It’s hump day; I just had a long day at work sitting through a bunch of meetings and informational sessions. The only thing on my mind is a hot shower and getting cozy in bed as I rush to the shuttle headed home. I have a book handy for my two hour ride, Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon. (I would highly suggest it to any creatives looking for a unique perspective on ideation and design.) We’re 7 minutes away from my shuttle stop so I called my Lyft to get home and it worked out nicely because we arrived at the bus stop just as my Lyft was pulling up.

I called a regular Lyft so I was surprised to see a van waiting for me. I jumped in and introduced myself to make sure it was my Lyft. The driver confirmed and our journey began. For privacy reasons, I will refer to the driver as Alberto (They/Them/Their). Alberto asked me about my day. “It was long,” I responded. I went on to explain that I was in a summit all day. Alberto acknowledged my feelings and responded with some words of encouragement. In the middle of our conversation I noticed the front of the van was designed  differently; I looked closely and realized Alberto was in a seat specialized to fit a driver in a wheelchair.

I was curious about how they were able to drive but didn’t know how to ask them about it. “This car is designed a bit differently isn’t it? The front seems wider than the back,” I noticed. “Yup, it's wheelchair accessible on the driver side. These vehicles are rare,” they responded. I admitted to them my lack of knowledge surrounding the existence of such vehicles. “I wouldn’t expect you to be knowledgeable about something that doesn’t affect or benefit you because the current design works for you and doesn’t limit you,” Alberto responded.

I was taken aback by their response and thought about it in silence for a minute before I could find the words to continue our conversation. I asked them to excuse my ignorance and to educate me on the challenges they face with daily transportation . In retrospect, Google is a free resource and I could’ve easily looked this up on my iPhone but I appreciated that they had the conversation with me.

Alberto explained to me how a large proportion of urban and inter-urban transport systems remain inaccessible to persons with disabilities. They stressed that it’s not just folks in wheelchairs but also folks with visual impairments and folks who are deaf or hard of hearing who suffer greatly daily with transportation. Before we could get deeper into our conversation, we arrived at my destination and they had another passenger to pick up. We exchanged contact information to stay in touch—which is uncommon for me, but I saw an opportunity to continue our conversation and learn from Alberto. After getting to my room I couldn’t help but reflect on Alberto’s words. I started to think about my daily commute, which forces me to waste precious hours stuck in traffic or elbow my way into overcrowded BART trains. I needed little convincing about the importance of good quality, reliable transport.

My frustration is miniscule to the ones of Alberto because instead of simply dealing with a less-than-perfect public transportation system, they have to make do with no transportation alternatives at all. For many persons with disabilities, this daily struggle is all too real; a large proportion of urban and inter-urban transportation systems remain either completely off-limits or incredibly difficult to use for passengers with disabilities, turning even the shortest trip into a logistical nightmare.

Mobility constraints are a major obstacle to disability-inclusive development, as they exacerbate the economic, social, and personal isolation of persons with disabilities. The challenge for all of us that enjoy our mutual current systems is to recognize our privilege. You didn’t choose to have privilege any more than the next person chose not to have it. Your possession of privilege is simply your lot in life and you certainly have the right to feel grateful for it. It’s important, however, to step back and be mindful of what life could potentially be like without said privilege.

Check your privilege. Consider where you have an unfair advantage in relation to those around you and take accountability for your privilege. Taking ownership of your identity and understanding how your advantages in society affects those around you allows you to contribute to a culture in which those who have started with a leg up are eager to make the race fair for all. The conversations start with acknowledging, what you do from there is your call.