Tackle it Tuesday: Transportation

December 10, 2024

Welcome to Tackle It Tuesday, a social media series where an autistic employee at AAoM (yours truly) writes workplace tips to better cope with the stresses of a working world not built for neurodiversity.

While creating the latest entry for AAoM’s social platforms, I realized that social media alone isn’t the ideal archive for all the past Tackle It Tuesday entries, as it shares space with all the other important work AAoM does. So, this blog companion was born!

This Tackle it Tuesday is on transit. The resources to take advantage of, how to plan, and how to protect yourself from discrimination when asked about your transit plan.

An image on a green background. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Transportation Transportation is a huge accessibility barrier. Anything from lack of funding in public transportation to car-centric city planning to discrimination based on transportation in workplace interviews. I can at least help with the last one.

An image on a green background. on the bottom, there is a muted teal bus arriving at a bus stop picking up two people on a curb. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Public Transit Some towns have public transit with plenty of routes. I will recommend leaving earlier than you think you need to, as bus schedules can be fickle."

An image on a green background. In the middle, there are four figures with labels on them. The labels read "Friend, Parent, Romantic Partner, and Caregiver/Caseworker" The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Family/Friends/Caregivers When applying for jobs, negotiate with loved ones to assist. (image) If you can’t get reliable transit from others every day you need, some days are still better than nothing."

An image on a green background. At the bottom, there is an image of a schedule. It says "Get to Work" with a schedule where each day has a different plan to get to work. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Family/Friends/Caregivers If you need to do use multiple sources of transit or enlist multiple people to help, create a schedule. "

An image on a green background. On the right, there is a piece of paper that says "Back Up Plan" with Tuesday through Friday having lines to represent what to do if one option falls through. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Family/Friends/Caregivers Also, keep a back up plan on that same calendar too, like some cash for a taxi service or the bus route you need. "

An image on a green background. On the left, there is a work schedule with multiple employees ordered from A to G, all with different schedules. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Family/Friends/Caregivers Also, negotiate hours if necessary. Hourly jobs can be very erratic with their schedule, and having something more consistent can help if you have others driving for you."

An image on a green background. At the bottom, there are logos for MyRide2, SmartBus, and the AAoM Navigator service. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Disability Driving Services Myride2, SmartBus Paratransit Service, and our Navigator program can help connect you to chauffeur services to get you from point A to point B."

An image on a green background. At the bottom left, there is an image of a boss and worker talking. The boss asks about transportation, represented with a car in a speech bubble. The worker responds yes, represented by a check mark in a bubble. The text reads: "Tackle it Tuesday: Transportation Note: If you’re in an interview and you’re asked if you have reliable transportation, say yes. Do not elaborate. Companies will use transportation as a discrimination tool, even if your reliable transportation is non-traditional."

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