SC DMV Scrambling to Provide Rides to Disabled

South Carolina's DMV is offering free rides to DMV offices on September 28th for people who don't have a way to get there and need to get a state photo ID. The state's new Voter ID law, which still has to be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice, requires voters to show a photo ID to vote.

To get a free ride on the 28th, voters need to call 1-855-STATE-ID.

When announcing the free rides, Gov. Nikki Haley said on August 31st, "What we heard when we came out with this was, 'Well, people can't get there.' And so this is saying we want to take every hurdle out of your way."

But there's still a significant hurdle. The DMV wasn't planning to offer rides to handicapped voters.

The DMV says on its website, in answering frequently asked questions about the free rides:

13. I have trouble walking. Can I still make an appointment for transportation?

You must be physically able to walk either on your own power, with a walker or with a cane. DMV cannot transport non-ambulatory persons and is not prepared to deal with special needs.

14. Can a family member accompany me to the DMV office?

No. You must be able to travel alone.

Kimberly Tissot, interim executive director of the Disability Action Center in Columbia, says, "It clearly says that people who are unable to walk cannot participate in this day. I mean, I was just shocked and appalled and everything when I saw that. Any kind of public policies and procedures, if it excludes somebody, especially with a disability, that's discrimination."

DMV spokeswoman Beth Parks says, "We didn't mean to discriminate. What we were thinking about were our own limitations and the safety of our citizens."

DMV License Examiners will be providing the free rides, and Parks says they have no training in how to assist people in wheelchairs. Even if they did, the DMV's vehicles are sedans, she says.

The agency now says it will allow someone who's disabled and needs a ride to bring someone with him to help, like a relative, friend or home health worker. But the wheelchair must fit into the trunk of a car.

The DMW will meet Thursday morning with other state agencies and advocates for the disabled to look for ways to accommodate people who are in motorized wheelchairs that won't fit in a car.

Brian Denny, who uses a motorized wheelchair after a warehouse accident last year left him paralyzed, says, "Being able to vote's your number one right, and just because you can't get out all the time doesn't mean you shouldn't have the ability to vote."

Tissot says the free-rides day is especially important to the handicapped. "A lot of times, people with disabilities are unable to drive due to their disability and are much less likely to have a photo ID, and this is just another obstacle to go vote," she says.