For Partners
UZURV Expands Its Board With The Appointment Of Flora Castillo And Thomas O’Neil
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RICHMOND, Va., April 4, 2025 — UZURV, the Adaptive Transportation Network Company and Assisted Mobility Platform, announced today the expansion of its board of directors with the appointment of Flora Castillo and Thomas (Tom) O’Neil, III.
The expanded board, with its diverse expertise and extensive experience, provides the company with invaluable counsel and oversight. The board will aid in managing complex regulatory and risk management scenarios, fostering sustainable corporate growth, and bring additional high-level strategic counsel to the company’s continued expansion across the country.
“I am excited that Flora and Tom have joined our board,” said Gary LeClair, Chair of the UZURV Board of Directors. “The depth and breadth of their governance experience is an enormous asset as we guide the growth of this dynamic, mission-oriented company.”
Flora Castillo: Ms. Castillo is the founder and President of Pivot Strategies, LLC, a consulting firm serving the transportation, and insurance industries. Previously she was Vice President of Transportation at UnitedHealth Group as well as the elected chair of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). Castillo has served on numerous boards including Cambridge Systematics, Inc., WHYY, Greater Philadelphia Health Action (GPHA) and formerly on the boards of mPact (Formerly Rail-Volution), and New Jersey Transit. She holds a B.S. in Management Business Administration from Long Island University and is a Certified Health Insurance Executive (C.H.I.E.).
Tom O’Neil: Mr. O’Neil has been a Managing Director at the Berkeley Research Group (BRG), leading the healthcare governance and compliance practice. Previously, he was the Global Chief Compliance Officer of Cigna Corporation, a leading global health services provider. Mr. O’Neil is a seasoned corporate director serving on a variety of boards with a specialty in growth-stage companies operating in highly regulated industries. He received his Artium Baccalaureus (A.B.), magna cum laude, from Dartmouth College and his J.D. from Georgetown University.
“We are honored to have Flora Castillo and Tom O’Neil join our board of directors,” said Ned Freeman, CEO of UZURV. “Their wealth of strategic insight, governance experience, and proven leadership – coupled with their genuine and deep connection to UZURV’s mission – are invaluable additions to the team. We look forward to leveraging their talents to the fullest as we continue our growth.”
About UZURV
Mobility independence is for everyone. UZURV helps communities lower the cost of transportation for people with mobility challenges – while delivering much more reliable, timely service that appropriately meets the needs of each rider. The UZURV Assisted Mobility Platform simplifies the operation and management of onboarding, managing compliance, dispatching, and monitoring assisted community mobility services. The platform provides powerful program management and reporting tools for mobility management, transportation systems, and service providers, including UZURV’s own Adaptive Transportation Network (Adaptive TNC) service model. UZURV’s Adaptive TNC onboards fully FTA-compliant drivers for ADA Paratransit and rider choice programs. UZURV holds contracts for assisted community mobility services with more than 35 organizations across the United States, including five of the top ten largest ADA paratransit programs by rider volume. UZURV was founded in 2017 and is based in Richmond, Va. For more information about UZURV, visit https://uzurv.com/.
Open letter to the Public Transportation Community
February 4, 2025
Ned Freeman
Chief Executive Officer
UZURV
A case for preserving safety in Public Transit with FTA drug and alcohol testing
I’ve been monitoring the flurry of talking points and comments related to the FTA’s recent notice of proposed policy statement (Docket No. FTA–2024–0020: Notice of Proposed Policy Statement on the applicability of drug and alcohol testing programs to Transportation Network Companies).
In my opinion, there are two key points that are not getting enough attention in these discussions:
- FTA Drug and Alcohol testing makes public transit safer.
- FTA Drug and Alcohol testing should protect all riders, not just some riders.
1. FTA Drug and Alcohol testing requirements make public transit safer.
Federal transit law requires agencies to establish and implement drug and alcohol testing programs to help prevent accidents, injuries, and fatalities. The goal is safety.
The drug & alcohol testing requirements protect communities from workers who misuse alcohol or use prohibited drugs while on the job.
Testing requirements cover all workers who perform safety-sensitive functions, including operators of public transit vehicles. People who operate vehicles for public transit should not be impaired.
Testing seeks to deter, prevent, detect, and remove workers from service if they are found to be impaired by illegal drugs or abuse of alcohol. This includes testing workers before hire, random testing while on the job, testing based on reasonable suspicion of impairment, and post-accident testing.
Each year, federal data shows that the testing successfully identifies, prevents the hiring of, or removes from service around 1-2% of workers, who tested positive for drugs or alcohol. The rate of positive test results is monitored each year, and the amount of testing required is adjusted to make sure the workforce is adequately tested and monitored to improve the safety of our systems.
Drug and alcohol testing safety measures work to protect public transit riders.
2. FTA Drug and Alcohol testing should protect all riders, not just some riders.
Every single rider should have confidence that public transit is doing everything it can to keep them safe.
