Episode 72: Emerging Transportation Options and the ADA

For Additional information and Transcript visit www.adalive.org/episode72 Emerging transportation trends, the impact on people with disabilities, and the role of the ADA with guests Paul Simmons with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center and Geoff Ames with Meeting the Challenge. Having reliable transportation equals independence in our daily lives. Transportation is often needed to get to medical appointments, enjoy recreational activities, and most importantly, go to work. However, an estimated 25.5 million people in the United States report having disabilities that make traveling outside the home difficult. In this group, 13.4 million people with disabilities – more than half - are of working age (18 to 64 years), but only 20% work at full or part time jobs. Additionally, 3.6 million people with disabilities report significant travel barriers that make them unable to leave their homes. These figures from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) show why we need to change how transportation is used and can be made more inclusive. Transportation is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in Title II (public, state and local governments) and also Title III (private businesses). However, what about new and emerging transportation services? What about third party vendors, who are largely considered private providers such as Uber, Lyft, and others? What about the future potential of self-driving vehicles? How will these services and new technologies be made accessible for people with disabilities?