July is Disability Pride Month, but for one local family, a recent incident left them feeling more frustrated than proud.
Adiba Nelson and her 17-year-old daughter Emory Webster are a well oiled machine. But what should have been a quick errand for them, exposed a bigger community problem. They brought Adiba's car to an auto-repair shop for what should have been a one-hour fix. Instead, they suddenly learned the work was going to take four hours, and it left them stranded.
"They offered to call us an Uber," Adiba explained. "Which I thought was wonderful. And I said, 'Well, but I have my daughter with me, we need a wheelchair-accessible Uber.' They said 'No, it's fine, they have those available.'"
But when the driver showed up, his idea of "wheelchair accessible" was to fold up Emory's wheelchair and put it in the trunk.
"I said, 'Sir, this is not a wheelchair accessible vehicle,'" Adiba said. "He said people put their wheelchairs back here all the time. I said, 'A foldable wheelchair, sure, a manual wheelchair, sure, but this is a 300 pound electric wheelchair. I can't fold that and put it in your vehicle.'"
With that, the driver left, leaving them both feeling helpless.
"You were sad, mad, and frustrated," Adiba said about her daughter, as Emory spoke through her tablet.
Claire Graham reached out to Uber to ask about the incident, but without the driver's specific information (which wasn't readily available) the company wasn't able to comment on that particular ride.
Sitting at the auto shop that day, Adiba posted on Facebook, looking for a ride to get them home. Claire also saw her post, and they both started looking for options online.
It turns out Uber's fully accessible rides aren't available to request in Tucson. Claire spoke with VIP Taxi, when a friend saw a wheelchair-accessible van driving through Tucson, but the company said the van is only available from the airport.
"There were a lot of medical transport companies, but you have to book those in advance. There were non-medical transport companies, but you have to book those in advance," Adiba explained.
Those companies also tend to charge a flat rate that costs a lot more than a quick taxi ride. Several did tell Claire they were willing to help out if they could - but there might be a wait for their services, and they weren't guaranteed if you don't schedule ahead.
The Sun Tran was also an option, but Adiba and Emory didn't want to turn what should have been a seven minute drive home... into an hour and 15 minute bus ride in the summer heat. There was also Sun Van, which is the city's mobility service.
"Sun Van is a viable option in the situation where you can make a reservation in advance, or you can wait an hour, that is a viable option," Adiba said. "That is not the viable option for the person whose friends call them and say like, 'Hey, we're going out, you want to meet us out tonight?'"
Sun Tran says all of their buses and vans accommodate motorized wheelchairs. But between Sun Shuttle Dial-a-Ride, Sun On Demand and their other services, it's complicated. So they recommend calling customer service to help you plan a trip -- again, ahead of time.
Thankfully Adiba and Emory got a ride home from a friend who had a car specially fitted for a motorized wheelchair. They didn't have to wait too long, but they know they got lucky. It comes down to the fact that it's just not fair.
"A convenience should not be limited to ability," Adiba said. "If there's an option available for a person without a disability, the same option should be available for a person with a disability. That is a truly accessible community."
As an author who writes children's books about inclusivity, especially with two of her books now in the Obama Presidential Center and Library, Adiba sees the irony in what happened. But she says this whole incident also feels like a reason to keep going.
"It was also kind of like confirmation for me that I'm doing exactly what I need to be doing now," she said.
Claire Graham is an anchor and reporter for Good Morning Tucson on KGUN 9. She grew up in Tucson and graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in musical theatre. Claire spent a decade in Washington state, but she's thrilled to be back home in the beautiful southwest with her husband, two young sons and two rescued dogs. Share your story ideas and important issues with Claire by emailing claire.graham@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and X.
