Trying for independence Trying for independence (October 22, 2004)

Disabled woman asks Wheels to bend rules
by Dolores Fox Ciardelli

The Wheels bus pulls up in front of the Owens Drive apartment and the driver lowers the side to board Rebecca West, maneuvering her crutches, pushing her baby in a stroller, and holding the hand of her 3-year-old.

When West settles in to the disabled section in the front of the bus, she feels it is safer to keep her 8-month-old in the stroller, strapped in, brakes locked.

But this is against Wheels rules.

"Essentially the policy requests that all passengers remove their children from the aisle so strollers don't block the aisle," said Rosemary Booth, manager of Marketing and Public Affairs for Livermore Amador Valley Transit Authority (LAVTA), which runs Wheels. "However, should a passenger decline to take this action, the policy allows the children to remain in the stroller provided the stroller is rolled to the rear of the bus."

Booth said that the board of directors recently revised the 1992 policy to require, rather than request, passengers to take children out of strollers and collapse them, or to move to the back of the bus.

"The industry standard is for all agencies to require that children be taken out of strollers," she said. "What we wanted to do was bring our policy into line with industry standards."

West, who had polio when she was a month old and wears a brace, said, "I don't feel secure being on a bus holding my baby. And it would be very challenging for me to get to the back of the bus." She said Wheels is concerned with liability after another baby in a stroller with its brakes unlocked was hurt.

"The liability issue is only one aspect of it," said Booth. "The most important issue of this is the safety of all the passengers on the bus."

"Operators were reporting problems with strollers blocking the aisles," she continued. "We did extensive research with other agencies and found that children are safer out of the stroller."

West attended a LAVTA board of directors meeting earlier this month, hoping for a solution. "I said, 'What if you give me a tag giving bus drivers permission to let me on the bus?'" recalled West. "They said that would be unfair to other people."

Although she and her children rode a bus to the meeting in Livermore, afterward no bus would allow them to board unless she agreed to follow the rules, she said. Wheels officials offered her a ride home in their personal vehicles but none had two car seats for her children. She had to wait for her husband to pick them up after he finished work.

West said she was born in India; when polio struck her at age 1 month, her parents gave her to an orphanage. She moved from one orphanage to another until, at age 4-1/2 years, she was adopted by an American family that stressed independence.

"My mom said when I was younger and would fall in public places that she would let me get up on my own," said West. "She said people would look at her but she wanted to teach me independence. She knew what she was doing."

The West family chose its apartment for the convenience of the bus stop in front, as well as its washer and drier.

She said her husband has a stressful job, so she likes to run errands during the week. "I try to get stuff done so we can have family time on weekends," she said. "It was nice to know I could take the bus. It was very challenging to be thrown another wrench."

"They're restricting me from my freedom," she added. "I can't get on the bus to buy food or when my baby needs diapers. I can't take the kids to the park. I want the freedom."

"We tried to explain to her that probably fixed route was not her best option," said Booth. "With her additional challenges, I believe she is best suited for paratransit.... We do have an ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) coordinator and travel trainer.... Drivers are specifically trained to assist folks with disabilities."

West said she has tried paratransit but it can be difficult to schedule, and requires calling 24 hours ahead of time. With Wheels going right by her door, she wants the independence it provides.

"We were so concerned but we didn't seem to be able to make her happy on this," said Booth. "For her safety, her children's safety, and the safety of the other passengers, we needed to make our policy clear."

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