Disability advocates tell committee Connecticut transit needs accessible signage, enforcement for service animals

At an informational meeting of the Connecticut Public Transportation Council before the legislature, council members and disability advocates said Connecticut transit systems fall short of legal accessibility requirements and practical needs for riders who are blind or have other disabilities.

The issue matters because, council member Philip McGowank told lawmakers, people with disabilities make up "approximately 20 percent of the population," and many rely on trains, buses and paratransit for medical appointments, work and daily life. Without accessible signage, audible announcements and enforcement of service-animal rules, McGowank said, many riders cannot travel independently or safely.

"There must be an audible component to that, as well as, for instance, the New Haven Train Station going through the corridor," Philip McGowank said, arguing that signage changes must be announced and made available in formats usable by people who cannot see printed text. McGowank described missing tactile mats on platforms and the lack of braille or raised-print signage that would let a blind rider locate a platform edge safely.

McGowank also described repeated denials of rides from transportation network companies (TNCs). "They'll stop by and argue with us that they don't take dogs and don't take pets," he said, adding that drivers sometimes cancel trips after learning a rider has a service dog. He told the committee that such refusals violate company policy, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state law, but that enforcement is weak: "It is a class c, I believe, misdemeanor in Connecticut to discriminate this way against a person with a disability, but there's no accountability."

Advocates asked lawmakers to press state transportation officials on three fronts: ensure the Department of Transportation and transit operators add accessible, audible information where signage or schedule changes occur; improve sidewalks and accessible pedestrian signals at stops; and clarify how state-appointed advisory councils can host accessible websites and meeting notices. Council vice chair Kate Rosen said the council's current, volunteer-run website is not usable with a screen reader and that many state-appointed councils have state-hosted pages that meet accessibility standards.

Senator Wong and other committee members responded that the concerns raised should be part of upcoming bill hearings and oversight questions for DOT leadership. The committee chair said there are bills likely to address some of these matters at public hearing and that staff will ask DOT and other agencies about compliance and enforcement options.

Committee members and council representatives also exchanged examples of other jurisdictions and resources. McGowank named Boston, San Diego and Houston as places with work on accessibility; Rosen and others pointed to Washington state's ORCA card program as an example of fare policy that can be structured to support youth and low-income riders.

The discussion closed with lawmakers and council members agreeing to incorporate these accessibility questions into public hearings and oversight inquiries and to follow up with DOT staff and agency ADA coordinators.