Viewpoints - Pathways to Accessible Transportation

The SWTA Conference – A Dynamic Exchange of Ideas!

2012-03-02T10:55:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Judy Shanley

This year’s South West Transit Association (SWTA) Annual Conference provided a venue for transit professionals representing eight southwestern states to address the most pressing issues facing public transportation providers and riders today. ESPA was there, sharing strategies with transit professionals related to creating partnerships across education and transportation sectors. The diversity of session formats and the opportunities for attendee interaction with each other and with prominent transportation officials, such as FTA Administrator, Peter Rogoff, and APTA President and CEO, Michael Melaniphy, enabled information sharing and problem solving around key topics, including veterans transportation and workforce development. Sessions described innovative partnerships, offered strategies to leverage scarce resources, and provided state, regional, and local examples around capacity building and systems change. The conference also offered attendees to jump onboard the latest transit vehicles, including the MV-1, the first vehicle to be assembled from the ground up for people with disabilities.

As ESPA continues to build its services to support accessible transportation, especially related to its work to strengthen student engagement and transit-education partnerships, we are fortunate to have the support and opportunities provided by SWTA.

MyTransportation.org – Finding Rides for Buckeyes

2012-02-17T11:55:00.000-08:00

In 2010, Easter Seals Project ACTION visited Allen County, Ohio as part of the Accessible Transportation Coalitions Initiative. Now, the FACTS (Future of Accessible-Coordinated Transportation Services) coalition has launched MyTransportation.org, a central source to find a ride in their multi-county region. With a directory of local transportation options, a link to the local mobility management center, and information about older adult drivers, the site offers local residents the chance to hit the road in a whole new way!

Screenshot of MyTransportation.org Homepage

Getting Ready for a Maturing America from RWJF Public Health

2012-02-09T09:12:00.000-08:00

Getting Ready for a Maturing America | Public Health
Shared from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Public Health

A recent article from the The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Public Health blog explores the challenges our nation faces as the population ages and how communities can be designed to be healthier and more accessible to individuals of all ages. A panel convened at the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference explored these challenges in depth. Panelists included

Rebecca Hunter, M.Ed. of the University of North Carolina Institute on Aging and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Healthy Aging Network;
Mary Leary, a.v.p. Easter Seals Transportation Group;
Joan Twiss, Center for Civic Partnerships; and
Chris Kochtitzky, CDC Division of Emergency and Environmental Health Services.

The connection between health and transportation is growing. As Leary, stated "Transport helps us get to everywhere that matters to us. When someone can no longer drive, it can cause depression. We’re a driving-centric society and we need to redefine mobility." Partnerships across all sectors of the communities - housing, environment, transportation, public health - are important for creating a safer environment that supports the mobility needs of older adults.

Jefferson County Rallies Agencies around Transportation Issues

2012-01-11T07:27:00.000-08:00

At their August 2010 meeting, the ATCI team from Jefferson County, Colo. set out an ambitious agenda that focused on improving the coordination of services to create transportation options for disadvantaged populations. To best utilize existing resources in a difficult financial environment, they sought to better link geographic areas through improving the connections between organizations providing various modes of transit.

Following their two-day ATCI event, community stakeholders came together through a grant provided from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to form a Local Coordinating Council for Human Services Transportation (LCC). The LCC has made several substantial steps forward on their objectives. The LCC includes representatives of local government, human services organizations, public, private and specialized transportation providers, and representatives of the disability and aging communities. The LCC developed by-laws, Participation Agreements and an Action and Sustainability Plan. The group is also working with the Denver Regional Mobility and Access Council (a regional coordinating council) to develop a web-based one-call center to coordinate transportation resources in the Denver metropolitan region, drawing on best practice examples from around the country.

Given their strong focus on the older adult community and with an eye toward addressing unmet needs in the area, the team was involved with the Jefferson County Aging Well Summits in June 2010 and June 2011. With nearly 180 attendees at each event, the venues provided an opportunity to discuss the impact of an aging population on transportation infrastructure. The need for sustainable transit funding for specialized service provision in the area, as well as strategies that the community could use to adapt to such a sweeping demographic change were discussed. The LCC has developed a White Paper on transportation to educate policy makers and the general population on the projected growing need for accessible transportation.

