Disabled Community Needs-
The Disability Action Network (DAN) in La Crosse is collaborating with the city’s Human Rights Commission to bring more light to issues affecting the disabled community.
One of the ways the two groups are working together is by holding listening sessions for community members to voice their concerns about current problems and solutions. Both organizations hope that by listening to community members, there will be a better understanding of the problems facing the disabled community.
“We wanted to collaborate with the Disability Action Network to bring those issues to the forefront of thinking members of this community and hopefully find some solutions to the obstacles that are facing [the disabled] community” Human Rights Commission’s Chair, Fabio Burgos, said.
Organizers of a recent listening session said that two of the most common concerns discussed were the broad label put on members of the disabled community and the lack of accessible transportation in the area. They believe most people who live in the La Crosse community do not realize the lack of transportation.
“Transportation is a huge concern in the community…unless you live and breathe this world, as I often say, than you don’t know this world exists” a care specialist at Wisconsin Care, Mellica Oliver said.
Oliver said that one of the main goals of DAN is to bring awareness to transportation issues in the La Crosse area while also creating solutions. Sidewalks in La Crosse have become a transportation issue for those who travel via wheelchair as some curbs in the city still lack proper wheelchair access.
Community Outreach Specialist at Riverfront, Jimmy Westland, believes that public transportation in La Crosse could also be improved. Westland said La Crosse’s Municipal Transit’s bus service does a great job of working with disabled community members but there are other areas the city still lacks in. Westland said that the area’s shortage of accessible transportation causes an issue when those in the disabled community try to find employment.
“If you don’t have access to the bus service, then that’s when we have problems. People can’t get to work and sometimes they have to turn jobs down because it’s not on a bus route” Westland said.
Burgos is working to address this issue with the city council but said that change comes from more than just local government.
“The biggest thing we can do, rather than recommending substantive legislation of the city council, is bringing awareness to this issue.”
There are other options in the area such as the SMART bus and taxi services but these services only run on limited hours.
“Accessible transportation in the overnight hours, after 7 pm….Unless you have an 8-4 job, you’re once again at the mercy of that transportation piece” Oliver said.
Both DAN and the Human Rights Commission are continuing their collaboration together and are hoping that increased education about the disability community will bring change throughout the area.
-by Matt Clark
Episode Credits
- Hope Kirwan Host
- John Davis Producer
- Fabio Burgos Guest
- Mellica Oliver Guest
- Jimmy Westland Guest
Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2024, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board.
