Paratransit Month: Increasing Accessibility and Opportunity

The Disabilities Education Blog has covered the contemporary issues faced by many individuals with disabilities when it comes to access to employment.  From company websites to physical offices, we’ve explored what is necessary to increase the accessibility of both the physical workplace as well as general information, such as job openings and company information.  We have sought to identify the barriers to access faced by individuals with disabilities in these areas so we may better counter them, establishing systems and practices that help these individuals overcome such barriers.

True, disability training programs are instrumental in creating inclusive workplaces where individuals with disabilities may thrive.  However, accessibility is not a standard to be implemented in the workplace only.  In fact, it is a general lack of accessibility in public transportation makes it difficult for qualified individuals to gain entry to the workplace, health care facilities, and rehabilitation centers.  This problem is inhibiting, and it further perpetuates unemployment among individuals with disabilities.

Easter Seals Project ACTION

In 1988, two years prior to the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Easter Seals Project ACTION was commissioned by Congress to research and improve upon the accessibility of public transportation.  The organization serves as a vital link between the transportation industry and the disability community, striving to eliminate the barriers of access to public transportation.

This year, Easter Seals Project ACTION has deemed June 2011 Paratransit Month, a time for paratransit managers and other organizations to focus on ADA complementary paratransit implementation.  Business professionals are encouraged to participate through Project ACTION’s following free events:

Excellence in Service for Paratransit Managers:  This 10-week virtual course is ideal for those new to the paratransit field.  Learn more about the history behind the disability rights movement, how to best serve the disability community in your service area, and expand your understanding of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Registration is free, but you must RSVP!

Determining Paratransit Eligibility:  This two-part webinar trains professionals who are actively involved in conducting or managing the paratransit eligibility process.  Interested parties must register by June 1^st to take part in this comprehensive online training program.

Federal Budget Improvements:  2012

Accessibility to public transportation is projected to increase as a number of changes are made to the 2012 Federal budget.  These changes reflect the growing need for state grants, employment programs, and most notably independent living programs geared towards increasing accessibility of public transportation services.

Improving Workplace Accessibility

Program Development Associates supplies business professionals, special education teachers, researchers, and others with leading disability training resources to increase accessibility in the workplace.  PDA keeps pace with the rapidly evolving world of disability research and program development, offering exclusive resources, disability research, and news to spread awareness of the contemporary issues faced by some 54 million Americans with disabilities (i).

Increasing accessibility to communal services like public transportation is just one side of the equation, albeit an important one.  Equal effort must be focused on increasing workplace accessibility.  Disability workplace material like DVD resources, ongoing training initiatives, and strong corporate leadership are essential in promoting awareness for accessibility and inclusion in the workplace.  Increasing accessibility to both public services, like transportation, and private opportunities, like employment, sets a foundation to drastically reduce unemployment among individuals with disabilities.

(i) http://projectaction.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ESPA_who_we_are&s_esLocation=wwa_