Using their collaborative strength and knowledge, the Jefferson County ATCI team continues to explore creative options and work to design a community in which people with disabilities and older adults are able to take part in all aspects of community life.

Best Wishes for a Happy New Year

2011-12-20T09:23:00.000-08:00

On behalf of all of us at Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA) and Easter Seals Transportation Group, we wish everyone a bright holiday season and a happy New Year!

2011 was a year of substantial growth for public transportation—according to the American Public Transportation Association over 51 million more trips were taken in the last quarter of 2011 than in the same period in 2010―and the need for more transportation options continues to grow. In recent congressional testimony, Billy Altom, executive director of the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living stated, “Lack of public transportation is one of the most serious, persistent problems reported by people with disabilities who live in rural

America

.” The National Council on Independent Living notes, “…there is still a substantial lack of accessible and affordable transportation. This absence poses serious barriers to employment, health care, and full participation into society by individuals with disabilities and older Americans […].”

To address the growing need for accessible public transportation, the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) initiatives in 2011 included:

· new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and level boarding regulations,

· the Veterans Transportation and Community Living Capital Grants Program,

· programs within the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Livability Initiative as well as within the Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities among U.S. DOT, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,

· the first ever conference on person-directed mobility management, and

· a new United We Ride strategic plan with a focus on jobs, health and wellness, and coordination through access to transportation on behalf of people with disabilities, seniors and people with limited income.

In 2011, ESPA staff worked diligently to support our mission and address accessible transportation challenges. We created 11 new materials, with over 22 new products issued in the last two years. The demand for our services continued to expand—e-newsletter subscriptions increased by 61%. We now implement or take part in an average of eight events per month with participation from or collaboration with over 30 organizations. Over the last ten years, our Mobility Planning Services program assisted 159 teams, often providing targeted technical assistance for several years after completion of the facilitated planning sessions. This year, we released a ten-year retrospective of this program to share best practices and successes from some of these teams. As Bryna Helfer, director of public engagement at U.S. DOT, notes in her foreword to the retrospective, “We all know, however, that bringing about change is a complex process. It requires us to look at all of our transportation resources in the community and explore the potential for enhancing connectivity. It requires a willingness to come together to identify the challenges as well as the opportunities. It requires cooperation and coordination.”

2012 will mark the third year in a row where we venture out to ten communities to hold Accessible Transportation Coalition Initiative activities. These events, based on the Mobility Planning Services program, help local teams achieve systems-change goals to increase access to transportation for people with disabilities of all ages. Next year, major initiatives include youth transition to career and college through access to transportation, the intersection of health and transportation, independent living and mobility management, veterans’ transportation, multi-cultural sensitivity and accessible transportation, the expansion of travel training, and supporting the implementation of the new FTA ADA rules.

All of us at Easter Seals Transportation Group look forward to continuing to assist in the growth of accessible transportation through collaboration, cooperation, and coordination. We are honored to do this work, and all who meet us know of our deep commitment to mobility through transportation that fosters inclusion and independence for everyone. Thank you for connecting with us in 2011, and please visit our website, use our materials, attend our training, network with us at events, and let us know how we can continue to improve and expand what we do. May the New Year bring your communities closer to achieving access for all, anytime, anywhere, through easily navigable transportation modes that serve everyone.

Photo above includes staff at Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA) and Easter Seals Transportation Group. Text below the photo reads, “Thank you for supporting our work in 2011.
We wish you success and smooth travels in 2012!
Easter Seals Project ACTION, Easter Seals Transportation Group"

