Twenty Years of the ADA

Last month citizens across the country celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Easter Seals Project ACTION (Accessible Community Transportation In Our Nation) led an "ESPA Talks" Paratransit Online Dialogue July 26-August 6 to mark the anniversary. This virtual town hall forum was open to public and private transportation providers, paratransit providers, federal, state, and local transportation professionals, disability services organizations, human services agencies, aging services agencies, volunteer transportation program coordinators, planners, advocates, and policymakers. During the dialogue, participants were asked to submit, comment on, and rate ideas related to paratransit service provision.

There are many ongoing opportunities to learn about the ADA and what it means for coordinated human service transportation. The National Transit Institute is holding "Understanding ADA" in Massachusetts and Oregon. The goal of this course is to teach transit professionals the legal background of ADA and paratransit requirements. See course information at http://www.ntionline.com/CourseInfo.asp?CourseNumber=TCR08. TRB is sponsoring an August 25 webinar called "Optimization Models for Prioritizing Bus Stop Facility Investments for Riders with Disabilities", http://tris.trb.org/view.aspx?id=916309.

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