October 2006 vol. 8
Providing the Resources and Tools for the Independent Traveler
Did You Know
1.
Ride Connection is moving on October
20th. The new address is 3030 SW
Moody Ave Suite 230 Portland, OR
97201. All the phone numbers and
emails will stay the same.
2.
Two partners of RideWise are hiring.
Inclusion Inc and CCI have positions
available. Inclusion Inc. is a
developmental disability brokerage that
assists individuals in controlling and
choosing their supports and the
resources available to them. For more
information please contact Anne
Zaccardi at 503-232-2289 ext. 129. CCI
is a non-profit agency providing one-
on-one constant supervision and
services to each of their
developmentally disabled (DD) clients.
Email or fax your resume, or apply in
person. Their address is Center for
Continuous Improvement, Inc.
Administrative Office 900 Main St.,
Suite 200 Oregon City, OR 97045
FAX: (503) 594-1258.
3.
Ride Connection will be hosting their
annual luncheon on December 1
st
. This
event will take place from 11:30 to 1pm
at the Double Tree near the Lloyd
Center. The cost is $30 per person. To
make your reservations please call
503.528.1720.
This newsletter is available in alternative
format by calling 503.528.1721
Q &A with Christina
Q. Christina, I am a teacher in Beaverton.
One of my co workers said that she had an
out of service bus come out to her class. Can
you tell me more about that and how I can
set something like that up?
A. We have access to Out of Service Vehicles.
We can arrange to have a bus driver bring an
out of service vehicle to your classroom. In
addition to that we also can do a safety
presentation for your students about using
public transportation. Then we can go outside
and explain the different features of the bus.
Students can practice boarding and de-boarding
the bus. This is a great benefit to all, especially
those new to riding public transportation and
those with mobility devices. To arrange a
presentation please contact James Uyeda, our
Outreach coordinator, at 503.528.1748 or email
him at
juyeda@rideconnection.org
.
Have a question for our travel trainers?
Contact us and we may feature your
question in our next monthly newsletter
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RideWise is a collaborative effort between TriMet and RideConnection to promote independent travel for older
adults and people living with disabilities by providing access to information, training, and support.
Tip of the Month
All people involved in travel training need
to know there is a chance that a trainee may
become lost at any time while traveling.
Parents, guardians, other people in the
natural support of the trainee, and the travel
trainer must be ready if the trainee becomes
lost. Here are some tips:
•
Place of Origin If a trainee doesn’t
arrive at their destination at the
predetermined time, the first step is to
call the place of origin to see if they left
on time. Next confirm that they have
not reached their destination.
•
Stay by the Phone The person who
made the call reporting the missing
trainee should stay by the phone and
keep the phone line open to receive
calls from the lost trainee and the
network of people searching. Others
must go out and search, first checking
the area of origin and the boarding and
exiting bus stops.
•
Travel the Entire Route
After checking at bus stops and the
neighborhood of the place of origin,
and not finding the lost trainee, one
person in a motor vehicle should travel
the entire route, checking bus stops and
places that could entice a trainee, such
as restaurants and stores.
•
Call TriMet’s Dispatcher
At this point, if the trainee is still not
found, TriMet’s dispatcher should be
notified. If the specific bus number the
trainee should have been on is known,
the dispatcher can call that particular
operator.
•
Meet the Trainee at the End of the
Route
If the trainee is still on the bus, find out
where the end of the route is and meet
him or her at that point. If the operator
remembers seeing the trainee, ask
where he or she got off and then search
that area.
•
Call in Periodically
Those who are searching for the lost
trainee should call in periodically to
find any new leads or information on
how the search is proceeding. This has
to be a team effort to ensure speedy
recovery.
•
Finding the Trainee
Once the team finds the trainee,
reviewing the situation with the trainee
is essential. Turning the stressful
situation into a learning experience can
change the outcome.
This Month’s Success Story
This month’s success story is about a young
woman who had been using TriMet Lift to get
to and from her work experience at the
Edwards Center. However she wanted to gain
more freedom and independence in her travel
needs. She liked riding Lift, but she wanted the
feeling that she could come and go as she
pleased. The trip using fixed route involved
taking the bus from the Edwards Center to the
Sunset Transit Center and then she took a
neighborhood shuttle home. She is now
looking for other destinations she can travel to
on her own using fixed route services.
Contact Us
To Enroll or ask a question: 503.528.1743
To Volunteer: 503.528.1748
Do you have any suggestions for an
upcoming newsletter?
ridewisenews@rideconnection.org
An electronic version of the newsletter is also
available just email us.