The Rail~Volution Evolution - Placemaking in America

2011-12-02T12:08:00.001-08:00

Contributed by Rachel Beyerle and Krystian Boreyko

“Isn’t it mostly about rail?” a co-worker recently asked upon returning from presenting at and attending Rail~Volution this October in Washington, D.C. As the conference name implies rail is an integral part of the discussion at the annual Rail~Volution, and when Rail~Volution started in Oregon in 1989, its primary focus was development of the MAX light rail line in Portland. Rail~Volution has been a national conference since 1995 and has evolved with time. It’s no longer specific to Oregon. The 2011 Rail~Volution conference included a program and workshops spanning all subjects related to building livable communities: rail, pedestrian access, bus transit, design, bicycling, advocacy, and citizen involvement in the planning process. Attendees spanned four generations—all of them professionals working to find multi-modal, land use, housing, economic, and environmental answers to address transportation needs. While it may not be just about the Pacific Northwest anymore, the Oregonians did share a term they use often: “intertwine.”

What does it mean? Intertwining is systems working together to create accessibility. Intertwining lessons were learned throughout the conference. From Santa Rosa, California, where advocates spent time at soccer fields to discuss a rail project with the Latino community; to the officials of the adjoining towns of Charlestown and Ranson, West Virginia who successfully applied for three federal grants to revitalize a major corridor that’s attracting new companies and to rehabilitate older manufacturing facilities to meet the needs of modern employers; to national policymakers finding the right ways—and words—to encourage great placemaking and explain the non-partisan benefits of public spaces; to community corporations explaining how practicing cultural sensitivity and listening to what’s important to neighborhood residents can mitigate tensions related to gentrification. Rail~Volution challenges attendees to think beyond the obvious roles transportation plays to deeper issues of how it shapes and is integrated into the community fabric. The notion of Development Oriented Transit was prevalent; instead of considering how transit moves individuals in and out of areas, planners and developers were encouraged to consider how transportation projects will impact the future identity of a community.

“Places are what we’re making,” Charles Fluharty, president and CEO of the Rural Policy Research Institute in Columbia, Missouri, stated in a session on small towns and rural regions. Placemaking has evolved, just as Rail~Volution has evolved, and Easter Seals Project ACTION continues to have an intertwined role in supporting accessible routes to transportation, and in turn, raising awareness of the social, health, and economic benefits of livable communities.

Take the Future by the Horns

2011-11-15T10:50:00.001-08:00

Contributed by Judy L. Shanley

The theme of the 16th Annual Division on Career Development & Transition (DCDT) Conference, Take the Future by the Horns, is also a theme that resonates the spirit and direction of ESPA work related to students and schools. The national event offered something for everybody. Held in Kansas City, MO, the meeting was an opportunity for over 400 educators, transition specialists, students, family members, researchers, and human service organization representatives to come together to address topics related to secondary transition for youth with disabilities. The range of conference sessions enabled attendees to hear about transition practices analyzed by the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center (NSTTAC); learn about State infrastructures and evaluating systems of collaboration from nationally recognized University of Kansas researchers, Pattie Noonan and Mary Morningstar; and offer advice to ESPA staff, Mary Leary and Judy Shanley, during a focus group session about school-based transportation education.

Especially exciting was the commitment of the DCDT Board in response to activities proposed by ESPA related to strengthening our work about accessible transportation with schools and districts. ESPA staff heard repeatedly “limited transportation options for students has an impact on the community-based experiences that students have while they are in school, and also affects the opportunities that all students have once they leave high school”. DCDT Board and members expressed support for ESPA in our focus to assist educators, transition specialists, students, and families learn about transportation services and offered their continued support as partners with us in these efforts. ESPA will take the future by the horns to develop additional materials for educators, pilot new school-based initiatives, and continue to examine how transportation education can be integrated in student transition planning and academic standards, especially related to 21st century skills.

Partnerships with national organizations such as DCDT enable ESPA to access educators and transition specialists who can provide input to our materials, training, and technical assistance. Their contributions will help shape our work to strengthen coordinated transportation services for students to access community based experiences while in school. Importantly, our partnerships with organizations such as DCDT will guide our activities related to student use of accessible transportation to succeed in post school employment, education, and independent living settings.

