Wheelchair hiking in Southern California

(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia, CC license)


I was looking for ways to share a bit of nature-hiking with Mom - and here's what I found!


Link:

http://tinyurl.com/LA-WheelHikes

I'll post pictures when we go...!

Getting around LA with a disability

One of things I had to learn about caretaking someone was how to get Mom around in her wheelchair on a budget. I could not afford a specially-equipped van, and after a certain point, getting Mom in and out of my car for an outing became impossible. She was dead weight, and far too heavy for me to lift or manoeuver.

If your charge can't leave their wheelchair, your transport options become very limited. Even though it's illegal, very few taxi companies comply with the law and provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles. As one driver bluntly told me, "Taxi drivers just don't want to deal with wheelchairs, it's too much trouble for the money."

For awhile that left me with medi-vans and buses. Medi-vans would take us to Mina's doctor appointments for free, but sometimes the nursing home would screw up, or forget the reservation; we'd be stranded, missing Mom's appointment. And any non-medical destinations meant riding the bus, which usually worked out, but often meant long commutes and waiting for connecting buses on exhaust-filled sidewalks in the sun or rain.

After looking around online, I found LA's Access Services. They're a bit bureaucratic, but if you're organized, you can get much more out of LA by using their service. They'll take you anywhere you need to go, at most times of the day or night, within the LA Metro Bus system's general territory. They'll even pick you up if you're stranded somewhere, depending on the situation.

GETTING STARTED
To sign up: call their customer service number (800-827-0829), and make an appointment to be interviewed. It may take week or so to get scheduled. They'll send a free van to take you to the interview and back. Once there, an aide interviews the candidate to see whether they really need disabled-compliant transportation. An ID photo is taken, and if approved, you'll receive your photo ID in the mail a few weeks later.

The interview and ID are free.

DAILY USE
The ID card allows for free transportation on all LA and other metro area buses and subways. Door-to-door, custom rides range from $2.25 to about $3.00. Access Paratransit only accepts reservations the day before traveling, and will penalize the rider for too many late-cancellations or no-shows.

When scheduling the return ride, allow extra time for yourself to get to the pick-up area.

Disabled riders may bring an assistant for free. The reservation number is: 800-883-1295.

I use this service along with the Metro bus and subway to take Mina to all sorts of cultural events, as well as to most doctor's appointments. It freed us from relying on the nursing home's sometimes negligent staff to reserve the medi-van, and it raised the quality of Mina's life tremendously, allowing us to go to museums, parks, ball games, and other attractions.

Disabled groups can also reserve a larger Access Service van for group outings, though all the disabled riders may need to have gone through the interview/ card process. Call customer service for details.

VISITORS AND TOURISTS
If you are visiting from out of town, call well ahead, and ask Access Services if they can accommodate you. What may make this easier is to qualify for similar services in your own area first. Otherwise, they may need a doctor's note, or other documents to support your need to use them.

In any case, do look for similar services in your own area. Being mobile returns some of the fun and color to your life. Get out of the house - and especially the nursing home!

Access Services website: http://www.asila.org/home/