Reflections from the Field, Part 1: Maryland Disability Law Center

This past summer I had the opportunity to intern full-time at the Maryland Disability Law Center thanks to the UBSPI Public Interest Grant, and my primary focus was working on the issue of access to transportation.  While I had interned with MDLC during the Spring 2011 semester, this time allowed me to intensify my work on accessible transportation issues, including work on paratransit eligibility and transportation options available to people with disabilities living outside of the paratransit service area, with a focus on individuals on dialysis who require transportation to medically necessary services.

Public transportation plays a vital role in the lives of most individuals living in urban and suburban areas.  The ability to use the bus and taxicabs provides people with increased and easier access to employment, education, entertainment and recreation, and medical services.  However, access to public transportation services is limited for many individuals with physical and/or intellectual disabilities.  A client once told me that, to her, transportation represents freedom, and I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to work with MDLC on improving access to this service for people with disabilities.

Kathryn Anderson, 3L 
UBSPI Co-president