The Global Transportation Community Meets at APTA Expo

2011-11-01T07:58:00.001-07:00

Contributed by NiKette Banks and Whitney E. Gray

ESPA exhibit booth at APTA Expo

In October at the American Public Transportation Association’s 2011 Expo held in New Orleans, Louisiana, the global public transportation community gathered to share the latest developments in the field and learn from one another. Attendees were able to see the latest developments in bus and rail technology from around the world first-hand by walking through full-size buses and rail cars and speaking with company representatives. Easter Seals Project ACTION staff members at a booth on the expo floor were also available to answer questions about accessible transportation as well as give away some of our resources.

From speaking with many people who stopped by our booth, we learned more about initiatives happening across the country. One area of interest revolved around taxi service, especially accessible taxis. We heard from rural organizations that were adding taxis to existing services as a way to expand transportation options. In larger communities across the U.S., agencies are adding accessible taxis to their existing fleets. In Washington, D.C. for instance, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board launched D.C.’s first wheelchair accessible taxicab pilot project, rollDC, which includes a fleet of 20 accessible taxicabs to serve people with disabilities. From interests in taxi service to other areas of accessible transportation, it was great to speak with so many people and hear about current community interests and initiatives.

Breaking Down Barriers to Rides

2011-10-24T10:34:00.001-07:00

Coordination Changing Lives in Allen County, Ohio

Contributed by Rik Opstelten

For organizations working to improve access to community transportation, the importance of their efforts is underscored by the stories from people whose lives changed as a result of access to transportation. When communities come together to coordinate and improve transportation options, barriers to rides are broken down for people who need a ride. To that end, here are a few shining examples of how the lives of two individuals transformed after their community came together to help them find a ride.

In 2010, Allen County, Ohio took part in ESPA’s AccessibleTransportation Coalitions Initiative (ATCI). This meeting brought together a growing coalition that includes the disability community, the local Easter Seals affiliate, transportation providers, and county and regional planning officials who work together to coordinate transportation in Allen County and the region. Administered by the Area Agency on Aging 3, the coalition, called the Future of Accessible/Coordinated Transportation Services (FACTS), operates a one-call referral system to help people find a ride. FACTS also operate a last-resort fund to provide transportation to people who might otherwise fall through the cracks of existing eligibility requirements.

“The great thing about our call center and FIND A RIDE program is that it is structured around what our community already provides,” says Erica Petrie, FACTS coordinator. “We don’t offer just another transportation service. Rather we fill in the gaps. Our call center staff works to ensure that the caller knows about transportation options that are already available to them in the community. When there is nothing available, we can set up transportation through our FIND A RIDE program for those over 60 or under 60 with a disability. With each person who gets a ride, we feel we are accomplishing our goal.”

What does it mean when someone is able to call one knowledgeable source to learn what resources exist to get them where they need to go? A world opens up, as it has for one 46-year-old woman with a disability who has decided to go back to school to get her GED. Her night classes end at 7 p.m. after the fixed-route service has stopped running. Thanks to FACTS and Good Rides, a transportation service operated by the local Goodwill Easter Seals affiliate, she is not only able to go to school and return home, but she can get the education she wants to pursue her dreams.

“Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley understands that the people we serve need to be mobile in the community, able to access every aspect of community life for educational, social, or work purposes,” stated Michelle Caserta, program/transportation coordinator, Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley. “Our participation in ATCI and the FACTS coalition help us play a key part in seeing that every possible community resource is utilized toward that end. Such coordination helps us ensure that this is only one of many successes we are proud to contribute.”

Other people have had their lives changed due to accessible transportation, such as an older woman who is now able to go to medical appointments on her own for the first time in twenty five years. Her husband used to take her where she needed to go, but after he passed away, her daughter assumed that role. As often happens, however, her daughter’s schedule does not always allow her to give her mother a ride. Thanks to the connections made by FACTS, the woman is now able to go to medical appointments on her own and has a new sense of pride and independence.

These are just two people from one community whose stories represent what is possible when a group breaks down barriers to accessible transportation and creates opportunities for community involvement.