Agencies provide many modes and types of public transit service, from light rail, ferries, traditional fixed route bus service, ADA Paratransit, to on-demand services, first / last mile, microtransit, etc… many longstanding modes of service, as well as innovative new service models.
Every mode of service in public transit is subject to FTA drug and alcohol testing.
However, right now there is an active push by some to “exempt” TNCs from FTA Drug and Alcohol testing, unlike every other mode of service.
Some TNCs are pressing the industry to interpret the 1994 “taxicab exception” that originally applied to street-hailed cabs as the basis for exempting TNCs from the drug and alcohol testing standards that apply to every other operator and safety-sensitive worker in public transit.
Today, the limited “taxicab exception” has even evolved to be widely described by some as an “exemption” that should be broadly applied to transportation network companies.
Over the past several years, the industry has seen a proliferation and growth of programs where transportation network companies provide a material portion of service in public transit – many without being included as part of FTA Drug and Alcohol testing pools.
This has created systems where not all riders have the same safety protections as those required on every other mode of service.
This proliferation is not the result of the random selection of an individual TNC driver by a rider using an agency voucher. Most of this growth comes from structured programs with a direct relationship between the agency and the TNCs managed by procurements and contractual or other formal relationships.
To address many industry requests for clarification about the taxicab exception and how it should be applied to TNCs, the FTA recently released a Proposed Policy Statement regarding the applicability of FTA’s Drug and Alcohol testing program to Transportation Network Companies.
In the proposal, the FTA states there is a need to clarify how the “taxicab exception” applies to TNCs, and whether or not TNCs are subject to the requirements of FTA Drug and Alcohol testing.
Let’s be clear:
Public transit and public transit riders should have full access to the use of TNCs. But the use of TNCs as a solution in public transit should not exempt TNCs from the same safety requirements of every other mode of service in public transit.
There is no reason TNCs cannot comply with FTA drug and alcohol testing requirements. To the contrary, a number of TNCs manage FTA compliant testing programs. And do so at scale.
The FTA’s proposed policy statement, which clarifies the rules for operating under contractual or informal arrangements with transit agencies to comply with FTA’s drug and alcohol testing program with TNCs, represents a crucial clarification of the original rules to ensure passengers receive consistent levels of safety across all public transportation services.
The assurance that every driver for federally funded public transportation adheres to the same standard as the operators for every other mode of service provides peace of mind to riders, transit agencies, and communities.
The FTA’s proposed policy statement regrounds our industry understanding of the taxicab exception to the original intent. It aligns with public expectations that providers of transit-funded services uphold the highest safety standards, ensuring no compromise in protecting passengers regardless of service delivery methods.
The choice to allow TNCs to expand services in federally funded public transportation without drug and alcohol testing is not a market necessity. It is a choice.
We believe drug and alcohol testing should be applied to all modes of service. And again, it is absolutely possible to operate a FTA compliant drug and alcohol testing program as a large-scale TNC.
If we uphold our industry safety standards, we still leave the private sector their freedom of choice.
TNCs can choose to comply with the same safety standards required of every other business in public transit. Or they can choose not to.
The industry should not seek to make public transit riders choose between different modes with different safety standards. We can enforce our safety standards and provide full access to the significant benefits of TNCs for public transportation.
Summary Conclusion:
FTA drug and alcohol testing makes public transit systems safer than they would be without the testing requirements.
Safety standards should be applied to all modes of service, and there is no reason to single out TNCs for exemption from drug and alcohol testing.
Support for the FTA’s proposed policy statement aligns with the long-standing emphasis on safety in public transit. We urge the industry’s full support for the proposed policy statement “Notice of Proposed Policy Statement Regarding the Applicability of FTA’s Drug and Alcohol Testing Program to Transportation Network Companies.”
Should you wish to voice support for the FTA’s Proposed Policy Statement (Docket No. FTA–2024–0020) you can post your public comment to the FTA here: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FTA-2024-0020-0001
Comments are due by February 12, 2025
Preserving Safety in Public Transit with FTA Drug and Alcohol Testing
Myths and Truths
There have been a number of confusing comments and information swirling around the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) recent “Notice of Proposed Policy Statement Regarding the Applicability of FTA’s Drug and Alcohol Testing Program to Transportation Network Companies.” As an Adaptive Transportation Network Company that operates an FTA Compliant Drug and Alcohol testing program, we have pulled together some of the more common myths we’ve seen in comments and provided context below.
Myth:
If these new rules go into effect, TNCs will be barred from providing transportation services.
Truth:
TNCs are permitted to provide all forms of public transit service (including paratransit, microtransit, and other on-demand services) as long as they agree to meet the same drug and alcohol testing rules as other public agencies and private companies who provide public transportation. Furthermore, the FTA allows an exception for providers (including taxicab companies and TNCs – i.e. the “Taxicab exception”), which applies when there is no contractual relationship with a transit agency, and where riders can choose their own provider without any influence from the transit agency. Finally, there are multiple TNCs who meet the drug and alcohol testing requirements.
Myth:
The FTA is setting new drug and alcohol testing rules for TNCs.
