Accessible transportation to be topic of university guide

A contractor has been selected by Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA) to prepare a quick-reference guide for university transit systems on providing accessible transportation for people with disabilities.

In its request for proposals, ESPA said it had “learned that many university transportation systems are unable to easily identify federal regulations and guidelines that govern university transportation system operations regarding the provision of accessible transportation for people with disabilities.”

The guide will explain what transportation providers at public and private colleges need to know to comply with the requirements of federal laws such as the Americans With Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

The first phase of the project, “Quick-Reference Guide on Federal Regulations Governing University Transportation Systems and Access for People with Disabilities,” will be to determine whether there’s a need for the reference guide. To that end, the contractor will interview up to 20 university transit managers. If a need is determined, the full project will be implemented.

An informal polling of university transit managers found that they currently rely on disparate sources for their information about transporting disabled passengers.

One manager said she obtained her information directly from the ADA website or consulted with the university’s Center for Students With Disabilities. Another said he tapped his university’s ADA compliance office. Another said he consults the ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities. Lastly, one manager said he would visit the Department of Justice website if he ever had any questions, adding, “I, for one, would appreciate a reference guide for university-based transportation service.”