Often public transportation is used as a lifeline for persons with disabilities as owning or operating a personal vehicle might not be an option. These individuals might rely on a service animal to help them with their daily needs such as picking something up off the floor, guiding them through a building, and even sensing when they might soon experience a medical problem. Service animals are protected under federal and Indiana state law, allowing them to go anywhere that the general public is allowed to go, including IndyGo.
We recently hosted a travel training for the Central Indiana Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships.
During the travel training volunteers learned all aspects of bus riding, from trip planning, to paying fares, using passes, boarding and disembarking from the bus. After the classroom-style lesson, IndyGo took the trainers and their future service pups for a trip on Route 8 so they could fully experience what a bus rider and service dog will face when traveling on their own.
Travel trainings are a great way for service providers to learn about the IndyGo system so they can be more helpful to their constituents. If you’d like to schedule a travel training, call 317.635.3344 or fill out a comment form.
Learn more about Canine Companions and how they’re making a positive impact on the lives of those they serve.