Northern Mariana Islands Creates First Transportation Office

2011-09-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

Posted by Whitney E. Gray

Currently in our eleventh year of the Accessible Transportation Coalitions Initiative (formerly called Mobility Planning Services Institute), ESPA has assisted many communities in improving accessible transportation, and teams from past years continue to make big strides in their communities. The 2003 ATCI/MPS Team from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) recently helped accomplished a significant milestone—the creation of a transportation office. “MPSI was a great learning experience, and it finally paid off!” Thomas J. Camacho, a member of the CNMI team, stated.

Team CNMI wanted “people with disabilities, their families and the Man'Amko (elderly) [to] have available [an] accessible, flexible, reliable transportation program and services of their choice.” Just last month, after many years of advocacy work on public transportation, CNMI established its first transportation office called the Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority. On May 27, the Honorable Benigno R. Fitial signed into law HB. 17-43 (now PL. 17-43) establishing the Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority within the Office of the Governor. On August 11, Governor Fitial affirmed and officially established the Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority within the Office of the Governor and concurrently appointed Thomas J. Camacho, a member of the CNMI team, as his Special Assistant for Public Transportation.

In addition to establishing the first transit authority office, PL. 17-43 and the Governor's Memorandum re-designated the FTA Consolidated Formula grants from the CNMI Public School System to the new Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority. The Saipan Call-a-Ride Transportation Services for People with Disabilities and the Elderly has been privatized, as well, and continues to be in demand. This service is also recognized as the ADA Paratransit System that will compliment CNMI’s future public transportation system or fixed-route system.

To learn more about other ATCI/MPS teams and their accomplishments, stay tuned for ESPA’s upcoming product, Mobility Planning Services Institute Retrospective: Celebrating Ten Years of Expanded Accessible Transportation Options in Our Communities. Due out this fall, this new retrospective highlights the work of a sampling of MPS/ATCI teams from 2001 to 2010 and concludes with several of the lessons we learned from these remarkable MPS/ATCI teams and communities.

President Obama Urges Congress to Act on Transportation Legislation

2011-09-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

Posted by Jennifer Dexter, guest contributor

On Wednesday, August 31^st, the White House held an event in the Rose Garden where the President asked Congress to protect critical jobs and invest in our national transportation infrastructure by passing an extension of transportation legislation. The legislation that authorizes almost all highway and transit programs expires on September 30th, 2011. The current legislation is working under a series of short term extensions that allows for the continued operation of many programs and projects. If Congress does not act to extend the authorization, these programs and projects will halt. The legislation includes transit programs that enable independent living for people with disabilities including paratransit, general public transit, other transportation modes, projects that increase the accessibility of pedestrian environments, and transportation coalition building projects that make it easier for communities to coordinate various federal funding streams for transportation services that serve people with disabilities and older adults. The legislation also includes technical assistance centers and research efforts that support the enhancement of multi-modal accessibility at the local, state and federal level. The President noted the strong connection between jobs and critical transportation infrastructure projects. Easter Seals was honored to be present at this event and to work closely with Congress and the Administration to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities and older adults continue to be addressed in transportation legislation.

Pres. Obama speaks from the Rose Garden. Pictured with Pres. Obama from left to right are U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood; David Chavern, e.v.p. and COO, Chamber of Commerce; Richard Trumka, president, AFL-CIO, Hector Sealey, safety director, Ft. Meyer Construction Corporation

Offering Youth with Disabilities a New Beginning to Transportation

2011-08-29T12:40:00.001-07:00

Contributed by Julia Kim

In October 2009, we convened the Youth with Disabilities Transportation Roundtable in Savannah, Georgia as part of a pre-conference at the 15^th International Division on Career Development and Transition Annual Conference. The 2-day roundtable brought together youth with disabilities, parents, educators, researchers, and professionals within the transportation and disability communities together to develop an action plan that would address identified barriers to transportation for youth with disabilities. Marvin Brown, a guest speaker and former director of WVSA arts connection, concluded his presentation with the words, “The Beginning,” and his pronouncement that “This is not the end, but the beginning.” It was and is a simple yet perfect way to describe the roundtable’s goal – the beginning. The beginning to future conversations about transportation. The beginning to making transportation solutions a reality. The exchange of ideas resulted in the creation or the beginning of a new initiative at Easter Seals Project ACTION – Enhancing Youth Mobility – with the goal of improving access to transportation for youth with disabilities, specifically youth in transition.

