International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Pictured above: Amandeep of Lynnwood works to serve the disability community. Photo provided by Disability Rights Washington's Disability Mobility Initiative.

The observance of the day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of people with disabilities. There are 42.5 million Americans who have a disability, making up 13% of the American population. One unique thing about the disability community is that it’s a historically marginalized group that anyone can suddenly become a part of at any point in their lifetime.

Transportation is a vital service, allowing those who cannot drive or cannot afford to drive to participate fully in their community. While we offer a wide range of services to help those with disabilities get from where they are to where they want to be, we know we can do better.

Transportation Access for Everyone: Washington State is a collection of stories from members of the disability community collected by Disability Rights Washington’s Disability Mobility Initiative. You can read about their challenges, hopes and what access to transportation means to them. There are even stories from Community Transit riders such as Amandeep of Lynnwood, Washington, featured in the photo of this article. She is a blind student at Everett Community College who uses the bus to get around. She has challenges with consistent access to information in braille while at bus stops, hearing announcements on the bus that are not loud enough, and long waits without shelter when a connection is missed.

One of the ways Community Transit is working to provide better service for customers like Amandeep is by staffing the role of a Design Strategist for Customer Experience. This role starts in January 2024 and will focus on strategic planning for our disabled riders. This important role will help represent the needs of the disability community in projects across Community Transit and connect teams with feedback directly from the disability community. This position will further help us all play a role in improving access to our network.

Learn more about International Day of Persons with Disabilities by clicking here.

At Community Transit, we value the diverse and unique perspectives current and new employees bring to the agency. If you want to learn about career opportunities at Community Transit and how to help people get from where they are to where they want to be, click here.