| Mobility Unlimited attempts to lift burden after Route 4's closure
When a bus route past his workplace closed earlier this month, Mark Towery took a week off the job just to plot how he would get around town. Wheelchair bound, Towery is relying on friends, co-workers and taxis while a local nonprofit agency readies a van for him to drive. The 33-year-old is just one in a group of disabled riders formerly reliant on Rogue Valley Transportation District's Route 4 that Mobility Unlimited can assist, said executive director Glory Cooper. "The services have been cut where they're most needed," Cooper said. A $1.2 million shortfall in RVTD's budget coupled with low ridership prompted the Sept. 1 closure of Route 4 past Rogue Valley Medical Center. RVTD's Valley Lift also was discontinued in that area because federal funding for the service is directly linked to the proximity of bus routes.
Disabled in Delhi hold angry protests, demand rights
New Delhi, Sep 19 (ANI): Dozens of physically and mentally challenged people, affiliated to the Action for Disability Development and Inclusion (AADI) and the Disabled Rights Group (DRG) today organized a protest outside the office of the Planning Commission here, to demand their rights. They demanded their rightful due in the Eleventh Five Year Plan, to be implemented from 2007. The protestors expressed their frustration over Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia meeting other groups and not them. The protest however, ended in a scuffle with the police. Javed Abidi, the wheelchair bound convenor of the Disabled Rights Group, who now directs the National Centre for the Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, based in New Delhi, warned the protests would be stepped up if the voices of the disabled remained unheard.
Disabled cruisers need to plan ahead
Cruise-bound travelers with disabilities, especially wheelchair users, can't take anything for granted. While cruise lines profess to be wheelchair-user friendly, there are instances where they are not. For anyone with a serious disability who is interested in cruising, full disclosure of your problem to the cruise line or travel agent doing the booking is a must. Every cruise line has a toll-free number and guest access specialists to help passengers with disabilities, whether it's a wheelchair issue, a hearing or sight impairment, questions about oxygen for those with respiratory problems or other medical problems. Ask the cruise line or your travel agent questions until the answers are crystal clear to you and you feel comfortable embarking on a new experience.
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