Disability rights activists and D.C. City Council members gathered Jan. 30 at the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 13th Street in support of more wheelchair accessible and environmentally friendly taxis in the District.
The City Council is considering legislation that would require all new cabs to be fueled with compressed natural gas, wheelchair accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The city would also be expected to modify at least 55 percent of cabs already in use to meet these regulations within four years, according to Francesca Mastrangelo, the New Media Manager for the American Association of People with Disabilities.
The AAPD was one of the organizations that testified at last Monday’s outdoor hearing.
AAPD members have worked closely with representatives from the National Council on Independent Living, Pride Mobility Products Corp. and Clean Energy, among others, to garner support for their cause.
“I feel like this situation truly demonstrates the success of the American Disability Act,” Mastrangelo said.
The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990 and amended in 2008. Title II of the Act requires that people with disabilities be guaranteed equal access to public transportation. It is considered discrimination if a facility is inaccessible.
Soon after Congress passed the act, the D.C. government made the Metrobus system become more accessible for disabled people, but the taxicabs have yet to make the transition, Mastrangelo said.
“This had been going on for years and years and years,” Mastrangelo said.
The passage of the legislation is not guaranteed despite the support of Chairman of the D.C. City Council Kwame Brown.
“This is the first hearing, so that [the legislation’s success] has yet to be seen,” Mastrangelo said.
The hearing did succeed in bringing attention to the issue and has helped the different groups involved create a more cohesive campaign, she said.
“It’s been a common issue that we can unite on,” Mastrangelo said.
