Disability Rights Advocates Say Charlotte Isn't Ready For DNCCHARLOTTE, NC- Ahmed Arif reserved a wheelchair-accessible Yellow Cab taxi to the airport over 48 hours in advance.
"At 1p.m. when they didn't arrive, I called and they said, 'Oh we are not able to find a cab for you, an accessible taxi, at this time'. I said, 'What'?" said Arif, a North Charlotte resident.
Yellow Cab was cited and fined 50 dollars for not showing up. Arif says that's not enough. He wants the City of Charlotte to take a closer look into what he calls a lack of taxi services for people with disabilities. Charlotte City Councilman, Andy Dulin, says he does not see a need for more wheelchair-accessible cabs at this time.
“My guess is that is that if there were more need for them, those numbers would come up," said Dulin.
Julie Sain with Disability Rights & Resources says she hears complaints like Arif's every week. She says it's a civil rights issue that raises a big concern for the DNC. "The taxi cabs are not prepared for all the people coming into town,” said Sain.
In Denver, where the last DNC was held, there are 14 cabs accommodating those with disabilities. There are 10 available in Tampa, where the RNC will take place.
"If they're not going to be able to provide transport, then you're going to have companies that are failing to meet the needs of visitors to our community," said Sain.
Arif hopes each company will be required to maintain a certain amount of accessible taxis in their fleet to ensure what happened to him doesn't happen to anyone else. |
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