Recommendations to the Obama Administration regarding Transportation for
People with Disabilities
Submitted by the Pace ADA Advisory Committee, Chicagoland , Illinois
Nearly one-third of people with disabilities report having inadequate
access to transportation. Four times as many disabled people as
nondisabled people lack suitable transportation options to meet their
daily mobility needs.
More than half a million people with disabilities cannot leave their
homes, while others have been forced to live in nursing homes due to
inadequate, nonexistent, and unaffordable transportation options.
People with disabilities who cannot drive or use cars or for whom cars
are
unavailable participate less in all aspects of society and face barriers
to employment, education, social and family activities, health care, and
religious practices.
The transportation regulations of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities
Act
(ADA) are outdated and do not address the needs of nearly 40% of the
country’s transit dependent population-primarily senior citizens, people
with disabilities and low-income individuals who reside in rural areas
where public transportation options are limited or absent.
Transportation entities use the minimum requirements of the ADA as the
accessibility ceiling thus discouraging progress and improvements to
transportation for people with disabilities beyond the minimum
requirements.
The transportation regulations of the ADA are not adequately enforced.
Adequate and affordable paratransit service (for those unable to use
fixed
route due to disability or physical and environmental barriers), is
often
denied to those people with disabilities who are most in need and least
able to use fixed route systems.
People with disabilities are often denied adequate public information
and
public participation rights in the planning and development of
accessible
transportation services.
Recommendations:
Greater funding for public transportation, both fixed route and
paratransit services, is needed. According to the Department of
Transportation, for every dollar invested in public transportation there
is a $6-$10 return to the economy.
Transportation funding should include funding for accessible paths of
travel (sidewalks, curb cuts, etc.) along streets and highways.
Funding for research and development of additional and creative
transportation options in areas not served by fixed route systems is
needed.
Federal accessibility requirements for public transportation should move
beyond the minimum requirements established almost two decades ago under
the ADA.
Paratransit riders should receive parity with fixed route riders in
terms
of funding, passenger fares, and quality of service. A cap should be
placed on the salaries of those providing and operating paratransit
services.
Transportation entities should be required to maintain open lines of
communication with riders with disabilities.
To address concerns and problem-solve, regional committees of
paratransit
riders and riders with disabilities using fixed route services should be
formed in each region of the country. Any transportation entity failing
to
work with its riders with disabilities and such regional committees
should
be subject to significant fines. After these fines are collected,
they
should be put back into transportation funding and earmarked for use by
these regional advisory committees.
Respectfully submitted this 23rd day of January, 2009 by the Pace ADA
Advisory Committee. The Pace ADA Advisory Committee is a Peoples
committee
made up entirely of public transportation riders with disabilities and
operated with complete independence from any public transportation
entity.
Sincerely,
Larry Biondi
Larry Biondi
Advocacy Coordinator
Progress Center for Independent Living
7521 W. Madison St .
Forest Park , Il 60130
V: (708) 209-1500, Extension 24
fax: (708) 209-1735
TTY: (708) 209-1826
Email: lbiondi@progresscil.org
"Vote as your life depends on it, because it does!"
The Late Justin Dart