Truth:
These rules are not new. The FTA has required drug and alcohol testing for transit agencies, providers, and other organizations that provide all forms of public transit since 1991. The only thing that is changing is that the FTA is confirming that TNCs who provide public transit must also meet these long-standing rules.
Myth:
The FTA’s new rules unfairly single out TNCs.
Truth:
The FTA has always required public agencies and private companies who operate public transit to meet federal drug and alcohol testing requirements. It’s common sense. The FTA’s proposed policy statement simply points out that when a TNC provides public transit, it is also covered – just like everyone else.
Myth:
It is impossible for a TNC to meet the FTA’s drug and alcohol testing requirements.
Truth:
TNCs have and do meet the FTA drug and alcohol testing requirements, UZURV is one of them. Some choose not to, but that is a choice made by the business.
TNCs have two options for meeting the requirements, both of which are straightforward and feasible. One option is for a TNC to require all of its drivers to meet FTA drug and alcohol testing rules. The second option is that TNCs can create a pool of drivers who meet the requirements. Once met, this pool of drivers would be available to provide public transportation services. This approach is similar to driver pools that many TNCs use for operating services that cater to people who need larger vehicles, people who want a luxury/black car experience, and people wishing to travel with their pets.
Myth:
Requiring TNC drivers to have the same drug and alcohol screenings as pilots, bus, train, and paratransit operators will end on-demand mobility programs
Truth:
Although some TNCs may choose not to meet the FTA’s long-standing drug and alcohol testing requirements, there are other TNCs (including UZURV) who already meet them. Thus, there is no need for mobility programs to be impacted by the FTA’s long-standing policy that all public transit services are provided by safety-sensitive personnel who are not impaired by drugs or alcohol.
Myth:
The FTA is shutting down on-demand mobility programs!
Truth:
The FTA’s proposed policy statement will not force local transit agencies to discontinue use of TNCs. The FTA is simply reminding transit agencies that if they wish to partner with TNCs, participating TNCs must meet the same drug and alcohol testing requirements as any other public transportation provider. In fact, the FTA provides guidance on how TNCs can meet drug and alcohol testing requirements, thereby ensuring that these TNC-operated programs can continue, without putting rider or public safety at risk.
Myth:
The cost of adding drug and alcohol screening is too high for TNCs - this will negate the cost savings agencies need to continue providing these services.
Truth:
When the taxicab exception was created it was well before current technology that allows for automation with human oversight that greatly reduces the cost and time it takes to screen drivers and manage a compliant program. UZURV and others do this year-round across the country with a driver network that completes millions of rides every year – and costs much less on average per trip than traditional paratransit.
Myth:
TNCs that screen for drugs and alcohol are not in my market, so transit agencies and other programs have no choice.
Truth:
Transit agencies can choose to onboard TNCs and other providers that meet public transit safety requirements, including drug and alcohol screening, door-to-door service, no service animal denials, app or phone scheduling, and cash or voucher payments.
Myth:
The cost of a fully FTA-compliant TNC is nearly as high as traditional paratransit.
Truth:
Although we should never put a price on safety, the incremental cost of meeting the FTA’s requirements is relatively small. TransPro, a 3rd-party transit consultancy compared UZURV pricing against more than 4.6 million paratransit trips and found that UZURV trips on average were 30% cheaper and the average per mile cost was 46% less than traditional paratransit.
Myth:
No other TNCs are big enough to handle the volume of rides!
Truth:
UZURV is one of several TNCs with FTA-compliant drivers, and we alone provided multiple millions of trips in 2024. Our clients include 25 transit agencies in 15 states and the District of Columbia all across the country, including 5 of the largest 10 paratransit programs by annual trip volume. We do so with 97%+ On-time Performance (within a 15-minute window) and 98% rider satisfaction.
Myth:
This is Happening for Political Reasons
Truth:
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy has been clear that safety is a fundamental principle of America’s transportation systems. Safety in transportation is a bi-partisan issue, with full support across aisles. The FTA clarification submitted with the proposed policy statement originated at the request of multiple transit agencies seeking guidance on the application of the original law and guidance to TNCs. Appropriate adherence to drug and alcohol testing requirements across all modes of service is a requirement of the law. With the proposed policy statement, the FTA went back to the original intent of the law, going so far as to transparently note a mistake that was made in past guidance, and spelled out its recommended answer. TNCs being subject to the same drug and alcohol testing requirements as all other modes of service in public transportation is common sense. Suggesting that the proposed policy statement is the result of a partisan political agenda or bureaucratic overreach is inconsistent with the basic truth of longstanding, bi-partisan policy on public safety and the new administration’s stated priority on public safety.
Conclusion:
Safety standards should be applied to all types of transit service, and there is no reason to single out TNCs for exemption from drug and alcohol testing.
Support for the FTA’s proposed policy statement aligns with the long-standing emphasis on safety in public transit. We urge riders and advocates to offer their full support for the proposed policy statement “Notice of Proposed Policy Statement Regarding the Applicability of FTA’s Drug and Alcohol Testing Program to Transportation Network Companies.”
