![]() ![]() “There’s no bus stop sign so we need to make sure that we get back here, but it’s a little bit uncomfortable because we have nothing to check to make sure that we’re in the right spot,” Padalino says. Laura Padalino, PEAC’s director of programming, sets the tone. ![]() Some students have never been to Somerset and navigating such a large mall can be a complicated task.Īt Somerset, one of the first things noticed by the students and staff is the lack of signage where the buses pick up and drop off. ![]() Learning how to backtrack as well as describe ones surroundings and nearby landmarks are things that students will learn during the course of the program. “The biggest fear for parents of someone with a cognitive impairment is (the student) getting lost,” Waterman says.īut anyone can get lost, Waterman says, so it’s crucial that students are able to manage in those situations. “We have people basically under house arrest” because they either do not have access to or do not know how to navigate public transit, Waterman says.įor teens and younger children, parental hesitation could limit the kinds of experimentation that might lead to more exploring, and the program aims to ease concerns by helping students confront some of the major challenges they could potentially face in a controlled way. Several minutes later, the students flag down an approaching SMART bus with a few waves and hop on - passes in hand - before grabbing seats on the nearly full bus.Īdults with disabilities can be shut off from society if they do not have regular transportation options, Waterman says. ![]() 780 bus to Somerset Collection in Troy on a recent Tuesday morning. “This is not a pedestrian-friendly area,” Waterman says as the students and adult staff members wait on the edge of the multi-lane roadway for the No. ►Related: RTA may consider Wayne, Washtenaw transit connection To a reporter standing nearby, he notes a lack of streetlights. Waterman, a former special education teacher, is prompting the students to notice their surroundings. Another voice mentions the lack of shelter. “It’s close to the road,” she says of the lonely metal post holding a Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation sign within sight of Sterling Heights High School. Megan Harrington, 18, of Sterling Heights offers a quick response as a clatter of passing trucks and cars drives home the urgency of what she’s saying. “What problem do you see with this bus stop?” ![]()
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