Transportation

The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center, a program of the Federal Transit Administration administered by Easterseals and USAging with guidance from ACL, is lookig for survey participants to share challenges and promising practices in providing accessible transportation to older adults and people with disabilities. Survey responses will help guide NADTC's work over the next year.

Experts at The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the state of Tennessee say families in poverty with disabilities in Tennessee and nationwide face difficulty both accessing and utilizing long term services and supports (LTSS) in both rural and urban areas. This article breaks down issues of accessibility across the country by discussing how affordable housing, transportation, and social determinants of health affect individuals differently based on their ability and region.

The DOT announced that it is publishing a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would improve the accessibility of lavatories for people with disabilities traveling on new single-aisle aircraft. DOT encourages members of the public and interested parties to submit comments on the NRPM. Comments are due by Friday, May 27, 2022.

This Trends Report highlights the findings of two national surveys conducted by NADTC. Data show that most respondents rely on friends and family rather than public transportation due to a lack of information about available community services. The report also shares tips, strategies and local examples onhow transit agencies can better communicate with riders.

The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center released the report of its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Transportation Survey, which documents the needs and experiences of older adults, adults with disabilities and caregivers from historically marginalized and underserved communities.

On Thursday, October 21, 2021 CMS launched a new “one-stop shop” for state Medicaid agencies and stakeholders on Medicaid.gov to advance transparency and innovation for home and community-based services. Through this new webpage, state Medicaid agencies and stakeholders can access information about states’ plans to enhance, expand, and strengthen home and community-based services across the country using new Medicaid funding made available by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP).

ACL is introducing a new blog feature intended to keep the aging and disabilities networks up to date about new policies. Visit their blog page to read about the latest policy advancements in the field.

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs released their August 2021 newsletter highlighting Miami-Dade County's Age-Friendly Initaitive. The county's Age-Friendly Initiative was launched in 2012 and has grown into a collaborative network of individuals, stakeholders, and organizations working together to bring housing, transportation, employment and health services to their older adult population.

NADTC has released it's 2020 Annual Trends Report, highlighting challenges in transportation over the past year and solutions being immplemented across the United States. Topics include: Volunteer Driver Programs in the Age of COVID-19, Transportation for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, A Fixed-Route Response to Assisting Communities During a Pandemic, Meeting the Transportation Needs of Diverse Older Adults and People with Disabilities, and more.

The Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) connects callers to information about how to access the COVID-19 vaccine and related supports for people with disabilities. DIAL connects callers to vaccine sites and provides information related to barriers to vaccination by referring callers to local and national disability resources. acl.gov/dial | 888-677-1199 from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET | DIAL@n4a.org