Transportation impacts every aspect of our daily lives. Accessibility to transportation influences how we meet our basic needs and where we work, live, and receive healthcare. It is why transportation is considered a “mega-determinant” of health.
Transportation barriers are one of the most commonly cited reasons for missing a medical appointment. Yet these barriers extend beyond missing an appointment: it can also have a significant impact on health outcomes and quality of life. This resource will share stories from those who are heavily impacted by transportation barriers from patients’, family members, caregivers, and transportation coordinators to give us a deeper insight into the true impact transportation has on the health and well-being of our communities.
Beth
Age: 49 | Rider | Vancouver, WA
One of the biggest challenges for people living with visual impairments is using transportation. Beth has relied on the public transportation system for her whole life. Listen to hear about Beth’s life and the challenges she has faced in caring for her health, going to work, and navigating the transportation system while living through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carmen
Age: 42 | Rider | Maryland, USA
Being in a country for a limited amount of time can prove to be challenging. Accessing resources that are meant to help one’s health is even more difficult. Carmen, a crab worker from Mexico, has had to face these obstacles. Listen as she shares her stories of being in another country during the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties that came with accessing transportation.
Fany
Age: 28 | Rider | Maryland, USA
Every year, Fany travels from Mexico to work in a Maryland crab factory. When she needs care, she finds herself isolated and unable to meet her needs. Listen to Fany’s story of her frustrations with the difficulties she faced in accessing the limited resources available to her including transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Judy
Age: 70 | Rider | NW Washington State, USA
Living with a visual impairment requires additional planning which many folks often do not have to consider. Judy and her husband have managed to do this almost seamlessly. However, as they began to experience various health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, they faced big transportation hurdles. Listen as Judy details what it has been like to live with visual impairments, and what resources she would like for the public to know when facing transportation barriers.
Rodney
Age: 67 | Coordinator & Driver | Arrington, VA
Working in the rural town of Arrington, Virginia, transportation services are nearly non-existent. This is where Rodney from Blue Ride Medical Center (BRMC) comes in. Listen as he touches on his experiences as a transport driver, the services BRMC offers, and his dreams of expansion for the transportation program.
Sonia
Age: 50 | Caregiver | Daly City, CA
Caring for an aging parent with multiple health conditions while working full-time is challenging emotionally and physically. Listen as Sonia shares her experience of coordinating and scheduling care for her ailing father, including transportation.
Stephanie
Age: 55 | Rider | Oakland, CA
In the bustling city of Oakland, California, one may think that access to transportation would be easy and readily available. Yet it is not quite true for Stephanie. Listen as Stephanie discusses her health issues, the tips and tricks she uses for transportation, and what she would like to see in the future.
Willie
Age: 83 | Rider | Oakland, CA
Willie has faced transportation barriers while residing in Oakland. When he had to receive specialized care, he soon found that he had to travel all over the San Francisco Bay Area. Not one to give up, Willie soon began to find solutions so he could take care of his health. Listen as Willie shares a tale of his efforts to care for his health, while dealing with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