Should you wish to voice support for the FTA’s Proposed Policy Statement (Docket No. FTA–2024–0020) you can post your public comment to the FTA here: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FTA-2024-0020-0001
Comments are due by February 12, 2025
UZURV Partners with VisionServe Alliance to Advance Support for the Blind and Low-Vision Community
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RICHMOND, VA., January 28, 2025 — UZURV, the Adaptive Transportation Network Company and Assisted Mobility Platform, announces its commitment as a Platinum Sponsor of the VisionServe Alliance (VSA) for 2025. This partnership will help expand VSA’s mission of supporting organizations that work to overcome challenges faced by individuals who are blind or have low vision.
VisionServe Alliance is a collaborative network of advocacy groups, service providers, businesses, healthcare organizations, educators, and sports organizations, all dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with vision loss. The sponsorship will empower VSA to extend its reach, fostering greater impact across the nation for its alliance members.
“We are honored to have UZURV’s support for our mission,” said Lee Nasehi, President and CEO of VisionServe Alliance. “Their sponsorship will be used to strengthen the work of the alliance, through events, knowledge sharing, and consulting, all focused on improving the lives of individuals with blindness and vision loss.”
“Nurturing strong networks that erase barriers and promote opportunities for people with disabilities and older adults to maintain independence and personal autonomy is at the heart of both VisionServe Alliance and UZURV,” said Ned Freeman, CEO of UZURV. “We are proud to support VSA’s advocacy and innovative work, and we look forward to working together to improve transportation options for the blind and low-vision communities.”
As part of the sponsorship, UZURV and VSA will jointly focus on advancing accessible transportation solutions, helping to ensure that individuals with vision loss can more easily navigate their communities and access essential services.
About VisionServe Alliance
VisionServe leads an alliance of more than 130 member organizations that vastly improve the lives of people with blindness and low vision. VisionServe Alliance collaborates with leaders to enhance the health of the BVI field by maximizing engagement with life-changing vision rehabilitation training and services, addressing strategic issues, impacting the field, cultivating leadership, enhancing management systems, sharing best practices, increased capacity-building and sustainability, informing public policy, developing groundbreaking data reports highlighting profound issues impacting people with blindness and vision loss, and more. VisionServe Alliance also leads the Aging and Vision Loss National Coalition (AVLNC), a consortium of leaders advocating for the needs of adults 65+ with blindness and low vision.
About UZURV
Mobility independence is for everyone. UZURV helps communities lower the cost of transportation for people with mobility challenges – while delivering much more reliable, timely service that appropriately meets the needs of each rider. The UZURV Assisted Mobility Platform simplifies the operation and management of onboarding, managing compliance, dispatching, and monitoring assisted community mobility services. The platform provides powerful program management and reporting tools for mobility management, transportation systems, and service providers, including UZURV’s own Adaptive Transportation Network (Adaptive TNC) service model. UZURV’s Adaptive TNC onboards fully FTA-compliant drivers for ADA Paratransit and rider choice programs. UZURV holds contracts for assisted community mobility services with more than 35 organizations across the United States, including five of the top ten largest ADA paratransit programs by rider volume. UZURV was founded in 2017 and is based in Richmond, Va. For more information about UZURV, visit https://uzurv.com/.
UZURV Board Names Ned Freeman as Chief Executive Officer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
John Donlon, UZURV’s Founding CEO, Continues Involvement
RICHMOND, VA., November 11, 2024 — UZURV has finalized its leadership transition, naming Ned Freeman to the position of Chief Executive Officer.
He succeeds John Donlon, the founding CEO, who will continue his role as a member of UZURV’s Board of Directors and serve as UZURV’s President.
“The Board conducted an extensive national search for our next CEO, seeking the right person to continue to build on UZURV’s significant positive momentum and growth trajectory,” said Gary LeClair, Chair of the Board. “It became clear through this process that Ned’s extensive experience, mission focus, deep understanding of this business, and support from the team made him the best choice for UZURV’s next phase of growth. Ned has been instrumental in helping build the collaborative, mission-driven culture of this team, and the Board is confident that UZURV’s exceptional growth trajectory will continue to accelerate with his strategic leadership.”
“As we make this change, the Board, on behalf of UZURV’s full team and investors, would also like to thank John Donlon for his vision and leadership in founding UZURV and for the continuing relationship-building and advocacy efforts planned in his new role as President,” added LeClair.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with this exceptional team as our CEO,” said Freeman, “Mobility independence is for everyone. But every single day one in four people find it difficult to get where they want to go. And it just doesn’t have to be that way. UZURV’s innovative technology platform and service save communities millions of dollars while radically improving quality and reducing the cost of mobility for people with disabilities, older adults, and others who need assistance to move about their community. This entire team is committed to making mobility independence as easy as it should be for everyone across this country. It’s hard. It’s fun, and even with the exceptional growth we’ve experienced over the past few years, we’ve just barely scratched the surface of what’s possible.”
