As founder of the Living and Learning Enrichment Center, I see firsthand how public transit is either out of reach or difficult to rely on for more than half a million southeast Michigan residents living with disabilities.
In some areas, public transit is limited to certain hours, requires advance scheduling or restricts travel to specific types of trips. In others, transportation options may not extend beyond local boundaries, even when jobs and opportunities exist just a few miles away. For the families we serve, this feels especially heartbreaking.
It is hard to build a life around this system and essentially impossible to build a career. That’s why every resident deserves a transit system that supports, rather than hinders, their path to a stable and fulfilling life.
Many residents living with disabilities are navigating life after the structure of school has ended. Their independence is simply impossible without access, and transportation is consistently one of the biggest barriers to employment for our residents with disabilities.
I meet individuals every day who want to work and be a part of their community, who want to build a life with purpose and connection. But lack of access to public transit has created an obstacle for these residents to reliably get where they need to go daily.
We work with individuals who have the skills and the drive to succeed, but when transit is unreliable, everything becomes a house of cards. A missed ride can mean a missed shift. A missed shift can mean a lost job. And suddenly, someone who was doing everything right is back at square one.
Employers feel it too. Many are eager to hire, especially in industries like healthcare, hospitality and retail, but consistency matters. When transportation breaks down, the relationship between employee and employer unfortunately breaks down with it.
This lack of access to transportation also impacts families of disabled residents who step in to fill the gaps, typically quietly and without recognition. One in five adults serves as a caregiver, and many adjust their own careers or leave the workforce entirely to support a loved one.
There is something more human at the center of this issue: dignity.
The ability to go to work, meet a friend, take a class or simply decide to leave your house on your own terms is something most of us take for granted. For individuals with disabilities, those moments represent the ability to belong and to be seen as part of a community rather than separate from it.
I’ve seen what happens when access is there. People show up differently. They grow in confidence and form relationships. They begin seeing themselves not as someone waiting for support, but as someone actively contributing.
A more connected and inclusive transit system would do so much more than move people from one place to another. It would open doors for thousands of individuals who are ready to step through them, but have been standing on the other side for far too long.
Building this bridge would mean everything to the families we serve. By prioritizing accessible, comprehensive transit, we can ensure that people with disabilities are fully connected to theirjobs, their loved ones, and their community. Together, we can make this essential connectivity a reality.
Rachelle Vartanian is founder and president of the Living and Learning Enrichment Center in Northville
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Supporting Transit for All helps people with disabilities | Opinion
Reporting by Rachelle Vartanian / The Detroit News
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