For Mainers living with physical disabilities, there are options available to help facilitate travel and other everyday activities. Unfortunately, many of these options are cost-prohibitive to working families who need them.
Accessibility is important to Mainers of all ages and backgrounds. From a child with a disability to a retiree who wants to stay in his or her home to an adult caring for an aging parent, steps to ensure accessible housing and transportation for those who need it are important to our state.
Much of our work in the Legislature this session focused on addressing some of the challenges to independence faced by aging and disabled Mainers. I sponsored three of these measures because I believe we need to increase access to adaptive equipment to help our neighbors live independently.
I sponsored two bills to help Mainers with disabilities travel more easily — both in areas like Brewer, where I live and which I represent, and in more rural areas of our state. Too many people are struggling to access transportation options that are too expensive or, in the case of for-hire vehicles like taxis and buses, not widely available.
This makes it that much harder for people with disabilities to live independently and keeps them from traveling easily to work, health care appointments or even the grocery store or pharmacy. My bills were designed to address the barriers of availability and cost.
The first measure, LD 48, encourages for-hire vehicles to invest in adaptive equipment by exempting it from excise tax when installed on a for-hire vehicle and reducing the registration fee of that vehicle by half. It earned unanimous support from the Taxation Committee as well as strong bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. The concept was included in the bipartisan budget passed by the Legislature and is now law.
The second, LD 49, would exempt personal vehicles owned and designed for use by a person with a disability from excise tax. This is a step lawmakers can take to ease the financial burden of purchasing adaptive equipment. In fact, the Legislature passed a measure last year to exempt vehicles designed for use by people with disabilities from the state sales tax.
My bill would continue the work of reducing the costs of owning adaptive transportation equipment on an ongoing basis. It will be considered by the Taxation Committee when the Legislature reconvenes next year.
Making more accessible housing available is another important priority. I introduced a bill this session to ease the financial burden of making homes accessible to residents with a disability. That measure, LD 365, would create a state income tax credit to offset some of the costs associated with changes to a home, such as installing a ramp or widening a doorway. Such renovations can make a real difference in the lives of people with disabilities.
At a public hearing earlier this year, a range of organizations testified that the measure would help Mainers continue to live safely and independently in their own homes. In June, LD 365 earned unanimous approval in the House. It will be carried over to next session, when the Legislature’s Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee will take it up to consider its funding component.
We know that helping Mainers live independently means a better quality of life and even saves money in the long run. I’m proud that Maine lawmakers came together to lend bipartisan support to these measures. I look forward to continuing our work to ensure accessibility at home and when traveling for more of our neighbors next session.
Rep. Arthur “Archie” Verow, D-Brewer, is serving his second term in the Maine House. He is a member of the Transportation Committee and represents most of Brewer.