Ned Freeman joined UZURV in 2019 as EVP of Marketing as the company began its national expansion. In 2021 he became the company’s Chief Operating Officer, and UZURV has since grown to provide assisted community mobility in more than 20 regions across the country. Freeman brings 30 years of organization-building executive experience in marketing, product development, and operational leadership to the CEO role – with a team-first, results-focused leadership style.
About UZURV
Mobility independence is for everyone. UZURV helps communities lower the cost of transportation for people with mobility challenges – while delivering much more reliable, timely service that appropriately meets the needs of each rider. The UZURV Assisted Mobility Platform simplifies the operation and management of onboarding, managing compliance, dispatching, and monitoring assisted community mobility services. The platform provides powerful program management and reporting tools for mobility management, transportation systems, and service providers, including UZURV’s own Adaptive Transportation Network (Adaptive TNC) service model. UZURV’s Adaptive TNC onboards fully FTA-compliant drivers for ADA Paratransit and rider choice programs. UZURV holds contracts for assisted community mobility services with more than 35 organizations across the United States, including five of the top ten largest ADA paratransit programs by rider volume. UZURV was founded in 2017 and is based in Richmond, Va. For more information about UZURV, visit https://uzurv.com/.
Reliable, Community-centered NEMT - Access Advanced Care Transportation
Reliable, Community-Centered NEMT
UZURV contracts to provide WAV service in many of our programs across the country as a portion of the available trips we provide.
To ensure paratransit riders requiring wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs) receive the same high level of service expected of every UZURV ride, we maintain equally high standards for our contracted WAV providers.
Partnerships Based on a Shared Commitment to Service
Featured Partner
Access Advanced Care Transportation
UZURV partners with Access – Advanced Care Transportation (Access) to provide wheelchair-accessible trips for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority Connexion Plus program, which offers ADA-eligible riders same-day, opt-in service.
Rolando Dunagan, owner-operator of Access shares his core principles for WAV transportation. Rolando made the jump from real estate into Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) in 2019. Intrigued by local WAV vehicles, Rolando started part-time, balancing real estate with NEMT. His company has grown steadily by maintaining a focus on the needs of the community of riders. These insights have shaped its approach to customer service, staff, and the Jacksonville community.
“I had a wonderful experience with my Access Driver on my ride. My driver was very attentive, drove within the speed limit, and ensured I was safe and comfortable during the entirety of my trip.”
– JTA Connexion Rider
The customer first philosophy
The driving philosophy of Access is “to put the customer first no matter what, ” says Rolando. This can be as simple as tuning into a rider’s preferred radio station or adjusting the vehicle’s inside temperature for the rider’s comfort. What it always includes is communication. For Rolando, “the number one thing is communication.”
Rolando expands, “We can make the vans look good and wear fancy uniforms, but if we don’t communicate with the rider, they’ll wonder, ‘What is going on!?’ A simple phone call makes all the difference.”
Compassion is the litmus test
As a WAV provider that goes above and beyond, Access ensures every one of the drivers is reliable. Rolando aptly points out, “If you don’t make it to work that day, then your ten passengers don’t make it to work either.”
Reliability goes beyond being punctual. Access has an essential litmus test when pre-screening drivers. They always ask, “When was the last time you experienced road rage? What happens when someone cuts you off?” Because, as Rolando points out, “If you can’t handle stuff like that, this isn’t for you. It’s going to happen all the time.” A level-headed driver is essential when navigating daily traffic as a transportation provider.
During onboarding, Access mentors drivers by assigning them a one-on-one coach, Donald, and Sheila, “nothing beats the hand-on-hand, side-by-side training on day one until we think you are ready to go.” Training at Access lasts as long as a driver needs it and their mentors are always a phone call away.
Familiarity with your riders improves safety
Access’s emphasis on communication between driver and passenger increases familiarity and comfort for riders. In fact, Rolando believes he and his staff “…know about 80% of passengers by their first name.”
In turn, robust communication and the familiarity it builds is an effective safety measure. “We’re similar to barbers. You really get to
know who your riders are…” Rolando neatly illustrates his point “…GPS might take you four blocks away. My drivers already know all the particulars of each trip. They understand the Jacksonville landscape, and what every one of our riders needs.” The entire team at Access is committed to every rider’s safety and security.
To Rolando, “It’s all about the passengers.” They are always at the forefront of his mind when hiring his drivers, “You have to have compassion and empathy. If a driver has that, I know they are the one.”
Involved in the rider community
In addition to the services Access provides to UZURV, Rolando and his team work closely with the Jacksonville Center for Independent Living (CIL). CIL offers community-based services such as access to technology and equipment, sign-language interpretation, and employment assistance. Through their collaboration, Access and CIL ensure the Jacksonville community has additional accessible transportation options.
Rolando and his crew go beyond the responsibilities of their daily mission, expanding their community role from provider to advocate.
Acronyms:
WAV – Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle
NDSP – Non-Dedicated Service Provider
NEMT – Non-emergency Medical Transportation
TNC – Transportation Network Company
Interested in working with UZURV to provide wheelchair-accessible transportation to riders in your community?
