Paratransit Services… A Luxury?

By Connie Horn

Recently I came across the following article in The Baltimore Sun. The writer of the article said:

“The Metropolitan Transit Authority’s mobility program for the disabled looks like an expensive and unnecessary luxury. On a recent 20-minute trip to West Baltimore I spotted three of these vans that were either empty or had only a single passenger. This program must cost millions of dollars; how can we possibly afford it? If there is a justifiable need surely it can be met more efficiently by a private carrier. It seems there could be a good story here about an opportunity to cut excessive government spending.”

In the past few months I have written blogs on the topic of community accessibility for people with disabilities, so this article hit a nerve with me, especially when the writer said “looks like an expensive and unnecessary luxury.”

Equal Access for People with Disabilities

By Connie Horn

Accessibility is a very important part of inclusion of people with disabilities. An accessible barrier free environment is the first step toward fulfilling the right of people with disabilities to participate in all areas of community life. Accessibility is a broad term covering all aspects of assuring that people with disabilities can participate and have the same choice everyone else have.

Beyond Social Capital – Civic Wellness and Personal Sustainability

By Albert Van Kleeck
Albert Van Kleeck Consulting

During the past several years I have dedicated a considerable amount of time to thinking about and developing different approaches to how we think about our lives and the lives of those we impact and support. I’ve thought about how moving through life one day to the next or from dawn to dusk could be so much easier and make much more sense for so many of us. And I’ve framed this thinking with the terms Civic Wellness and Personal Sustainability.

I haven’t yet come to a decision regarding which of these terms is the best fit for the concept. Perhaps either or both would work, maybe neither one. I’m open to suggestion and all contributions to a wider body of knowledge are always welcome.