I was hitchhiking to Washington to an anti-war demonstration in 1971, and I was in an accident, and that's how I became disabled; that's how I came into disability, in a sense.

Transportation is an essential part of our lives, and in New York City where driving is not a viable option most of the time, public transportation and taxis are the only way to get around.

I'm a child of the '60s, I came of age then. I went to a couple of demonstrations, and then in the late '60s when the Vietnam anti-war movement grew as the Vietnam War was heating up, I became very involved in that.

Taxicabs might seem like a luxury item, and given the profound needs of so many disabled people in New York, why would we bother with taxis? I contend that even if you need a taxi once a year - there are times when you need a taxi.

I was hitchhiking to Washington to an anti-war demonstration in 1971, and I was in an accident, and that's how I became disabled; that's how I came into disability, in a sense.