRIVERS PASSING WHEEL CHAIR TODAY, SMART WILL PICK UP EITHER WHEEL CHAIR OR VISUAL IMPAIRED CUSTOMERS WHO USE THE MITT AT ANY RELIABILITY HAS IMPROVED; CUSTOMER STREET CORNER. RELATIONS HAVE IMPROVED; AND RIDERSHIP HAS IMPROVED. IN JULY, 1989, THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THAT SMART EXPAND THIS PROGRAM ON A SPECIAL REQUEST BASIS TO ANY DISABLED RIDER WHO HAS A MOBILITY LIMITATION WHICH COULD BE AIDED BY THE USE OF THE MITT. A SECOND PROJECT TO ENCOURAGE RIDERSHIP BY WHEEL VOLUNTEER EFFORTS OF A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE. FRANK CLARK, THE CHAIR OF THE DETROIT COALITION FOR THE HANDICAPPED, HAS TAKEN THE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY OF TRAINING WHEEL CHAIR |