
Update – April 27, 2020: King County has opened two walk-up COVID-19 testing sites in downtown Seattle and Rainier Beach.
Here is information about how to get a ride to a COVID-19 testing in King County. For regional emergency transportation options, RARET provides weekly COVID updates.
For other drive-thru services, many businesses in Seattle are accommodating walk-thru customers. If you are refused service at a drive-thru only location, let us know at [email protected].
April 8, 2020
Dear Mayor Durkan and Members of City Council,
As a result of many businesses converting to drive-thru only, transit-dependent people, in particular members of the disability community who are blind and low-vision, aren’t able to access services. Many drive-thru only establishments refuse to serve people walking, biking or rolling, excluding those without access to cars or those who cannot drive. This is particularly critical to consider in the case of drive-thru COVID-19 testing facilities.
This issue has received coverage on KOMO News last week, and was highlighted by the National Federation of the Blind in a press release Friday.
Our communities are facing unprecedented challenges at this moment – challenges that are complex or incredibly difficult to address. This, however, is a problem that is easily resolved.
In 2018, Portland started requiring all drive-thrus to serve people walking and rolling. Seattle should immediately adopt similar guidelines to ensure that people without access to cars still can access food, healthcare and other critical services.
Sincerely,
Alex Hudson, Executive Director, Transportation Choices Coalition
Alice Lockhart, 350 Seattle, Transportation Team
Alison Eisinger, Executive Director, Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness
Anna Zivarts, Rooted in Rights/Disability Rights Washington
Bree Boyce, Hopelink Mobility Management
Brittney Bush Bollay, Sierra Club Seattle Group
Dorene Cornwell, Vice Chair, WA Council of the Blind Advocacy Committee
Esther Handy, Interim Executive Director, Puget Sound Sage
Gordon Padelford, Executive Director, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways
Ivanova Smith, Chair of Self Advocates in Leadership SAIL
Katie Wilson, General Secretary, Transit Riders Union
Keith Kyle, Seattle Subway
Kimberly Meck, MRC, CRC, CDMS, Executive Director, Alliance of People with disAbilities
Marci Carpenter, President, National Federation of the Blind of Washington
Michael MacKillop, Acting Executive Director, Department of Services for the Blind
Mike McGinn, Feet First
Vicky Clarke, Cascade Bicycle Club
I totally agree with this letter imploring you to have compassion for those without cars!!!!
Please provide the same rights and access to people with disabilities that are now being offered to other people who are getting their food via drive through windows.
Thank you,
Kari Cunningham-Rosvik, parent of a young adult with a disability.