This past Tuesday I had my recertification interview with Capital Metro's Metro Access, the bus service for those with disabilities. I have never used the service but have had them as a backup in the event that I need to use them to get to appointments and such. I had received a letter in the mail about a month ago saying that I needed to do a recertification. I had to have my doctor fill out a letter to explain the medical need for it. My appointment was for 11:00 AM and my grandfather had taken me. While driving there with the address that they gave me, I felt that we weren't going to the right location. We ended up deep in East Austin on Pleasant Valley Rd. at the Capital Metro Administration Offices & Head quarters. Now at this point it was a little after 11. I called the number and they said that their office was at 9th and Lavaca, and I said that this was the address I was given. The woman had a rude tone and said that no one their would have given me that address, and blaming it on me. I said I was about 15 minutes away, and she preceded to tell me that I was 15 minutes late and that "Eligibility Specialist" may not be able to meet with me, and put me on hold. After coming back on the phone she said that when I got there that the person who was taking me there needed to just drop me off and not look for a parking space, since that could take time. When I got there the building was on the corner of two very busy streets (9th and Lavaca). The only place where my grandfather could unload my wheelchair on the lift was hardly safe as there were cars zooming by, and I had to be extremely careful getting onto the ramp, and that parking area was hardly handicap accessible. The lady who I had my interview with was outside waiting room. The door to the entrance was not handicap accessible, and very narrow. My power chair could hardly fit through the door. I found this not right since people with disabilities are coming in and out all day to visit the Metro Access office. The woman said it would take 1 1/2-2 hours and for my grandfather to be back then. I would first answer some questions with the woman who met me there, and then do a functional assessment with a PT and OT. My family thought this was odd since I was in a power chair with my feeding pump clearly visible.
She began asking me questions, and I found some of them to be quite odd, and when I told my family about them they also thought the same thing. These questions were not included when I went to my first eligibility interview. There were questions such as how many surgeries have I had, how many hospitalizations did I have, how many ER visits did I have and how many admissions were there from those ER visits, when I got my feeding tube, why I have my feeding tube, and a list of all my medications. I felt like I was answering questions for a doctors office and didn't understand what that had to do with my approval. She then asked me what prevented me from using the regular bus services, and I said that due to the steps and stuff I couldn't get on the bus. I haven't been on a city bus in years and the last time there were large steps. She said that all the busses had ramps, and basically insinuated that is not a reason to not ride the bus. Like I could really get that large chair on a regular city bus? If people like me can use the regular bus and aren't eligible for Metro Access, than who is? She then asked me if the streets to the bus route near me had sidewalks, and I said no. Like I could really wheel in my power chair in the blazing sun, pouring rain, or freezing cold to the bus stop on Burnet. Rd. It was as though she was trying to make sure that I was ineligible. I learned from my social worker today that they have really have tightened the rules on who was eligible, and that people who used to be guaranteed eligibility were not anymore, and that seemed to explain the experience I had. As I was getting ready to go meet with the people doing the second part of the interview, she needed to go weigh my chair with me in it. After doing that, she said that the weight of my chair with me in it, exempted me from the second part of the eligibility process, so I was allowed to leave much sooner than expected. I called my grandfather to come pick me up, and he was surprised as I was only in there for about 45 minutes.
After waiting about 10 minutes for my grandfather I was wheeling out to the curb for him to pick me up. As I was going out the door from the lobby to outside, I had quite a bit of difficulty as the door was heavy with no handicap button, and was very narrow and could barely fit my chair through it, and bumped my backpack with my feeding pump in there. I told my grandfather about the experience, and he couldn't believe it. When I got home I noticed my pump had been broken due to it being hit in the doorway at the Metro Access building, despite my best efforts. I had to call my durable medical equipment (DME) company and they had to send an emergency pump out to me since I am 100% dependent on my tube.
My family and I could not believe the experience I had with them. For a section of a city service that was dedicated to serving those with disabilities, the way I was treated and there building was setup was not adequate. I was grateful to have someone to take me to my appointment there, but others who rely completely on that service I hope would have a better experience. I am considering letting someone know about my very unpleasant experience, so that others do not have to go through what I did.
Joyful Love
&
Blessings In The Lord
Alexandra K. Acosta
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