Easter Seals Project ACTION shared this message at the Transportation Choices for Individuals with Autism Conference sponsored by the University Transportation Research Center 2 and hosted by Rutgers University’s Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation. The conference focused on the needs of individuals with autism when using transportation. Teaching individuals with autism the skills to navigate transportation, and incorporating technologies, and services within existing systems and life skills programming can expand transportation options available to individuals with autism. Autism is a developmental disorder that impacts the development of social and communication skills and stereotyped or patterned behavior. The fixed schedules and routes of trains or subways have a set pattern to which some individuals with autism are attracted. Researchers are hoping to utilize this pattern to teach life skills to individuals with autism. One such program – Subway Sleuths – is being offered by the New York Transit Museum to children with autism between 9-10 years old. The program teaches children about trains and transit, but also connects children with each other to enhance their social and communication skills. New York Transit Museum plans to expand this successful and popular program this fall.

Transportation is vitally important for people of all abilities to get to work, school, home, appointments, errands, socialize with friends and family, and travel to destinations. For youth with disabilities, access to transportation is the beginning to a future that becomes easier to realize, bringing with it opportunities and independence. With continued creativity and innovation in teaching youth with disabilities at an early age about transportation, a new future and beginning awaits them.

Accessible Transportation in Lee County, South Carolina Grows through Coalition Building

2011-08-16T10:50:00.001-07:00

Contributed by Krystian Boreyko

Project ACTION recently traveled to Lee County in South Carolina where the sun was hot, the hospitality was unbeatable, and the desire to create accessible transportation solutions in a rural area was pervasive. ESPA was in Lee County for the most recent installment of the Accessible Transportation Coalitions Initiative(ATCI) technical assistance event which involves bringing the disability community and transportation providers together at the local level to determine how they can work together to increase accessible transportation.

Aside from private automobile ownership, very few transportation options exist in Lee County. However, the county has older adults and individuals with disabilities who need better access to jobs, medical appointments, and social events. The coalition assembled for the event was born out of a local Transit Taskforce, which originated as a Quality of Life Committee. The evolution of the group speaks to its vision of public transportation as a means of enhancing access for all residents while strengthening economic development and helping the environment.

Members of the 2011 ATCI Team Lee County, S.C.

Donna Smith and Krystian Boreyko, ESPA’s representatives facilitating the ATCI session, were inspired by the strength the coalition displayed both in its size and the creative ideas of its members. The 38-member team – led by Bettye Scott, O.J. Papucci, and Ann August with Elijah Dinkins providing logistical support – represented a range of community interests, including the Lee County Council, the Bishopville City Council, the Santee Wateree Regional Transit Authority, the Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments and several transit advocates representing people with disabilities and older adults. The two-day event involved discussions on creative solutions for funding public transportation and ways of changing perceptions of public transit in a region where it has not existed before. Coalition members view transportation as more than just a means of getting from Point A to Point B. They see its potential to

Bring community members together,
Help residents with mobility limitations to live more independently,
Increase job opportunities in the County, and
Generally turn a rural area into a more livable community where one does not have to be solely dependent upon an automobile to get around.

Project ACTION celebrates the Lee County ATCI Team’s commitment to developing a public transit system with accessibility integrated into its design, and we look forward to the ribbon cutting ceremony for the first bus route!

Proposed Rights-of-Way Guidelines Offer Opportunities for Communities

2011-08-03T11:06:00.001-07:00

Contributed by Marie Maus and Ken Thompson

Recently, on the 21st anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the U.S. Access Board released new Rights-of-Way Guidelines for public comment. Many years in the making, once finalized and implemented as standards, the guidelines will apply to newly constructed or altered portions of public rights-of-way cover by the ADA. The guidelines cover pedestrian access to sidewalks and streets, including crosswalks, curb ramps, street furnishings, pedestrian signals, parking, and other components of public rights-of-way. The new guidelines will help make the pedestrian circulation route more accessible and usable to everyone in areas of new construction. Also, the guidelines will apply to public rights-of-way built or altered with funding from the Federal government under the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) and the Rehabilitation Act. The Rights-of-Way Guidelines complement, and in some areas, reference the Board’s ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines for buildings and facilities. Two public hearings on the guidelines are scheduled during the 120-day comment period: September 12 in Dallas and November 9 in Washington, D.C.