Non-Apparent Disabilities Replace Judgment with Curiosity
Serving riders with non-apparent disabilities
UZURV riders have a wide range of abilities, as well as a wide range of disabilities – not all of which are obvious.
UZURV spoke with Michelle Witman, co-founder of Asset Based Consulting, a firm that helps companies and groups remove barriers for people with disabilities.
“We work with organizations of all types to shift company culture so we all understand that everybody has an asset to offer,” Witman said.
Buildings, technology, and transportation are often filled with obstacles for people with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act ensures that communities make reasonable accommodations and modifications so people with disabilities can fully participate.
However, removing obstacles for people with non-apparent disabilities can be more challenging than for those with apparent disabilities. If a disability isn’t easily noticed, it can be overlooked – or even discounted.
What is a non-apparent disability?
A non-apparent disability is a physical, mental, or neurological condition that is not visible from the outside, yet can limit or challenge a person’s movements, senses, or activities.
Some examples of non-apparent disabilities include:
- Autism
- Epilepsy
- Brain Injury
- Fibromyalgia
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Mental Illness such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder
Because disabilities like the ones listed above can create mobility limitations, UZURV Drivers provide transportation access for people with both apparent and non-apparent disabilities. By offering rides, Drivers proactively remove mobility barriers so riders can participate fully in their communities.
Working with people who have non-apparent disabilities
Witman offered two pieces of advice to UZURV Drivers when working with and for people whose disabilities aren’t obvious.
Replace judgment with curiosity
“We have a lot of preconceived notions and assumptions about people with non-apparent disabilities,” said Witman. “We automatically come from a place of judgment.”
“I ask people to withhold their judgment and replace it with curiosity,” she continued. “Ask riders questions like, ‘What can I do to help you be successful today?’”
It’s important to note that curiosity should not lead to intrusive questions or a HIPAA violation. If a rider does not appear to have a disability, drivers are instructed not to ask what their disability is or why they are riding with UZURV.
For instance, if a rider does not make eye contact, rather than assuming they are being rude, they may have a non-apparent disability that makes it difficult to maintain eye contact.
Rather than judge their behavior, drivers are asked how they prefer to communicate on the ride that day.
Drivers stay in conversation with their rider
Supporting a rider with non-apparent disabilities is not always obvious.
That’s why it’s important drivers ask riders before every ride what they need to be successful that day, so their ride can be as seamless and enjoyable as possible.
Drivers ask the Golden Question, “What can I do to assist you to the vehicle today?
You don’t know what someone needs unless you ask.
Drivers are encouraged to stay in conversation with their rider about what they need at any given time. Every rider has different needs that change from day to day, sometimes from moment to moment. The only way to know is to ask and listen.
“It’s such an easy lift to ask what someone needs,” said Witman. “And it makes all the difference in the world.”
Paratransit Acronyms, Terms, and Jargon, Oh My!
Paratransit Acronyms, Terms, and Jargon, Oh My!
Every industry will have its jargon, and public transit certainly has its share – plus a deep commitment to acronyms. We have collected a list of the most common buzzwords and acronyms for new employees in the Paratransit space (or anyone looking for a brush-up).
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
The Americans with Disabilities Act – the ADA is a civil rights law passed in 1990 prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities. The law established the requirement that public transit agencies provide “complementary paratransit” as a service entitled to riders as a civil right. This legislation set forth requirements and guidance on the minimum requirements of how, where, when, and the costs for Paratransit services.
DRT (Demand Responsive Transportation)
DRT is a catch-all term that refers to an array of transportation services, including paratransit, microtransit, and others, that are designed to respond when summoned by a passenger. Think of it like this, unlike fixed-route transit, which runs on pre-set routes and schedules, DRT is designed to provide trips between the pick-up and drop-off locations set by or associated with riders, and at the times requested by customers.
Microtransit
Microtransit typically refers to an app-based, shared-ride, demand-response transportation service that operates in a small service area. Microtransit services are often used to link areas that are not well served by fixed-route transit services with a transit network. For example: a microtransit system might be used to connect a small suburban community to a rail station with high-frequency train service to the downtown business district.
MOD (Mobility-on-Demand)
MOD is more a concept embodied by an array of transit products. The idea is a transportation product or service that allows people to travel with little or no advanced notice. Examples of MOD can include anything from a scooter rental, to microtransit, to a rideshare service.
NDSP (Non-Dedicated Service Provider)
Yikes! What a mouthful.
Understanding the meaning of NDSP is easier if one understands the meaning of a Dedicated Service Provider, A Dedicated Service Provider is a transportation provider for whom the vehicles and drivers are dedicated to provide service specifically for a transportation program. The vehicles are typically controlled by a single company or a subcontracted management company. In an NDSP, like a TNC (see below), the ownership and control of the vehicles is typically outside of the transportation program and that fleet can be used for other uses and programs.
NEMT (Non-Emergency Medical Transportation)
NEMT typically refers to transportation connected with non-emergency medical services, such as doctor appointments, treatments, visits to a pharmacy, etc. for patients who are unable to drive. It is very often associated with Medicaid beneficiaries. If it is a transportation service to or from a medical facility or a pharmacy, and if it’s not in the back of an ambulance, it’s often any NEMT.
