My name is Kayla Crawley, and I lead the Scenic City Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind. My work on this does not stop at the Chattanooga city line, because the problem does not either. People with disabilities live all across Hamilton County, and too many of them have few options to get to work, school, appointments, and other social events or gatherings. 

When I spoke to the Chattanooga City Council on September 1, 2026, I explained that we cannot rely on city transportation to get persons with disabilities to and from work, and that the ride share we do have costs me nearly a quarter of my paycheck each week. Now imagine facing that with no reliable transportation service reaching your part of the county at all. Where transit ends, opportunity ends with it.

I am asking the leaders of Chattanooga and Hamilton County, together with CARTA (the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority), to expand accessible, affordable transit for residents with disabilities across the entire county, so that where you live does not decide whether you can hold a job or live independently.

Accessibility should not stop at the edge of downtown. A county that wants all of its residents to work and take part has to make sure all of them can actually get there.

If you live anywhere in Hamilton County and you believe residents with disabilities deserve real access wherever they live, please sign. Add your name and tell our leaders to expand accessible transit across the whole county.