The completion of these guidelines is very exciting! The draft guidelines can be helpful as a practical guide for improving accessibility of the pedestrian rights of way in areas not covered by the present ADAAG. Existing pedestrian networks not undergoing alteration, however, will not have to meet these requirements. That being the way, continued action is needed. Those of us concerned about accessible pathways and livable communities must continue our efforts to work with and encourage local communities to modify currently inaccessible pathways to make them accessible to and usable by people of all abilities, such as students with disabilities making their way to the school-bus stop, older adults walking to the neighborhood grocery store, parents pushing their children in strollers to a subway station for a trip to the zoo, or a veteran using a wheelchair to get to a bus stop to go to a new job. In this climate of fiscal restraint, it is important to keep the need for investment in accessible, livable communities in front of decision-makers so that all citizens are able to support their own health and well-being as well as contribute to that of their communities.

Strengthening Communities with Transportation

2011-08-01T10:39:00.001-07:00

Contributed by NiKette Banks and Rachel Beyerle

The Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) 40^th National Meeting and Training Conference held July 16-19 in Philadelphia was informative and exciting. The conference theme was “Are We There Yet?” in regard to the transportation industry and how it has evolved over time. During the educational sessions and workshops, we learned and shared about the great progress in transportation as well as how much further we need to go to get THERE.

For COMTO part of getting THERE is welcoming the many diverse contributions, accomplishments and advocacy efforts from not only their stakeholders and members but from all leaders and professionals in the transportation industry. The transportation industry is on target to meet this goal. The industry is taking action and moving in the right direction with optimism and great determination to make a difference and to get outcomes. For example, we talk about being able to pass the torch and getting the next generation of leaders prepared to work and lead in the transportation industry. COMTO has placed great value and resources into working with youth. They have an internship and scholarship program structured to provide students from different backgrounds, cultures and with different interests from various high schools and universities across the country with the necessary/required tools, support and mentorships to get to that next level. In addition, COMTO has been an advocate for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) and at the forefront for working with organizations to provide opportunities and participation for DBEs. As a first time attendees of COMTO, the experience was positive, and there was a true sense of community among participants.

COMTO’s focus on the importance of community extends beyond the organization itself and was reflected in a number of conference breakout sessions. For example, the session Livability Approaches to Transportation Action Priorities in the District of Columbia featured a ward-level livability study currently underway in Far Northeast D.C. Residents and commuters are invited to participate in public workshops, identify priorities for traffic and pedestrian improvements. The study's website includes an interactive map where the public can pinpoint comments to specific intersections, roads and parks. Taking community inclusion a step further, Denver’s Regional Transportation District discussed its first-of-its-kind Workforce Initiative Now (WIN) program whereby members of the local workforce, including military veterans, are given practical training and placed into career positions tied to regional transportation projects.

Historically, many transportation decisions have been made FOR a community. These two programs are examples of how transportation decisions are being made WITH a community in mind…and with a spirit of inclusion that is part of COMTO’s core values.

The ADA and 21 Years of Progress

2011-07-26T06:21:00.001-07:00

Contributed by Donna Smith

July 26 is a date that will never slip by unnoticed for me. Twenty-one years ago the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. The ADA is a civil rights law which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities. If it was something I could hold in my hands, it would be my ticket to full inclusion in society.

Each morning as I wait at the bus stop, I hear an automated announcement of the route and destination every time a bus pulls up and opens its doors. This allows me the chance to pick the bus I want to board without assistance. Most times the operator kneels the bus to lower the step and while this is not strictly necessary for me, the older I get, the more I appreciate the service. I board the bus, pay my fare and take a seat. The bus pulls away, and I take out my MP3 player and sit back to enjoy reading a book. At this point, I feel like every other commuter on the bus. I’m just another professional going into the office. So far, my ticket to full inclusion is working nicely!