OTP (On-Time Performance)
On-Time Performance is an industry standard for benchmarking the quality of a transportation service. By measuring the rate of on-time arrivals within a set window, before and after the scheduled service, public transit officials can measure the efficacy and quality of their program.
AOTP (Appointment On-Time Performance)
This measures how on-time a trip is relative to the time the rider needs to be dropped off for an appointment where a program enables a rider to book an “appointment” trip that specifies when the rider must arrive at a location.
Paratransit
In Greek, “Para” means “alongside,” so paratransit means alongside transit. In North America paratransit refers to prescheduled, shared-ride transportation services that are typically government-funded and provide for individuals who are unable, because of a disability or disabling health condition, to independently use conventional fixed-route bus and rail services.
Rideshare
The colloquial term: is often used to describe a Transportation Network Company (see below). In the world of public transportation, ridesharing or “ride-sharing” is defined as, “the practice of sharing rides or transportation, especially by commuters, typically in the form of carpooling and vanpooling.” This can be formal programs (often with “ride matching programs” or informal or loosely organized carpooling.
Ride-hail
A more ‘wonky’ industry term to describe the same type of services offered by TNCs. Specifically, ride-hailing refers to the process of requesting, or hailing, a ride through a cloud-based app. This could be a traditional Taxi or a TNC such as UZURV.
TNC (Transportation Network Company)
Transportation Network Company –TNCs utilize cloud-based software and mobile applications to create a web of drivers offering transportation to individual riders typically using their own vehicles as independent contractors.
WAV (Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle)
Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle/Van – WAVs are a form of specialty vehicle that are manufactured or modified to allow for the space, ease of entry, and safe transport of wheelchair users.
Looking for more resources on common transit Industry vocabulary?
Check out APTA’s glossary.
Why Working at UZURV Gets Me Thinking About Dog Food
Eating My Own Dog Food
By Ron Brooks
Senior Director, Policy and Stakeholder Engagement
There’s an expression, that resonates for me: “Eating your own dog food.”
I was born to a blue-collar family in small-town Indiana with a severe eye condition that worsened over time. When I was a kid, I could see a little, so I did all the things kids do – I rode bikes, ambushed unsuspecting adults with snowballs, tormented my sisters, and tried to avoid boring things like homework and chores.
I also played basketball (Indiana’s national pastime). Just before my fourteenth birthday, I took a ball to the face during a pick-up game with friends. By the next morning, my remaining eyesight was gone. So, I learned a new way of reading, writing, and getting to and from school. Getting anywhere meant learning public transportation, and ultimately, paratransit services like UZURV.
I began my career with the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, planning, designing, and delivering transportation improvements for older adults and people with disabilities. I’ve been working in the accessible transit and paratransit space ever since, including the past two years with UZURV.
In short, I’ve been a member of the disability community, designing and delivering services for the disability community thirty years and counting. In other words, I’ve been eating my own dog food most of my life. By now, I’m a real connoisseur.
Speaking of which – in 1988, I met my first guide dog. I have been working with one ever since. My current guide is a beautiful five-year-old lab named York. York loves life, fast walks, people, food, and riding with UZURV.
February is Low Vision Awareness Month. As someone who cares about how we serve our riders (including me) at UZURV, here are a few tips we have shared with UZURV Drivers (and now you) to ensure that blind and low-vision customers enjoy five-star experiences every time.
UZURV’s standard service is door-to-door – from the outermost door of the pickup location to the outermost door of the destination. That’s the policy.
A blind or low-vision rider may not see their driver. If they do, they may not realize who their UZURV Driver is.
Blind and low-vision people come in a wide variety. Some are younger, others older. Some can navigate within the environment, others not. Some use guide dogs, some canes, and some do not use any aids at all. So, the help one person needs may be too much or too little for someone else.
The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guarantees the rights of people with disabilities to travel with service animals, and all fifty states have made it a misdemeanor to deny transportation to a blind or low-vision customer because of the presence of a guide dog. UZURV has its own Service Animal policy, which requires drivers to welcome their rider with their service animal.
Protocol around service animals is:
- Ignore and do not interact with the animal at all.
- The rider should place their service animal on the floor or, in the case of some smaller service animals, in an enclosed pet carrier. Service animals should never lie on the seat.
- If an animal acts in a way that is aggressive, threatening, and/or disruptive, and if the rider is unable to appropriately manage the animal’s behavior, drivers can contact Operations through the UZURV app for assistance.
As a guide dog handler, I appreciate drivers who know the rules and who simply interact with me as though my guide dog isn’t even there. To paraphrase the old saw: “Guide dogs should be seen and not heard.”
Although a rider may be blind or have some other disability, their lives are filled with other people, interests, and activities. If asked a direct question about blindness or low-vision, most will answer it, but most would prefer discussing something else. And don’t shout. Most blind and low-vision people can hear just fine.
