Some local charities say they're being short changed. They claim the City of Wichita isn't spending enough on transportation for the disabled.

Steve Bauer has been navigating the streets of Wichita for nearly 30 years with the help of special transportation.

"The city vans play a very important role for people who are blind or visually impaired," he says. "Transportation is one of the biggest problems we face."

Paratransit not only helps those with disabilities, but also the elderly.
Without it, Bonnie Fitzgerald would have to sit at home alone instead of spending her time at adult day services.

"I enjoy it," Fitzgerald says. "I really enjoy being here and being with other people."

A coalition of six charities provides 250,000 rides every year, but the service is putting them deep in debt.

According to the Americans With Disabilities Act, the city is responsible for paying the costs -- and they do -- but only a percentage of it. The charities and the city have been struggling over who should pay what for a decade. Because of that, over the past three years the charities have fallen more than $4,000,000 in the hole.

"It means we have to find money to fund the deficit from within our organization," says Carolyn Risley-Hill, with Starkey. "And it means we can't invest in other programs."

Current city council members say these unresolved transportation money issues have gone on too long and they do plan to take action.

"More financial help to the providers and looking at seeing if we can't become more efficient in the way that we handle paratransit and all of those riders," says City Council Member Jeff Longwell.

The Council is set to look at different funding options over the next few months.