Rachel Beyerle, of Easter Seals Project Action, at the 2012 National Rural Transportation Conference.

1. Community Outreach: Including People
with Disabilities & Older Adults in the
Planning Process
Rachel Beyerle
Resources & Publications Manager
Easter Seals Project ACTION
Washington, D.C.
NADO Burlington ■ April 25, 2012
WWW.PROJECTACTION.ORG

2. Easter Seals Project ACTION
& the National Center on Senior Transportation
Project ACTION (Accessible Community Transportation in Our Nation)
Promoting cooperation between the transportation industry and the disability
community since 1988
Increasing mobility for people with disabilities under the ADA and beyond
through training, technical assistance, and resources
Funded through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department
of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration
National Center on Senior Transportation (NCST)
Increasing transportation options for older adults and enhancing
their ability to live more independently within their communities
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3. Four Core Activities
• Training
– In-person
– Distance Learning
ESPA Coalition Event 2011
• Technical Assistance
– Accessible Transportation Coalitions Initiative
• Research
• Outreach
– Website & newsletters
– Publications and resource materials
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4. New Resources
Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA) resources that support
an inclusive planning process:
 Rural Transportation Topic Guide Series
Topic Guide #1: Assessing the Need for New Accessible
Transportation Service in Rural Communities
 Including People with Disabilities: Communication & Meeting
Etiquette
 Effective Transportation Advisory Committees: Creating a
Group that Reflects All Community Voices
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5. Rural Transportation Topic Guide Series
• Developed in partnership with the National Rural
Transit Assistance Program (RTAP) and NCST
– Information to help rural communities address
their transportation needs
– Focus on transportation access for people
with disabilities and older adults
• Available Now:
– Series Introduction
– Easters Seals Project ACTION’s guide
Pedbikeimages.org / Laura Sandt 2006
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6. Rural Series Introduction
Fast Facts about Rural America
Population
Diversity Riggins, ID 2011
Geography
Transit
Rural Economy
11 million people with disabilities live in rural areas. (2000 Census)
Older adults comprise more than two-thirds of rural area residents.
(2003, Brookings Institution)
38% of rural residents live in areas with no public transportation.
(2011 RUPRI) 6

7. ESPA Rural Topic Guide #1
Clark County, WA 2011
Community Assessments and Gap Analysis Studies
• Uses examples from Adirondacks, Connecticut and Humboldt
County, California
• Identify existing transportation services and providers
• Examine service, funding and resource needs
• Determine gaps between needs and available services
• Use information to develop an action plan to address the gaps
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8. Key Stakeholders
in the Planning Process
• People with disabilities and older adults
• High school and college students Bexar Co., TX 2011
• Modal transportation providers (bus, van and taxi operators; volunteer
drivers; intercity bus; school transportation; paratransit; and rail)
• Bicycle/pedestrian advocates, county engineering/transportation staff,
state transportation representatives, and locally elected officials
• School administrators, community services (social, aging, recreation)
and regional healthcare providers
• Major employers, faith leaders, center for independent living, mobility
managers
• Housing authority representatives
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9. Communication & Meeting Etiquette
Pocket Guide
• Information and tips on respectful language
• Covers conversation, interview and meeting scenarios
• Considerations for creating an accessible meeting space
for individuals with physical disabilities
• Considerations for those who are deaf or hard of hearing
or for individuals who are blind or have visual
impairments
• Use of people-first language in writing
and media relations 9

10. Effective Transportation Advisory Committees:
Creating a Group that Reflects All Community Voices
“Nothing about us without us.”
Reflect the community’s makeup by involving people
of different ages, ethnicities, socio-economic
backgrounds, and people with disabilities.
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Photo: National Complete Streets Coalition

11. Improve Accessibility
of Advisory Committees
Pedbikeimages.org / Dan Burden, 2006
• Coordinate with other agencies and among your own staff to establish
outreach that is inclusive, welcoming and accessible
• Meet in a physically accessible space served by public transportation
• Meet at times and in locations accessible to minority, low-income, and
limited English-proficient populations (i.e., during off-peak times and in
community facilities)
• Use rooms large enough to accommodate participants using mobility
aids
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12. Improve Accessibility
of Advisory Committees
• Ensure meetings are accessible to everyone by:
– Providing materials in alternative formats (e.g. plain text, braille,
CD)
– Providing assistive listening devices and sign language
interpreters, if needed
– Reading aloud all text on presentation slides
– Providing a nearby relief area for service animals
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13. Creating Accessible Communities
and involving Older Adults and People
with Disabilities in the Planning Process…
• Assists 36 million people with disabilities in U.S. to live in an
independent environment
• Narrows the employment gap (39% employment rate for people
with disabilities/80% for those without)
• Helps maintain health and wellness
• Reduces traffic and pedestrian fatalities
• Provides safe mobility for seniors
• Boosts economic and social vitality, protects the environment
& enhances community engagement
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Statistics: 2008 American Community Survey; Photo: Pedbikeimages.org / Jan Moser 2009

14. Accessible Transportation
Coalitions Initiative
King County WA, 2010
• Held annually by competitive application; 10 communities in 2012
• Consists of a 2-day event with 1 year of follow-up technical
assistance
• Helps communities identify urgent transportation issues and
identify community leaders and advocates
• Helps define a community vision
• Helps develop a transportation plan
• Community learns ways to continue to grow their coalition in the
future
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15. Accessible Transportation
Coalitions in Action
Allen County, OH 2010
A few examples from the past two years….
• Allen County, OH – Developed a database of transportation
providers and services for a new one-stop call center
• King County, WA – Developed outreach programs to get
transportation information to individuals with limited incomes,
refugees, and people with limited English proficiency
• Corpus Christi, TX – Focusing on expandings days and hours of
service and accessible pathways and infrastructure
• Middlesex County, NJ – Establishing transportation options for
senior communities 15

16. Contact Us
• Explore our resources at www.projectaction.org
• Sign up for a distance learning event
• Call for technical assistance at (800) 659-6428
Rachel Beyerle, Resources & Publications Manager
Easter Seals Project ACTION
1425 K Street NW, Suite 200 • Washington, D.C. 20005
(202) 347-3066 or (800) 659-6428
TTY (202) 347-7385
rbeyerle@easterseals.com
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