Letter: Limited wheelchair transportation options in the Tri-Cities

The other day my wheelchair-accessible van, that has a side lift on it, quit working and I got stuck — literally. After the van was fixed I realized I had to plan ahead if this ever happened again.

I contacted many taxi companies around town but, because I am in an electric wheelchair, there is only one that I can use because my wheelchair doesn’t fold up. The only problem is they charge $80 round trip. Eighty dollars to go to my doctor, which is five minutes from my house, is very costly.

Something has to be done to help those of us who are wheelchair-bound and have to use an electric wheelchair or scooter. Some will say use Dial-A-Ride, but that is not all that convenient and they like at least one day’s notice. In case of an emergency, they did tell me they could pick me up, but it might take three to four hours depending on how busy.

Any suggestions that could help those of us who are confined to a wheelchair or scooter who can’t stand up, let alone walk, would be appreciated.

This story was originally published February 6, 2016 at 11:05 PM with the headline "Letter: Limited wheelchair transportation options in the Tri-Cities."