Riders with disabilities get close look at Oahu’s rail

About two dozen potential rail riders with various disabilities and their advocates who inspected the Aloha Stadium station and a parked train Friday for accessibility pointed out a couple of concerns but otherwise left impressed with what they saw and touched.

Charlotte Townsend — former vice president of the city’s Handi-Van service, who also served on the state Disability and Communication Access Board and uses a wheelchair — did not see the international symbol for wheelchair access at either of two Aloha Stadium station rail gates designed for wheelchairs.

“They keep emphasizing they want us in and out as soon as possible, so we’ll need to know where to go,” Townsend told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Jason Lurz, head of operations and maintenance for North America for Hitachi Rail Honolulu, told Townsend the signage is planned and will be in place once paid rail service begins June 30.

Townsend later navigated the idled and nearly empty rail train and wondered how she and other passengers in wheelchairs will be able to turn around when trains are packed with passengers and their packages and bags.

Otherwise, Townsend said, “I’m very much impressed.”

She has ridden other public transit rail systems on the mainland and said, “By far, this is the most impressive.”

Dean Georgiev, supervisor of blindness training for the Ho‘opono division of vocational rehabilitation/services for the blind, had to reach down to access Braille signage at the Aloha Stadium station’s fare center located at a height of what he estimated to be 3 feet.

“It was a little low,” Georgiev said.

Lurz then showed Georgiev how to use an emergency communications system inside the station to speak to an actual operator and get any assistance he might need.

Georgiev found similar boxes inside the rail car that will allow operators to automatically turn the closest of 44 surveillance cameras inside each train to focus on any caller and respond to any issues.

“They put a lot of thought into it,” Georgiev said. “I like what I see. They seem to be very conscious, very safety- oriented. I think it’ll be a positive experience for people who are blind.”

The idea behind Friday’s hands-on experience was to arm participants with information that they can share to prepare riders with disabilities on what to expect once paid ridership begins.

They represented the University of Hawaii Disability Office, Disability and Communication Access Board, Access to Independence and Center for Independent Living.

Richard Kairau, who uses a wheelchair, came to the station to “see how accessible (stations and trains are) to us as disabled people.”

Shawn Brandon, Hitachi’s performance and planning manager, who also uses a wheelchair, later showed Kairau how to use the trains’ emergency call buttons to alert operators to any issues, such as other passengers who might block his access to spots dedicated for wheelchair users.

Rail employees are scheduled to be aboard every other train to respond to issues, Brandon said. If not, one will immediately board the next train to address any complaints, while the closest train camera will document any issues, he said.

“We can do something about it for you,” Brandon told Kairau.

Kairau left with the message that the rail system is designed to impose “law and order on the train.”

Kia‘i Neff, a volunteer with Access to Independence, relies on his 9-year-old silky terrier support dog, Kekoa, to alert Neff to any oncoming epileptic seizures. Neff also has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism.

Because of the risk of getting Kekoa’s paws stuck in the stations’ escalators, Neff plans to access rail trains via the stations’ elevators.

He’s especially looking forward to the promise that a rail ride will not come with stops and starts and potholes like he experiences on TheHandi-Van.

“It’ll be a much calmer way to get from one destination to the other,” he said. “I’m thrilled.”