The funny part about transit accessibility is that it is not just about People with disabilities.
When the transit industry created the low floor accessible bus, the goal was to create a vehicle that facilitate travel for a greater portion of the population. While the easily imagined target ridership was someone using a wheelchair, the transit industry had to wrestle with an influx of of unprecedented scenarios.
With only two wheelchair positions in a standard low floor bus, transit agencies suddenly were dealing with strollers competing for the wheelchair spot. Elderly people towing their two wheel grocery cart also used the accessible features. The person on crutches after a motor vehicle accident, the stroke surviveor with a cane, the fellow with the electric scooter, plus bicycles, carts, Christmas trees, sheets of plywood and a whole bunch other new uses of the bus... all because the level access was so much easier than the stairs.
The mistake is to believe that transit accessibility is for a small segment of the population. It ends up making it easier for many people.
if you don't believe that accessibility works for a larger segment of our population, take a notice how many use the wheelchair accessible stall for family bathroom break or notice how many use the ramp at the mall instead of the stairs
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