ERLANGER, Kentucky — The phone rings while Tom Rouse talks. He’s thinking about the percentage of homes in his Northern Kentucky neighborhood he could get into with his wheelchair.
He guesses 5%.
At one time, Rouse was an all-state football player. Then, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. That was in the late 80s, when he got an MRI in a tractor-trailer in a hospital parking lot.
The diagnosis was the start of a journey that often involved depending on other people. Rouse’s right leg has been deteriorating ever since then.
First, he used a cane. Then, a walker and eventually a scooter. Now, a wheelchair.
“One of the hardest things to do for people with conditions like me is to ask for help,” Rouse says.
In Kentucky, more than 1.3 million adults have a disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s about one in three people.
For Rouse, even getting a cup of coffee isn’t as easy as it sounds. That’s why his phone is ringing.
“It’s like Uber for people in wheelchairs,” Rouse says.
On Tuesday, Rouse calls Ride a Wav. He’s used it before, dialing ride coordinator Lori Meininger’s personal number. She doesn’t immediately answer.
When he calls the main number, Meininger calls back.
“I feel so honored,” she said. “Tom, how are you?”
"I need a ride up to the Crestview Town Center,” he said.
He wants to go to Starbucks. Why? Because he can.
Meininger has heard stories about people with disabilities being stranded at the airport. Stories about people who are blind knocking on car windows, unable to find their driver.
“People have PTSD from these experiences,” she says.
And now that Meininger has started this rideshare service, she’s heard other stories. Stories about people chanting, “ride a wave saves the day” in their van. Stories about one person who got to see her family on Christmas Eve. Or about a group of women who went to see a high school play.
On the way back, they sang the songs.
Unlike Uber, Meininger said, drivers with Ride a Wav will come inside and help customers to the van. She says other companies are wheelchair-accessible, but people need to set them up days in advance.
“These people feel like they don't have a way to get out and about,” Meininger said. “And we've broken that barrier down for them."
At Starbucks, Rouse orders a frappuccino. He says it tastes like a milkshake. On the way home, Rouse talks about horse racing with his driver.
“This service has been needed for a long time,” Rouse said.
Ride a Wav started last year, after a similar business opened in New York.
Those interested in requesting a ride can contact 859-918-9900 seven days a week. Company officials say a friend or family member can join for no additional cost. The company covers Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties and tries to stay within the I-275 loop.
Rides cost $48 plus $2.40 per mile.
WCPO Media Partner LinkyNKY contributed to this story.
