On the Move

Transportation is the key to living independently and being included in society. It enables you to access important services, like grocery stores, doctors’ offices, and more. And it can actually be a lifeline for staying connected to family, friends, and the rest of your community. 

Having a disability does not necessarily mean you can’t drive. Many people with disabilities have licenses and have their own cars. Stay tuned for our Getting Behind the Wheel pages, which will include information on getting a drivers license, and everything involved with owning a car!

However, there are many people in our community who either don’t have their own vehicles or don’t drive for a variety of reasons. If that’s the case for you, perhaps you have reliable family members and friends who can help. You can also try public transportation, rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft, taxicabs, and more. 

For people with disabilities, it may be more challenging to arrange transportation that meets your unique needs — but there are more options available to you than you might think! There are several organizations and state and local resources near you to ensure you’re able to get where you need to go. 

Nevada 211

The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services offers free and low-cost transportation for people with disabilties. Just dial 2-1-1 on your phone or visit www.nevada211.org! 

You can also text your zip code to 898211 or download the Nevada 211 app on the Apple or Google Play app stores, then enable location services for information about transportation resources near you.

Public Transportation

Nevada’s public transit agency, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTC), offers specialized transportation services for people with disabilities in Northern and Southern Nevada. Be sure to take note of the disability transit scheduling; you may need to schedule 24 hours or more in advance, and available hours may vary. The rideRTC app (available in the Apple and Google Play app stores) is a great way to plan your rides, purchase tickets and more.

In Clark County, RTC operates a Paratransit Service that can provide door-to-door transportation to qualified riders 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through its fleet of accessible vans. The fares for this service start at $3 for the rider and a companion, and books of tickets are available for sale. For details, call Customer Care at (702) 228-4800 or (702) 676-1834 (TDD) for the hearing impaired. Visit the website for more details.

RTC of Southern Nevada also partners with many community nonprofit organizations to help provide alternative, reliable, and affordable transportation to people with disabilities, seniors, low-income residents, and other special populations. Visit the website to learn more.

Rideshare Apps

You’ve probably heard of the Lyft and Uber apps, and you’ve most likely used them before. You simply download the app on your smartphone, type in your destination, and the app pairs you with a driver who can get you there and tells you how much it’ll cost. For people with disabilities, Lyft and Uber offer some additional helpful features.

• Lyft: This company offers Lyft Assisted rides for those with disabilities. This means that the driver will meet you at the front door of your pickup location, help you in and out of the car, and help you to the door at your destination. The driver can also help load and unload mobility devices, such as wheelchairs. While most Lyft drivers don’t have Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs), this setting in the app allows it to identify drivers with partner companies that can provide this service.
• Uber: Uber also offers door-to-door assistance, if needed, from trained drivers who will assist riders who use walkers, canes, folding wheelchairs, or other assistive devices.

When you use either of these apps, you may notice that drivers sometimes charge wait time fees if it takes extra time to meet your driver. However, sometimes this extra time is necessary for a person with disabilities. If this is the case for you or a companion, you can request a refund for these fees or to have them waived for an upcoming ride if your disability affects your ability to board a vehicle within a few minutes of the driver’s arrival. Just be sure to allow 7 days for it to take effect. 

It’s also important to know that, by law, a driver cannot discriminate against or deny service to riders who have disabilities.

Taxicabs 

Numerous taxicab companies offer special services for those with disabilities. For example, Reno Sparks Cab offers a non-emergency medical transport service that is accessible to mobility devices and promises to promptly take you to your appointment. And if you live in Southern Nevada, the Nevada Taxicab Authority provides the Taxicab Assistance Program (TAP), which offers discounted taxi fares to people with disabilities through coupon booklets that are accepted by all taxicab companies in Clark County.