Have you ever used paratransit services or know someone that has? As of 2010, nearly one in five, or nineteen percent of the United States population has a disability. Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of the paratransit services that are provided in their community. That results in a lot of individuals with a disability having to use public transportation if it is available, or if they are even able to.

Our solution to these unnecessary problems is MT4D, also known as Mobile Transportation for Disabilities. It is a mobile app that helps individuals with disabilities arrange for transportation with a paratransit company in their area. This app will decrease waiting time and help build a strong communication system. As well as being able to arrange a ride, the app will have real-time geolocation to give the customer an estimated time of how far or close their ride is.

Although MT4D was originally started as a high school class project, we realized we had the potential to make changes in the world. Our job as a team is to give individuals with disabilities a more efficient paratransit service and better communication system between provider and user.

Early on in our development, we gained two developmental partnerships, Greater New Haven Transit District and Starfire Council in Ohio. We went to Greater New Haven Transit to learn first hand how the booking process works and how the company operates. After our business meeting, we did a SWOT analysis of the company and used our app to turn weaknesses into strengths. The Starfire Council, of Cincinatti, OH is also interested in creating an app similiar to MT4D.  We have had multiple conference calls to share and discuss our findings.

Through our hard work and determination, we were granted an audience with the Connecticut Department of Transportation in early May 2016.  We presented our idea to the Deputy Commissioner, Bureau Chiefs, the Director of Information Technology as well as their respective staff.  Our idea was favorably received and we were given professional feedback which we have already incorporated into our app.  

We are currently looking to get more local people to rally around our app and The New Haven Commission on Disabilities is a wealth of information.  We were invited to present at their May board meeting where we were given leads to other advocacy groups that could help support our app and see it through to fruition.  Next month we will be presenting at The Kennedy Center, in Trumbull, CT at their steering committee meeting.  At this meeting we hope to gain the backing of lower Fairfield county.

We at MT4D feel our timing could not be better.  The more people we speak to tell us this is just the app the system needs.  There have been a few prototypes created aleready, but none have made it as far as ours.  We intend to keep pushing our idea until we make it a reality.  MT4D wants to put the power into the hands of paratransit users in New Haven, in Connecticut and then in the Uniter States.