Accessibility

The Easter Seals Project ACTION commissioned this report to make the use of mobility devices in transportation safer and easier. A diverse advisory group used several research methods to create best practices in vehicle and equipment design, wheelchair design and usage, transit operations and training, and policy. The appendices provide links to regulatory sources and sample brochures. Riders, manufacturers, transit operators, researchers, and policymakers may all find this useful.

Federal data is used to describe the status of Americans with disabilities and their quality of life. The report measures indicators such as employment, education, health status and health care, financial security, leisure and recreation, personal relationships, and crime and safety. The authors also lay out a road map for the federal government to expand the national disability indicator set, as well as for installing the set into a key national indicator system.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does NOT affect an employer's right to hold all employees to performance and conduct standards. It does mandate that employers make reasonable accommodations so individuals with disabilities can meet those standards. This guide explains how and when employees should request these accommodations and how employers should handle such requests. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission periodically updates the guide on their website.

AARP Bulletin Online has compiled a state-by-state list of local supports to help you quickly access transportation in your community. More than 6,000 transit systems nationwide provide some form of service to older riders, from reduced fares to use of low-floor vehicles to personalized training sessions. This resource puts information about these options in one place.

You can use this toolkit to replicate a rural transportation program. Surveys, communications with stakeholders, fact sheets, flyers, background information, and materials from a transportation summit are all included.

Model communities “fully engage and use their social, economic and cultural resources to improve the quality of life for all of their citizens.” Wisconsin used this RFP to award MIG funds to communities for use in developing and implementing action plans to create a model community fitting that definition.

Wisconsin developed this project to improve work opportunities for students with sensory impairments by educating employers. The first document is a resource guide on low-cost workplace accommodations, with a focus on assistive technology. The second presents the findings of a statewide employer survey on accommodations and trainings used. The final document is the year-end MIG report for the project.

An eclectic group of experts, from self-advocates and service providers to employers and construction companies, were convened to set short, medium, and long-term goals towards creating a comprehensive employment system in WI. This document reports on the agenda and goals drawn up through this effort. Areas covered include organization and planning, public awareness, and policy.

Wisconsin Pathways to Independence convened a series of symposia to improve the process of maintenance and repair (M&R) for mobility assistive technology (AT) and its effects on outcomes such as employment. The symposium report presents current knowledge and sums up future objectives. The mobility survey reports on user experience and employment outcomes. Finally, the current practices report analyzes the processes involved in M&R to identify aspects that increase complexity and time of repair.

Access Training helps therapists and support professionals to improve skills in assessing the assistive technology (AT) needs of persons with disabilities. This document reports on the project's accomplishments in 2006, namely two major training events. One focused on serving people with mobility needs, the other on people with sensory and learning disabilities.