1 00:00:00,211 --> 00:00:02,794 (gentle music) 2 00:00:07,230 --> 00:00:09,360 - A very, very large percentage 3 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:12,750 of people with disabilities are transit dependent. 4 00:00:12,750 --> 00:00:13,950 So we need transit to be able 5 00:00:13,950 --> 00:00:15,990 to just get people with disabilities 6 00:00:15,990 --> 00:00:18,015 around their communities at all. 7 00:00:18,015 --> 00:00:20,280 - Accessibility along transit lines, 8 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:21,960 I think is important for everyone, 9 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:23,520 not just people with disabilities, 10 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,080 not just older age adults 11 00:00:25,080 --> 00:00:27,690 because everyone has different circumstances. 12 00:00:27,690 --> 00:00:29,280 I mean, you could have a single mom, 13 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:30,510 so they have a stroller. 14 00:00:30,510 --> 00:00:33,180 Having that accessibility feature 15 00:00:33,180 --> 00:00:36,510 for all types of transit is pretty crucial 16 00:00:36,510 --> 00:00:38,580 - And transportation's very important to me 17 00:00:38,580 --> 00:00:41,980 because I can't get around without it. 18 00:00:41,980 --> 00:00:44,670 It is very important to reach out 19 00:00:44,670 --> 00:00:47,037 to the different communities, 20 00:00:47,037 --> 00:00:49,350 especially those with disabilities 21 00:00:49,350 --> 00:00:51,300 and understand what their needs are 22 00:00:51,300 --> 00:00:54,630 so that people aren't limited to where they work and live 23 00:00:54,630 --> 00:00:56,880 just because of the transportation issue. 24 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,460 - It's very difficult when you have people 25 00:00:59,460 --> 00:01:01,980 who are making policy decisions in a vacuum. 26 00:01:01,980 --> 00:01:03,150 They're not talking to the people 27 00:01:03,150 --> 00:01:05,070 who's gonna be impacted by their decisions, 28 00:01:05,070 --> 00:01:08,100 which is why it was just such a breathtaking experience 29 00:01:08,100 --> 00:01:10,050 to have MTA open to that 30 00:01:10,050 --> 00:01:13,230 and open to really hearing what people's needs are 31 00:01:13,230 --> 00:01:14,400 and how we can fix them. 32 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:15,720 - My job is really to make sure 33 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:17,640 that the people who are closest to our service 34 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:19,860 are participating in the decision making. 35 00:01:19,860 --> 00:01:22,620 So if our project is going to impact your life, 36 00:01:22,620 --> 00:01:24,870 you should be a part of the process 37 00:01:24,870 --> 00:01:26,910 that leads to that kind of decision. 38 00:01:26,910 --> 00:01:30,930 We are such an essential part of the Baltimore community. 39 00:01:30,930 --> 00:01:34,827 If there's a 2%, 3% improvement that we can make in transit, 40 00:01:34,827 --> 00:01:38,730 it makes such a huge difference for so many folks 41 00:01:38,730 --> 00:01:40,920 to be able to get to doctor's appointments, 42 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:43,350 get to work on time, go to school. 43 00:01:43,350 --> 00:01:46,740 - We were looking to work with administration 44 00:01:46,740 --> 00:01:48,510 on improving access to transportation 45 00:01:48,510 --> 00:01:50,220 for people with disabilities. 46 00:01:50,220 --> 00:01:53,040 The MTA was fortunate enough to get some funding 47 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:54,210 through TP4A. 48 00:01:54,210 --> 00:01:56,550 It allowed us to really get in there 49 00:01:56,550 --> 00:01:58,620 and invest some good time and energy 50 00:01:58,620 --> 00:02:00,690 into making transit more inclusive 51 00:02:00,690 --> 00:02:01,920 of people with disabilities. 