Living with a disability can be frustrating, costly, and sometimes isolated. But as CBC’s Alisha Dicks knows, that’s not all. Her disability taught her to think creatively and look at things from a different perspective. In her new series Access with Alisha, she gives us insights into her life and helps break down the barriers of others.
Recent record-high gas prices have hit bank accounts directly for people in Newfoundland and Labrador, but transportation costs are even higher and sometimes transportation, especially for people with disabilities other than St. John’s. You may not have access to it at all.
Barrier-free St. John’s GoBus is city-funded and costs US $ 2.50 one way and US $ 5 round trip. However, GoBus only covers St. John’s and Mount Pearl, so people with disabilities elsewhere often have to resort to high prices, limited options and alternative transportation that comes in time. not.
When I had a Bachelor of Arts degree from Memorial University from 2013 to 2020, I didn’t have a wheelchair transporter, so I relied on transportation to and from MUN. My means of transportation is an electric wheelchair that is too heavy to be carried by a normal car.
The special shipping service I used was $ 54 for a round trip. With three trips a week, it’s $ 162 a week, or $ 648 a month just for transportation. At the time, I was receiving $ 256 a month from a disability support program, which did not cover all transportation and billing costs.
Due to financial stress and strain, the four-year program took me five and half years to complete the program. It was because I have to manage and fit semester classes in two three days a week. This is what I can afford for transportation, also I was scrimping and saving to go to school. The cost of my books where from $300 to $500 and my tuition ranged from $1,200 to $2,000. My parents were confused When I did not qualify for student loans.
