[nfb-talk] Hassles With Taxi Access:

[Kenneth Chrane]

Hi -- I am Kathy Corrigan, friend and attorney-in-fact of Carol and Ken.   I 
can honestly say that this business with Taxi Access is a terrible hardship 
for Carol and Ken.  Ken has just started a new job and already, today, he 
could not get to work because of the Taxi Access goof-up. Carol was a mess 
over all this too.

As I understand the situation, Mobility will grant travel extensions for 
those participants whose interviews are scheduled for dates AFTER the filing 
expiration (in this case, August 31st)  Taxi Access has no such extension 
arrangement.  This actually means that Carol and Ken can not use Taxi Access 
until they have their interviews (currently scheduled for October) and THEN 
they must submit the Mobility approval to Taxi Access and then WAIT as long 
as 4-6 weeks for the card to be mailed.  Good Lord!  It takes up to 4-6 
weeks to mail the cards?  I inquired about an in-person pick-up of the cards 
and was told it is a tiny office and not open to the public.  As crazy as 
all this is, it is also absurd that the Taxi Access program has no extension 
protocol.  Wouldn't the same Mobility extension provision extend to Taxi 
Access,-- after all Taxi Access is a program in the Mobility office?  This 
is a horrific injustice for disabled riders and it looks like this current 
situation might not be quickly resolved.  This immediate crisis aside, 
perhaps, in light of the large numbers of interviews scheduled for September 
into October, the applications (for Mobility AND for Taxi Access) should be 
due 2 months before the expiration of the participants cards.  That way, the 
riders still have access to the transportation while the interviews are 
going on.  I think we need to get some action on this...... Anyone care to 
call a news station?

Respectfully yours,
Kathy Corrigan