52 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,470 - MDOT MTA saw a partnership 53 00:02:04,470 --> 00:02:06,990 with two Maryland centers for independent living, 54 00:02:06,990 --> 00:02:09,660 that was accessible resources for independence. 55 00:02:09,660 --> 00:02:12,510 First, we had to do some kind of needs assessments. 56 00:02:12,510 --> 00:02:16,260 - [Teddy] We did walking and scooting and wheelchair tours 57 00:02:16,260 --> 00:02:18,420 where we would go through both light rail 58 00:02:18,420 --> 00:02:20,670 and metro stations and take notes. 59 00:02:20,670 --> 00:02:22,710 We would put up temporary signage 60 00:02:22,710 --> 00:02:24,277 and then be able to ask people, 61 00:02:24,277 --> 00:02:25,980 "Hey, are these colors working? 62 00:02:25,980 --> 00:02:27,780 Does this icon make sense?" 63 00:02:27,780 --> 00:02:31,890 From there, we developed a set of braille flip books 64 00:02:31,890 --> 00:02:33,030 that we worked on 65 00:02:33,030 --> 00:02:35,070 with the National Federation of the Blind. 66 00:02:35,070 --> 00:02:38,670 - We've done an exercise at the John Hopkins stop 67 00:02:38,670 --> 00:02:41,043 where they showed us some changes 68 00:02:41,043 --> 00:02:43,107 they wanted to make at the subway 69 00:02:43,107 --> 00:02:45,330 where they put these barriers up 70 00:02:45,330 --> 00:02:48,000 to keep people from falling onto the track. 71 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,090 - [Teddy] We could actually bring out a prototype 72 00:02:51,090 --> 00:02:53,340 of what the barriers would look like 73 00:02:53,340 --> 00:02:55,530 and then invite our partners to check it out 74 00:02:55,530 --> 00:02:57,420 and to see how it works. 75 00:02:57,420 --> 00:02:59,170 - There were lots of great results. 76 00:03:00,341 --> 00:03:01,890 Most importantly, it was the ability 77 00:03:02,786 --> 00:03:04,466 to show other people around the country 78 00:03:04,466 --> 00:03:05,299 that we can work together. 79 00:03:05,299 --> 00:03:07,470 - They're starting to take into consideration 80 00:03:07,470 --> 00:03:09,939 people's actual lived experiences, 81 00:03:09,939 --> 00:03:13,020 before it's getting written down on paper 82 00:03:13,020 --> 00:03:15,750 or before it's being implemented already. 83 00:03:15,750 --> 00:03:18,630 - It is bottom line worthwhile 84 00:03:18,630 --> 00:03:21,180 to include the input of people with disabilities, 85 00:03:21,180 --> 00:03:24,339 if not in order to plan better services, period, 86 00:03:24,339 --> 00:03:27,930 it's worth it in terms of time and money. 87 00:03:27,930 --> 00:03:29,370 - The best part about this project 88 00:03:29,370 --> 00:03:31,770 is that it didn't end after the grant period. 89 00:03:31,770 --> 00:03:34,170 There's interest on both sides in continuing it. 90 00:03:34,170 --> 00:03:37,410 It's part of our established project development system. 91 00:03:37,410 --> 00:03:39,960 - My hope for the future of the transit system in Maryland 92 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,380 is that it continues to take opportunities to engage people. 93 00:03:43,380 --> 00:03:45,930 We need to not just include people with disabilities 94 00:03:45,930 --> 00:03:48,300 at the end and say, "This is the plan that we have." 95 00:03:48,300 --> 00:03:49,830 We need to include them from the beginning 96 00:03:49,830 --> 00:03:51,420 and say, "What do you think 97 00:03:51,420 --> 00:03:54,000 about these barriers and how can we fix them?" 98 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:55,920 - They need to include the different groups 99 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:58,215 so that they have an understanding of what 100 00:03:58,215 --> 00:04:01,530 these different groups need because it's very important 101 00:04:01,530 --> 00:04:04,530 that people with disabilities do get out now, 102 00:04:04,530 --> 00:04:07,710 so that people do see that in spite of the wheelchair 103 00:04:07,710 --> 00:04:10,204 or in spite of whatever issues they might have, 104 00:04:10,204 --> 00:04:12,226 they still get themselves around. 105 00:04:12,226 --> 00:04:14,809 (gentle music)