Short Film Review: 'All Riders' (2021)
Accessibility isn’t negotiable. As per the activists in this short documentary, “It’s the law.” Yet, there are still many shortcomings of the public transportation sector in New York City. All Riders documents how accessibility activists are holdi
★★★★½
NR - Documentary (15 minutes)
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dir. Victor Dias Rodrigues
“All Riders is a documentary short that thrusts its viewers into the disability rights movement in New York City. Following one of its leaders, Sasha Blair-Goldensohn, we take a peak behind the curtain with those that expose and combat the MTA’s repeated efforts to deny its disabled riders access to public transportation.”
— Official Synopsis
Accessibility isn’t negotiable. As per the activists in this short documentary: “It’s the law.” Yet, there are still far too many flaws in the New York City transportation sector. All Riders documents how some activists are holding the governmental systems and the Metropolitan Transporation Authority (MTA) accountable for fixing their discriminatory practices. Not only are these issues pressing, but they’re also deadly — costing Malaysia Goodson her life on January 28th, 2019. How are these institutions responding to the valid concerns that people have regarding their life and civil rights? Well, with a cold shoulder more-or-less.
Alex Elegudin, Head of Accessibility for the NYC Transit from 2018-2020, shared his opinion on the activists’ push to make the New York City transit more accessible in the documentary. He said that “…they’re [the activists] not supporting the cause itself by not letting us get on with our work.” However, there was no official statement in the doc from him, or anybody at MTA, as to why they have may have attempted to block information requests from the public, repeatedly, over data that would expose the failures of NYC public transportation. It certainly parallels the new reports surrounding New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s cover-up of nursing home data during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To put the matter into perspective, a recent study that was conducted found that “…the true number of accessible subway and rail stations in all five boroughs is just 90 out of 445, or 20.2%, with plans in place for 11 more stations in the next few years.” Proper accessibility would require replacing the broken, antiquated subway elevators and installing more ramps in the stations. While the city has implemented a historic $51.1 billion dollar Capital Program to add 70 more accessible stations, the pandemic has ceased most progress from happening. It is not yet clear if the program will be modified further because of this, though it is likely to have a fairly substantial effect.
All Riders advances the conversation of accessibility in NYC public transportation, but it also motivates the viewer to think about accessibility in their own city. Victor Dias Rodrigues’ documentation allows for an objective look into the sentiment of real activists and their fight for agency, while also respectfully honoring the life of Malaysia Goodson. Everyone from the editors to the cinematographers worked diligently to capture a glimpse behind this movement, and it pays off. The documentary is both timely, and necessary, encouraging people to help their fellow Americans fight for civil rights that are too often taken for granted. All riders deserve accessible, public transit; not just in New York City, but in every other part of the world too.
You can learn more about becoming an ally to the movement here: https://www.riseandresist.org/eag & https://www.disabledinaction.org/.