Today I met a woman who had what I thought was a very interesting story.

Cindy is a woman in her mid fifties and is native to the beautiful New England states.  She was here to visit her daughter and son-in-law and her lovely fifteen-month old granddaughter.  She and her husband intend to move to the south soon to be nearer to their family.

Unbeknownst to me, Cindy is legally blind since birth and has a myriad of medical problems that keep her from holding a job.  She gets around fine, does housework and is a very fine cook, so I am told.  Cindy is unable to drive due to her limited vision.

As we were talking about the potential move, she had already anticipated where she wanted to live.  It’s a small subdivision close to a market and strip-mall that has a clothing store, pharmacy and all the sundry items and staples one needs for everyday life.  There is also a small park where she could take her granddaughter while babysitting.  The hope of finding an affordable home in this area is lofty to say the least.

What I didn’t know is that Cindy has always lived in a rural setting and never in her life has been what you and I would call “independent.”  She either relied on someone for a ride to town or had to ask someone to do her shopping and “running around” for her.

So many times we just don’t know how good we have it until we meet someone in a more dire predicament. 

Transportation is one of, if not the most sought after solutions to people with disabilities, especially in urban and rural areas. 

Alert city and county officials to the crucial need for public transportation in these areas.  There are literally millions of people with disabilities and elderly citizens who would benefit from it!

Email us at info@maysmission.org for some of our brochures like “Making Your Community Accessible” or “What is an Assistance Dog?” free of charge. Thank you and please feel free to comment if you have any thoughts or ideas you would like to share.