{"id":90123,"date":"2024-02-27T18:50:42","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T18:50:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uzurv.com\/?p=90123"},"modified":"2024-02-27T20:51:41","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T20:51:41","slug":"low-vision-awareness-ron-brooks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uzurv.com\/low-vision-awareness-ron-brooks\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Working at UZURV Gets Me Thinking About Dog Food"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-210407″ uncode_shortcode_id=”135604″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]Eating My Own Dog Food[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”145204″]By Ron Brooks<\/strong>
\n<\/span>Senior Director, Policy and Stakeholder Engagement<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”269717″]\"RonThere\u2019s an expression, that resonates for me: \u201cEating your own dog food.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was born to a blue-collar family in small-town Indiana with a severe eye condition that worsened over time. When I was a kid, I could see a little, so I did all the things kids do \u2013 I rode bikes, ambushed unsuspecting adults with snowballs, tormented my sisters, and tried to avoid boring things like homework and chores.<\/p>\n

I also played basketball (Indiana\u2019s national pastime). Just before my fourteenth birthday, I took a ball to the face during a pick-up game with friends. By the next morning, my remaining eyesight was gone. So, I learned a new way of reading, writing, and getting to and from school. Getting anywhere meant learning public transportation, and ultimately, paratransit services like UZURV.<\/p>\n

I began my career with the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, planning, designing, and delivering transportation improvements for older adults and people with disabilities. I\u2019ve been working in the accessible transit and paratransit space ever since, including the past two years with UZURV.<\/p>\n

In short, I\u2019ve been a member of the disability community, designing and delivering services for the disability community thirty years and counting. In other words, I\u2019ve been eating my own dog food most of my life. By now, I\u2019m a real connoisseur.<\/p>\n

Speaking of which \u2013 in 1988, I met my first guide dog. I have been working with one ever since. My current guide is a beautiful five-year-old lab named York. York loves life, fast walks, people, food, and riding with UZURV.<\/p>\n

February is Low Vision Awareness Month. As someone who cares about how we serve our riders (including me) at UZURV, here are a few tips we have shared with UZURV Drivers (and now you) to ensure that blind and low-vision customers enjoy five-star experiences every time.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=”yes” row_height_percent=”0″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”0″ top_padding=”2″ bottom_padding=”2″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”162445″][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ back_color=”color-280434″ overlay_color=”color-xsdn” overlay_alpha=”90″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ radius=”xl” width=”1\/1″ uncode_shortcode_id=”112308″ back_color_type=”uncode-palette” overlay_color_type=”uncode-palette”][vc_column_text text_color=”color-jevc” uncode_shortcode_id=”313480″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]<\/p>\n

Meet riders at the door.<\/strong><\/div>\n

UZURV\u2019s standard service is door-to-door \u2013 from the outermost door of the pickup location to the outermost door of the destination. That\u2019s the policy.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why it\u2019s important:<\/strong> As a blind rider, I may not know where to meet my ride. I may not know what the vehicle looks like, and I may not be able to see it when it arrives. Meeting a rider at the door, takes out all the guesswork, and assures the rider they will not miss their ride simply because they could not find it.<\/div>\n
Introduce yourself.<\/strong><\/div>\n

A blind or low-vision rider may not see their driver. If they do, they may not realize who their UZURV Driver is.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why it\u2019s important:<\/strong> When you introduce yourself, you create the connection that allows riders to move forward with the trip. And here\u2019s a pro tip. If you introduce yourself to the rider, and they do not respond, it is appropriate to lightly tap them on the shoulder or hand as you repeat your greeting.<\/div>\n
Find out what assistance a rider needs.<\/strong><\/div>\n

Blind and low-vision people come in a wide variety. Some are younger, others older. Some can navigate within the environment, others not. Some use guide dogs, some canes, and some do not use any aids at all. So, the help one person needs may be too much or too little for someone else.<\/p>\n

Always ask,<\/strong> \u201cHow can I assist you, today?\u201d They will tell you.<\/div>\n
Service animals are always welcome.<\/strong><\/div>\n

The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guarantees the rights of people with disabilities to travel with service animals, and all fifty states have made it a misdemeanor to deny transportation to a blind or low-vision customer because of the presence of a guide dog. UZURV has its own Service Animal policy, which requires drivers to welcome their rider with their service animal.<\/p>\n

\n

Protocol around service animals is:<\/strong><\/p>\n