C'mon, Have a HART, Please - My Second Research Piece

I don't know where to begin here.  I was approached by an anonymous source with some very troubling information. There are many individuals with various disabilities who are treated with disdain by those who are employed to serve them.  

This source is a person of unquestionable integrity who without any personal gain came to me with a plea for help.  I am doing what I can.  I will write on this little blog, and maybe the right person will read this and take some action.  If that means passing it up the chain, or just being aware themselves, it might make the difference to some special needs individuals who have a hard time making their needs, wants,but more importantly their complaints known.

Housatonic Area Regional Transit provides transportation to people with special needs in the Greater Danbury Area.  I am told that they have some very questionable people in their employ who are the conduit to both the individuals they serve and the management of HART.

Lets start with some basics.  These special needs people do not get this transportation service for free.  They pay a monthly fee for a ride to their place of work, to doctor visits, and to home. The people that I am speaking for in this note, are those in need, those who have a great amount of difficulty getting around doing the very things that you and I take for granted.

The criteria that these people MUST follow is to be waiting for their pick up more that 80% of the time.  If someone is sick, needs a day off, takes a vacation, has an emergency, all these are missed trips that are counted against them, with no recourse.  If they drop below the magic 80% mark, then HART drops them.  BTW- HART has a monopoly in the area.  There is no alternative mode of transportation for them, except calling a cab.  I can tell you from personal experience, these people cannot afford a cab.

Now, lets cut to the chase.  There are two women who work in their customer service department.  The names of these two women are Patty and Sue.  I have been told that these two are very rude to people with special needs, and also to the men and women who are employed to to help them.  It takes a special kind of asshole to be rude, on a continual basis to people with developmental disabilities, the blind, the physically handicapped and all those with dual disabilities.  I happen to know personally that this is an ongoing problem. The disabled individual has no alternative, but to talk with their case managers, job coaches, and counselors, who in turn call HART for some assistance getting them back on the bus.  These two women seem to have no compassion for those much less fortunate than themselves

Please, have a heart.  There are people who need help, please do what you can. Drop them a line, and let them know that those less fortunate, sometimes need a little break.   (203)744-4070 ask for Patty or Sue

Gitmo Gil