WMATA’s funding crisis will disproportionately hurt essential workers with disabilities

It’s a little-known fact that the federal government is supported by an essential workforce of nearly 37,000 people who are blind or have severe disabilities, including tens of thousands here in the DMV. Every day, these highly trained, highly skilled workers perform duties vital to government operations and national security at dozens of federal sites across our region. Without them, the federal government—and by extension, our local economy—could not function.

Nearly 1,000 of these workers are employed by Melwood, a leading non-profit employer, advocate, and service provider for people with disabilities. Melwood’s employees, like many other disabled workers who support the federal government, are required to report to job sites daily in the metropolitan DC area. Most rely on public transportation to get to those jobs, and to maintain freedom of movement in their personal lives.

As Chief Contract Operations Officer for Melwood, I oversee operations to help ensure these workers have what they need to be successful—including access to safe, reliable transportation. While WMATA was able to avoid an immediate death-spiral scenario that would have crippled public transit in our region, I continue to have grave concerns about the agency’s unresolved financial troubles and the disproportionate impact any future funding and service cuts could have on workers with disabilities across our region.

We saw the immediate and dramatic impact station closures and other reductions in public transit services had on our employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, including disruptions to daily routines, restricted freedom of movement, and financial losses resulting from lost overtime opportunities due to a lack of off-peak public transit options. We were able to keep our essential workforce employed during the pandemic by diverting our entire fleet of vehicles to transport these workers to and from job sites during this period. This emergency operation was only possible because other Melwood programs utilizing our private vehicles shuttered during that period.

Should WMATA continue to face budget shortfalls and be forced to roll back significant portions of its service in the future, we already know we will not be able to replicate the full scope of our pandemic-response transportation services. The fallout from the lack of viable forms of transportation would not only harm our employees, but would disproportionately impact disabled workers across our region, stunt the organizations that rely on them, and hurt our economy more broadly.

Businesses that hire, accommodate, and retain workers with disabilities report lower turnover, significantly higher rates of productivity, and improved workplace safety. People with disabilities employed in stable jobs see dramatic improvements in their quality of life, independence, and financial security. Despite the overwhelming benefits of fully including people with disabilities in our workforce, this population continues to face staggering levels of unemployment and underemployment, an unfortunate trend that reflects ongoing misconceptions, lack of awareness, and discrimination – conscious and unconscious – against people with disabilities.

This reality, and WMATA’s uncertain funding future, are even more disturbing when you consider how commuting time is emerging as the leading factor in whether someone will escape poverty. For those from traditionally underserved communities, who may not have the financial means to own a vehicle or who legally cannot drive, access to a bus or subway line can mean the difference between living a life of poverty or achieving upward economic mobility. For people with disabilities, who already face significant barriers to employment and who may thrive on the stability that comes with routine and set schedules, access to affordable, reliable public transit services is crucial to being able to live a life of dignity.

WMATA’s uncertain funding future is deeply concerning for workers with disabilities, along with those who want to work, are looking for work, or are learning the skills necessary to earn and maintain financial independence. As state and local leaders grapple with how to respond now and in the years to come, people with disabilities must have an equal seat at the table and be included in forward-thinking solutions.

We’re committed to working with WMATA and other area stakeholders to find the most viable resolution to our transportation funding challenges and to ensure people with disabilities have full access to the vital services that make this region a hub of economic activity and endless opportunity. Failure to do so will only further marginalize our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members with disabilities, stunt the area’s economic growth, and create a kind of dismal, exclusive future none of us should have to experience.