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Community Transportation America has been the land of choices and self determination since its its inception. Everyday, Americans are faced with fundamental choices; where should I live, where should I work, where should I shop, where is the enabling tool to answer all of these life questions. Without reliable transportation there are no choices for individuals to make. There is no self determination when choice is eliminated. Prior to the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons with disabilities did not fully enjoy and often could not obtain the essential tool for self determination - transportation. I know only too well about the lack of transportation and the dependency on others that impedes freedom and choices. For the first 10 years of my life, as a person with a disability, I was shackled by the schedule of friends and loved ones. On top of the barrier of everyone's schedule, there were no ramps, no electric doors, no accessible bathrooms, and little access to the built environment in which we live. It was not until the early 1990s that I enjoyed the privilege and experienced the freedom of reliable transportation. And it's changed my life. Personal mobility enables personal choices and frees one from the restrictions of other people's schedules. My ability to work, to pick up a gallon of milk and go on a date unchaperoned was nearly unimaginable. These activities that most take for granted were not realized until reliable community and public transportation impacted my life. It took some time to break free of the psychological bondage, the sense of being trapped. My new freedom - earning and spending money when and where I choose - is not extended to all Americans with disabilities. Many individuals with disabilities in our great country are still trapped where I was 12 years ago. Perhaps they don't know to use the local transportation options, or maybe there aren't any. These Americans are not free to make independent choices about when, where and how they choose to live their lives. Therefore, our collective goal in the fight for freedom and self-determination for all 54 million persons with disabilities is to expand and extend reliable and accessible community and public transportation options. It is through investment in transportation that collectively we will help liberate the millions still trapped by their disabilities. Lack of access to reliable transportation for persons with disabilities prevents their contributions to economic growth and community activities. Too many people with disabilities that could - and want to - work, cannot. We have come a long way in the past decade, but we also have a long way to go. We have only to look at how far we have come, to understand that the investment of time, money and effort yields dividends beyond measure for all. Your work - and the work of the Community Transportation Association of America - in the struggle to secure and provide reliable transportation choices for all Americans is a model. The increased economic stimuli, healthier lifestyles and more robust communities due to increased participation will our reward for this noble work. Because transportation is freedom. J.R.Harding
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