Welcome to Extra, Easter Seals Project ACTION’s monthly newsletter.
ESPA News Fall Update & Information Brief on Wayfinding Technology Released
The new edition of ESPA’s Update newsletter focuses on technology and how it enhances customer service, ride coordination and wayfinding. Check for articles on the 2010 Dallas County ATCI team’s effort to coordinate existing transportation services; upcoming new products from ESPA, such as the Including People with Disabilities: Communication & Meeting Etiquette pocket guide, and new technologies that help reduce costs and increase mobility. Also included is a Q&A special with Barbara McCann, executive director of the National Complete Streets Coalition, and Michael Ronkin, a national bicycle and pedestrian expert. Update is now available online and will arrive soon in print in your postal mailbox along with a four-page insert on Improving Transit Facility Accessibility by Employing Wayfinding Technology. This information brief focuses on identifying new technologies that improve accessibility within transit systems, especially for customers who are blind or have visual impairments and use wayfinding to navigate their environment.
ESPA Currently Accepting Applications for the 2012 Accessible Transportation Coalitions Initiative
If your community is ready to create accessible transportation solutions and engage local leaders in the process, Project ACTION is ready to support your community! Ten communities across the United States will be selected to participate in the Accessible Transportation Coalitions Initiative (ATCI) to identify transportation accessibility goals and develop an action plan to meet them. Selected communities will receive on-site facilitation at a two-day event held in their local communities and one year of individualized follow-up technical assistance. Additional information, requirements and application materials are available on the ESPA website. Check out ESPA’s new Mobility Planning Services Retrospective to see how past ATCI/MPS teams have improved accessible transportation in their communities. For questions about ATCI, contact Donna Smith at 800-659-6428 or ATCI@easterseals.com. Application deadline: December 22.
Take the 2011 ESPA Training and Resources Survey
We want to hear from you! ESPA appreciates your use of our resources and your participation in our training activities. Please complete this short survey and help us create resources and training events to meet the needs of the transportation field and the disability community.
Upcoming Training
Rail Accessibility: Ensuring Equal Access to a Growing Transportation Mode—Webinar
On December 1 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPA will conduct a webinar, Rail Accessibility: Ensuring Equal Access to a Growing Transportation Mode. Rail is becoming an increasingly popular transportation mode with record ridership among existing systems, new light-rail development in multiple cities, and plans for implementing high-speed rail across the country. This webinar will focus on how accessibility features are currently being included in the design of new rail projects, how they were built into those projects, and how other designers and communities can include accessibility in the planning process for future projects. Presenters will include Richard Devylder, senior advisor for Accessible Transportation at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and Lauren Skiver, deputy chief operations officer at the Maryland Transit Administration. Registration deadline: November 25.
Industry News
New Guidelines for Airports Regarding the Construction of Animal Relief Areas Beyond Security Checkpoints
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently issued new guidelines for airports regarding the construction of animal relief areas beyond security checkpoints. TSA's revised version of Recommended Security Guidelines for Airport Planning, Design and Construction (*.PDF) allows airports and airlines to establish service animal relief areas in sterile areas of the airport and provide escorted access to non-designated outdoor areas for the purpose of service animal relief. In addition, the U.S. Department of Transportation has also recently issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would, among other things, extend the obligation to establish service animal relief areas at U.S. airports to the U.S. airport operators. Comments on this rulemaking may be submitted at http://www.regulations.gov/ on or before November 28.
PBIC Announces Second Round of Walk Friendly Communities
The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center has announced the second round of Walk Friendly Communities in 10 locations across the country. Through awarding the Walk Friendly title, PBIC recognizes communities for their commitment to improving walkability and pedestrian safety. "We were very pleased to have a great mix of designated communities this round," said Carl Sundstrom, WFC program manager. "Through the application process, communities share their best practices and, in turn, we're able to share this information to all of the communities who apply through the technical assistance we provide." Officially launched in October 2010, the WFC program is funded by FedEx and the Federal Highway Administration. Interested communities are encouraged to visit http://www.walkfriendly.org/ to learn more about the program and review the community assessment tool.
Research
Communication with Vulnerable Populations: A Transportation and Emergency Management Toolkit
TRB’s Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 150: Communication with Vulnerable Populations: A Transportation and Emergency Management Toolkit describes how to create a communication process to reach people who may need greater assistance regarding transportation options in emergencies. The toolkit provides a guiding framework and tools for constructing a scalable, adaptable communication process for a network of agencies from public, private and nonprofit sectors. Together, these partners can form interconnected communication channels to carry out emergency communication not necessarily possible by working alone.
For Easter Seals Project ACTION visit: http://projectaction.easterseals.com
No comments:
Post a Comment