{"id":90958,"date":"2024-02-16T17:39:21","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T17:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uzurv.com\/?post_type=newsletter&p=90958"},"modified":"2025-12-09T10:57:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T15:57:42","slug":"driven-02-16-24-serving-low-vision-riders","status":"publish","type":"newsletter","link":"https:\/\/uzurv.com\/newsletter\/driven-02-16-24-serving-low-vision-riders\/","title":{"rendered":"Serving Low-Vision Riders"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ back_color=”color-gyho” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ content_parallax=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”111386″ back_color_type=”uncode-palette”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-prif” text_font=”font-555555″ text_size=”fontsize-892903″ text_weight=”500″ text_transform=”uppercase” uncode_shortcode_id=”194429″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]Good to Know[\/vc_custom_heading][\/vc_column][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ align_horizontal=”align_right” gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ align_mobile=”align_left_mobile” mobile_width=”0″ width=”1\/2″ uncode_shortcode_id=”187677″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”839432″]02.16.24[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ back_color=”color-gyho” overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ content_parallax=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”810784″ back_color_type=”uncode-palette”][vc_column column_width_percent=”100″ gutter_size=”3″ overlay_alpha=”50″ shift_x=”0″ shift_y=”0″ shift_y_down=”0″ z_index=”0″ medium_width=”0″ mobile_width=”0″ width=”1\/1″ uncode_shortcode_id=”208156″][vc_icon icon_image=”90840″ media_size=”100″ text_font=”font-388954″ text_size=”fontsize-189434″ uncode_shortcode_id=”201548″ title=”Serving Low-Vision Riders”][\/vc_icon][vc_custom_heading text_color=”color-210407″ heading_semantic=”h4″ text_font=”font-555555″ text_size=”fontsize-892903″ text_weight=”700″ uncode_shortcode_id=”195042″ text_color_type=”uncode-palette”]by Ron Broo<\/strong>ks,\u00a0Senior Director, UZURV Policy and Stakeholder Engagement<\/span>[\/vc_custom_heading][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”764669″]<\/p>\n

\n
\"Ron
Ron Brooks with his service dog, York<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Over the past 30 years, my career has centered around planning, designing, and delivering transportation improvements for older adults and people with disabilities. I am also a member of the disability community. So, I bring the personal experience of using paratransit \u2013 especially riding with UZURV \u2013 as a part of my daily life.<\/p>\n

February is Low Vision Awareness Month<\/a>. As someone who cares about how we serve our riders with low vision \u2013 including me \u00ad\u2013 here are a few tips for UZURV Drivers to ensure that blind and low-vision customers enjoy five-star experiences every time.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Meet your rider at the door<\/strong><\/span>
\nUZURV\u2019s standard is door-to-door service \u2013 from the outermost door of the pickup location to the outermost door of the destination.<\/p>\n

\u21d2 Here\u2019s why it\u2019s important:<\/strong> As a blind rider, I may not know where to meet my ride, what the vehicle looks like, or see the vehicle when it arrives. When you meet your rider at the door, you take the guesswork out of the experience. It assures them that they will not miss their ride simply because they couldn’t find it.<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Introduce yourself<\/strong><\/span>
\nA blind or low-vision rider may not see you. If they do, they may not realize you are their UZURV Driver. When you introduce yourself, you create the connection that allows them to move forward with the trip. Say something simple like, “Hi, I’m Susan. I’ll be your UZURV Driver today.”<\/p>\n

\u21d2 Pro tip:<\/strong> 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

 <\/p>\n

Find out what assistance your rider needs<\/strong><\/span>
\nBlind and low-vision people come in a wide variety. Some are younger, some older. Some can navigate 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

\u21d2 Pro tip:<\/strong> Always ask, \u201cHow can I assist you today?\u201d Your rider will tell you. As long as their request does not violate safety or UZURV procedure, drivers should provide the help they need to use our service.<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Service animals are always welcome<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guarantees the rights of people with disabilities to travel with service animals. All 50 states make it a misdemeanor to deny transportation to a blind or low-vision customer because of the presence of a guide dog. UZURV requires drivers to welcome their riders with their service animals.<\/p>\n

In 1988, I met my first guide dog. I have been working with one ever since. Click here <\/a>to read UZURV’s newsletter about the organization, The Seeing Eye<\/a>, where all my guide dogs were trained.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u21d2 Correct protocol for a rider with a service animal:<\/strong><\/div>\n