Five-Star Disability

How do Deaf-Blind individuals get around?

One way is by bus or skytrain.

Another way is by taxi.

I am going to explore pros and cons of taking the bus vs taking a taxi.

For simplicity: I will use Transit to mean all forms of public transit: bus, subway, streetcar, Skytrain, Seabus (Vancouver people know what these are!), or commuter rail.  Also included are services like intercity buses, shuttles and such.

Pros for Transit:

• Well, the best for us Blind Canadians is that almost every Transit system across the country is free.  Some intercity bus services are not free.
• The routes are more and more flexible, more wider net.  They go further.

Cons for Transit:

• Schedules; wait times between buses.
• If you live at top of hill, the bus won’t go up there!  You need to walk up…
• Overcrowding… long lines to get on bus…

Pros for Taxi:

• Pick up at the door, drop off at destination; means no climbing hills.
• Variety of ways to get from A to B.
• TaxiSavers (available for people with Handypass in Vancouver), can get you from A to B at cheaper rate.

Cons for Taxi:

• Especially for Deaf people; calling and booking taxi are impossible.  Flagging them down are just as hard.
• Unavailability, or long waits.
• If not have TaxiSavers, must pay full, can be expensive.

Is that all?  Can you add more?  Let me know!

Of, by the way, there is a third way to get around: and that is to hot wire (which was common during the 70’s & 80’s) a car and drive it yourself, avoid the cops at all costs!  Or you can ask a friend to drive you (or hot wire a car… whatever turns your motor!)

Have a great day!