Imagine — if you will — not being able to just get up and leave. Imagine that you want to go somewhere, but you have to wait for a ride. 

Pay attention to how that feels. Feel it. Do you feel a sense of patience or impatience? How about vulnerability? Do you feel that, too?

Now think of how it feels to just get up and get into your vehicle to leave. How does that make you feel? Do you feel a sense of relief? 

Now, I want you to think about being born with a disability that keeps you from ever experiencing that feeling. (In my case, I knew what it felt like to just get up and leave. I miss that freedom.)

I want you to imagine having to secure a ride home — a ride anywhere. You and your driver must set a time frame for when you are going to be picked up. Initially, a weight is lifted off your chest. It feels good to have the stress of your transportation relieved. However, you wait and wait until finally, you must admit that you've been forgotten. You call your ride and they say sorry. They say someone will pick you up soon.

I depend on paratransit services for my transportation. I have been forgotten twice — in less than a week — by Dial-A-Ride. Being forgotten is horrible. I might expect this from a friend or a close relative, but not from an agency such as this. For me, it is one of the many reasons why it is important to participate in #WeekWithoutDriving.

I've been working with Empower Movement (formerly known as BMAC: BIPOC Mobility Action Coalition) for the last two years. They’re a division of Disability Rights of Washington based in Seattle, and a member of the Front and Centered Coalition. We are People of Color with disabilities acting as grassroots advocates. The Coalition's goal is to help legislators and community members make informed decisions. The Coalition has partnered with PolicyLink, California Walks, and CalBike to create the BIPOC Mobility Justice Policy Lab. The Lab aims to bring mobility justice principles into state-level transportation equity advocacy.

We started the #WeekWithoutDriving campaign within the state of Washington in 2021. Since then, we have partnered with several agencies throughout the country such as America Walks. This is the second year we’ve made it a nationwide movement.

How does #WeekWithoutDriving work?

You can get around however you want, but the challenge is to not drive yourself in any car. This applies to all your activities — not just your work commute. If you normally transport other family members or friends, it applies to those trips too.

You can ask someone else to drive you, but make a note of how much you ‘owe’ this person for their time and/or gas money, and if you feel obligated to support them in other ways — like doing the dishes. You can use taxis or ride-share, but again, consider how the cost impacts your decision to take this trip.

We provide you with tools to prepare you for the #WeekWithoutDriving, and send prompts during the week to help you reflect on what you’re learning and share with your community.

A couple of important points:

This isn’t a disability simulation or a test of how easily you can find alternatives. We know it’s far easier to give up your keys if you can afford to live in a walkable area or can outsource your driving to others.

Having to drive during the challenge does not signify failure. The point is to consider how someone without that option would have coped, and what choices they might have made.

Week Without Driving Panel

fb.com/events/s/week-without-driving-panel/484657124386448

I’m hosting an event with Disability Rights of Washington at 2pm on Saturday, September 28 at Cafe Con Arte. We are putting together a panel for a Q&A for the community to get answers to their questions. Joining us will be representatives from a local union, a Ben Franklin Transit board member, and more!

Cafe Con Arte has delicious drinks, and some amazing pastries, ice cream, waffles, and much more! I highly recommend Ibarra's mocha.

I hope to see many of you there! This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet officials and decision-makers and ask questions that they may have. Together we can make transit accessibility better for our community.

Are you up for the challenge?

Jaime Torres es un apasionado creador de contenido y un incansable defensor de la justicia social, cuyo compromiso con la equidad y la inclusión enriquece a nuestra comunidad.

Jaime Torres is a passionate content creator and tireless advocate for social justice, whose commitment to equity and inclusion enriches our community.