Following the Title II Part B requirements for public transportation, many providers have been able to gradually replace older buses with newer ones that are better equipped to provide accessible service. Some transit systems have been able to install automated announcement systems which not only announce the route and destination of the bus each time the doors open, but which also announce most stops as the bus approaches. Still other systems have worked diligently to train their operators to call out the stops and to understand the value this brings to the customer. Both allow me and other customers who are blind to board the right bus and deboard as we like independently. Having the same sense of orientation of where I am and where I am going as do all other transit customers goes a long way toward reducing the stress of independent travel.

Nevertheless, full inclusion can be elusive. Two stops later on my commute, someone gets on the bus and takes the seat next to me. After a few seconds, she says, “That’s a wonderful dog you have there,” referring to my service dog who is tucked under my seat and is taking advantage of her commute time to nap. With a surreptitious press of the button to stop my book I reply, “Yes, she is. Thank you,” and then press the button to start reading again. Next I hear “I just think it’s marvelous how they can train those dogs to take care of people like you.” This time I don’t interrupt my reading and just say “She’s a very good dog.” “It’s just amazing how she knows which bus to take and I guess she must know right where you’re going. Where are you going today, honey?”

Taking out my ear buds, I turn to her and say, “I’m on my way to work, and my dog actually has no clue which bus to take or where I’m going.” I then attempt to explain how people who are blind can live, work and play independently and the role of guide dogs as politely as possible. When I am able to return to reading, it is with a little inner sigh that while I can get on the bus and go to work just like everyone else, not all of my fellow passengers are so readily accepting of my equality.

As the training manager for ESPA I am privileged to listen to many stories from both transportation providers and transportation customers with disabilities, and there is no doubt in my mind that the passage of the ADA and the 21 years of refining its implementation has had a very positive impact on accessible transportation services. As a result, a lot of people have also been educated about those of us with disabilities and how we fought for the passage of the ADA not only to get on the bus, but to be treated as equals by our fellow citizens. Nearly a century ago (1916) Helen Keller said in a speech “All I ask, gentlemen, is a fair field and no favor.” These words still beat true in the heart of the disability movement today. Every day that I have the opportunity to provide training and technical assistance around accessible transportation is another opportunity to move us a little closer to the overall goal of full inclusion.

As I continue my commute into work, my bus neighbor gets off and someone else takes her seat. After a few seconds he says “Excuse me,” and I pull out my ear buds. “I’m sorry to bother you,” my new bus neighbor continues, “but I need to get to 17th and L. Can you tell me how to get there?” With a smile I tell him he needs to get off at the next stop, go to the corner, turn left to cross the street and continue on to the next corner to find his destination. “Thanks,” he says. “Pretty dog!” Thank you!” I say. Sometimes, my ticket to full inclusion works absolutely!

On the Road to a Spontaneous Life

2011-07-07T08:05:00.002-07:00

Contributed by Mary Leary

Welcome to Viewpoints – Pathways to Accessible Transportation! We invite you to follow us on this blog and share your thoughts about different aspects of accessible transportation. To start, I thought I’d share a few of mine.

“I want to live spontaneously. I want to live a spontaneous life,” Matthew Potter shared at the Easter Seals Project ACTION Youth with Disabilities Transportation Roundtable convened at the Division on Career Development and Transition Conference in October 2009. His words resonated with the group and with us. He captured the essence of accessible transportation and what it truly means to not only youth or people with disabilities, but to people of all abilities. Access to transportation offers spontaneity – the promise, the potential and achievements of accessible transportation. Choices. Flexibility. Independence.

Over the past year, Easter Seals Project ACTION continued on the road to promoting awareness of universal access to transportation for people with disabilities. We hope you will take a look at our 2010 Accomplishments Report and review our major programs and activities of the last year.

There is still so much to be done! Our overarching goal for this blog is to provide a forum to share and discuss the movements in accessible transportation. A.C.T.I.O.N!