WI: Disability Advocates Decry Proposed Changes to Metro Paratransit Service

People with disabilities and those who help care for them aren’t happy with proposed changes to Metro Transit’s paratransit service that they say will make traveling more difficult and dangerous for those with physical and mental limitations.

But city officials say they have little choice but to bring Metro’s comparably generous paratransit services more in line with minimum federal standards now that the state is requiring Dane County to drop its Medicaid-funded long-term-care program in favor of the state’s Medicaid program, called Family Care.

The Madison Transit and Parking Commission could vote Wednesday on whether to end so-called leave-attended service and to eliminate paratransit “convenience” tickets — both by June 3.

Read the complete article at http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/disability-advocates-decry-proposed-changes-to-metro-paratransit-service/article_426aa0c8-206f-513f-9f97-e765774bc9d2.html