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Transit agencies, including D.C., participate in the Autism Transit Project

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

If you've been on public transportation recently in one of a number of cities in the U.S., you might have heard a message like this.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

EZRA: Hi, my name is Ezra, which is spelled E-Z-R-A. Welcome to Metro. When the train arrives, let customers exit before trying to get on.

MARTIN: Your conductor there is 10 years old. He lives in Washington, D.C., and he's one of the children who have recorded public service announcements for transit systems in their area.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

They did this as part of the Autism Transit Project. Jonathan Trichter came up with the idea after learning some autistic kids develop an intense focus on phrases they hear.

JONATHAN TRICHTER: It is not unusual for the first sentence that an autistic child utter to be something like stand clear of the closing doors, please.

INSKEEP: Trichter launched the campaign last year in New York for Autism Awareness Month.

MARTIN: This year, transit systems in Atlanta, New Jersey, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., have gotten on board, featuring messages like this one from 6-year-old Benjamin for the D.C. area Metro.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BENJAMIN: May I have your attention, please? When using escalators, do not run or jump or sitting on the steps.

INSKEEP: Good advice. Mr. Trichter says he would eventually like to connect some of the kids' fascinations with trains to job opportunities in transit, an idea he got after a conversation with a transit worker who's autistic.

TRICHTER: He told me the story about how he had used his disabilities and love of transit, despite the other challenges that autism presented, to thrive in mass transit as a career. And that was inspiring.

MARTIN: Trichter is thinking even bigger next year, expanding beyond the U.S.

TRICHTER: I've already received some inbound inquiries from foreign countries, and I'd like to do that for next year, especially at places that have state-of-the-art mass transit systems but whose histories may be more mixed when it comes to incorporating neurodiversity and the disabled communities into civic life.

MARTIN: We'll let 10-year-old Seth of Fort Washington, Md., close us out with this reminder from D.C.'s Metro.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

SETH: Please be mindful of the priority seats reserved for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Thank you for riding Metro, and enjoy your ride. Bye.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.