Transportation Assistance

People with disabilities and Medicare card holders are eligible for reduced MBTA fares in the Boston metropolitan area. The MBTA also provides advance notice, door-to-door transportation to those who, because of mental, physical, or sensory disability, are unable to use general public transportation. The Ride has wheelchair equipped vans and covers the same service area as the T and Commuter Rail.

Other communities have programs similar to The Ride. Check with the local public transportation authority.

In Massachusetts the Registry of Motor Vehicles offers handicapped licence plates and placards for people with ME/CFS who qualify as sufficiently disabled. The placard allows for parking in designated handicapped parking areas. The placard also allows free parking at meters in Boston. (Regulations may vary in other cities and towns). These benefits can be quite important for those who are sufficiently disabled as to need the ability to park closer to supermarkets, places of business, etc.

To apply for a placard (the placard is mobile, so it can be used in different cars) or plate, a person with ME/CFS must have their physician complete a Registry form. Note that the doctor must 1) state the diagnosis and nature of the impairment; and 2) confirm that the patient cannot move more than 200 feet. Many ME/CFS and FM patients might be able to walk the 200 feet, but then suffer substantial after-effects, so walking the distance is medically too risky. This should be taken up with the person’s physician before submitting the Registry form.