NEW ORLEANS – Commuting around New Orleans just got a bit easier for residents who are impaired. Two major companies have joined together to make public transportation less of a hassle. This upgrade has already impacted several cities across the country.
Starting today, R.T.A. and Lighthouse Louisiana will provide The Assistance Card Program to help public riders who are blind, deaf-blind, or have low vision. Each impaired writer will be able to communicate with their driver by writing their destination on a card.
When the driver approaches the stop, they will assist the rider as needed. The system has two different colored cards. The white stands for visually impaired and the orange one stands for deaf-blind.
R.T.A. and Lighthouse Louisiana tell WGNO, the goal is to increase the accessibility of bus and street car systems for people with sensory disabilities.
This program is being used in cities across america and they’re proven to be extremely successful. Also, every public transportation driver will have to take a course to learn how to properly use The Assistance Card Program.
The assistance cards are completely free. They are available at the R.T.A. and the Lighthouse Louisiana. Both companies are encouraging anyone with an impairment to pick up a card.