Dig Deeper
Check out these resources to learn more about blindness, low-vision, and guide dogs:
- American Council of the Blind – www.acb.org: A consumer organization focused on advocacy, education, and peer support.
- American Foundation for the Blind – www.afb.org: A premiere blindness and low-vision research organization in the United States.
- National Federation of the Blind – www.nfb.org: A consumer organization, focused on improving opportunities and equality for people who are blind.
- International Guide Dog Federation – www.igdf.org.uk: An international organization representing guide dog training facilities from around the world. The site includes links to accredited guide dog training institutions here in the U.S. as well as across Canada.
- UZURV – Service Dogs Changing Lives for the Better: Learn more about Service Dogs and their training in this UZURV blog.
The Seeing Eye – www.seeingeye.org: The training facility where I met and trained with my present guide dog and satisfied UZURV customer, York. In addition, the Seeing Eye website has links to all guide dog access laws in the U.S. and Canada. They also produced a mobile app with the same information – check it out here.
User Experience (UX) & Accessibility Design at UZURV
What is the philosophy of UZURV's User Experience Design?
We encounter User Experience (UX) design every day without even noticing. In broad strokes, UX Design is the practice of building an overall experience for a user when interacting or engaging with a given product or service. In app development, a lot of UX is focused on how straightforward and accessible the technology is for users. These can be small yet impactful functions. The ease of swiping left or using voice prompts to open a text, etc.
At UZURV, UX plays a vital role in the efficacy and accessibility of our services. To dig into how that translates to our apps, we spoke to UX Lead Chase Thompson and UX Designer, Christina Huther to explain the basics of their design philosophy and what role accessibility plays in their work.
As a company whose mission is to expand mobility independence for all, including people with disabilities and older adults, our apps must be fully accessible. So, how does this change the way our designers approach UX?
“I would say not much different than any other app,” explains Huther, “You’re going to have members of your audience that have disabilities and so every app you build needs to be accessible, that should be your goal no matter what.”
Chase and Christina are responsible for ensuring that the product and service meet the expectations of our users. That means including users in the design and development process.
Users are the experts
“Being equitable recognizes that somebody might have different needs and making sure that we account for those types of needs and circumstances.”
– Chase
A key step toward an accessible product is to see it used in real life. UZURV invites users to poke and prod our technology as part of the design process
According to Chase, “You can conceptually think about something as accessible, that the contrast is high enough, the phone’s big enough, this should work. But when you see somebody actually interact with it, it changes.”
He says the team finds nuances in user testing that have nothing to do with the app looking good. Actual users interacting with the app show the team how features in the app are being used functionally and often reveal adjustments that make the app more useful for any user.
Research itself has become significantly more accessible both for UX Designers and users with disabilities.
“I rely on the users of the product to give me their feedback and their insight and their experiences and their expectations so that I can empathize with them and build a product that suits them”
– Christina
Thanks to advances in research and feedback methods, Christina tells us, “It’s so much easier for UX designers and researchers to advance accessibility standards.” In the past, receiving feedback required in-person testimonials and testing which could be arduous to arrange and even more difficult for people with disabilities to get to, “because we can hear from people much more easily, especially people who wouldn’t have had the opportunity to participate, just because they’re either hard to find, they can’t access a testing facility, or the technology that they needed to use was not accessible.” Now, with online testing options such as usertesting.com the UX team can quickly find appropriate test participants and gain invaluable feedback.
With that research in hand, the design team then plays a lead role as the voice of the user in the development process.“It’s a large part of what we do,” according to Christina. “We connect our stakeholders with the riders and drivers and connect all of those needs with our development team. Coordinating all of that and making sure the ends are meeting in the right place.”
If not the ADA, then who sets the bar for accessibility?
“One thing that we really rely on is the WCAG…these guidelines help make sure that what you’re doing is, in fact, accessible.”
– Chase T.
The ADA does not include standards or guidelines for web and app development, and so as web development has matured, so have industry standards for accessibility. UZURV designs to the standards set by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
The WCAG includes comprehensive guidelines for a wide range of users, and according to Chase,
“You want to think through not just what are best practices. There are a bunch of different people that you need to be inclusive of. Not only physical disabilities, there are people with hearing impairments, visual impairments, and cognitive impairments. There are different aspects to keep in mind when thinking about designing a product to be accessible.”More than industry guidelines, these are standards to be met and then validated by experts. To ensure UZURV products are accessible, our UX team uses third-party auditors. As Chase explains, we do this “…to make sure our products are accessible and to ultimately get a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template).” The VPAT communicates to prospective agency clients that we have done our due diligence and that the product meets national accessibility standards.
Assistive technology advancements mean the guidelines are continuously improving.
Rapid technological progress leads to equally rapid improving standards for what is considered accessible.
Chase explains, “These guidelines are constantly updated as technology advances… it allows us from the design and implementation side to think about other ways to make our technology more accessible.”
If the standards are ever advancing how does a UX designer measure success?
The answer is surprisingly simple, “The best UX goes unnoticed,” Christina says, “If nobody has anything to say about it, it’s probably good.”