Access to public transportation is key to individuals with disabilities’ independence and full participation in their communities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) establishes specific requirements for transportation systems, including fixed-route buses, light and heavy rail systems, ADA supplemental paratransit, long-distance buses, shuttles, and other publicly and privately funded public transportation. DREDF advocates for the development and implementation of strong and comprehensive ADA transportation requirements, works toward adding accessible transportation services, and provides in-depth training on ADA transportation to individuals with disabilities and others, including current policy developments and best practices.
Fully autonomous vehicles (AV), or self-driving cars, are on the way. Self-driving cars will bring the same dramatic change to the lives of people with disabilities that the invention of the automatic washing machine did for women. But the promise of this technology will only be realized if people with disabilities are truly able to get behind the wheel of cars and if state and federal laws and policies do not create unnecessary restrictions based on myths and fears. DREDF works in partnership with other disability advocacy organizations to advance the interests of people with disabilities as AV technology and the laws and policies that accompany it move forward.
Autonomous Vehicle Resources and Details →
The report was written by Marilyn Golden, senior policy analyst at DREDF. This latest edition is a comprehensive analysis of surface transportation in the United States today, covering buses, trains, paratransit systems, enforcement, rural transportation (this chapter was written by Billy Altom, director of APRIL (Association of Rural Independent Living Programs)), fixed route deviations, major policy trends in ADA transportation, commercial driver’s license regulations, public rights-of-way, and privately funded transportation, including accessible taxis and transportation network companies (TNCs).
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FTA released a major study report on ADA paratransit prepared by a team led by DREDF.
The Accessible Transportation Service for All (ATSA) project demonstrates successful strategies for providing ADA paratransit that transit agencies can use to improve the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of their services. Read more →
Americans with Disabilities Act and Transportation Topical Guide Series.
Receives funding from the Federal Transit Administration to provide technical assistance on ADA transportation.
The ADA Transportation Topical Guide summarizes ADA requirements and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) ADA regulations, Federal Transit Administration (FTA) decisions, and ADA-compliant operating practices.
Other publications co-authored by DREDF:
On June 13, 2005, the National Council on Disabilities released “The State of Transportation for People with Disabilities in the United States,” researched and written by Marilyn Golden of DREDF and Richard Weiner of Nelson/Nygard Consulting Associates. The report analyzes all current transportation policy issues related to all modes of surface transportation and highlights significant unresolved issues currently facing people with disabilities in the areas of fixed-route bus and rail transportation, ADA supplemental paratransit, approaches that have led to improved public transportation service, public rights-of-way, privately funded transportation including accessible taxi service, non-traditional transportation services, and local transportation.
“ADA Paratransit Eligibility: How to Make a Claim” — DREDF, in collaboration with Equip for Equality, an Illinois protection and advocacy organization, has developed a guide to help people with disabilities receive an accurate and fair determination of their ADA paratransit eligibility.
Download the PDF version.
Department of Transportation Announces Proposed Changes to ADA Regulations
In early 2006, the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed significant changes to the ADA transportation regulations. The changes affect important issues, such as whether transportation agencies should be required to modify their policies, practices, and procedures as necessary to avoid disability discrimination and whether certain rail systems should provide full platform access. DREDF has circulated model policy comments on these issues.
Read the DREDF Action Alert
Policy documents:
In May 2020, DREDF successfully opposed California’s AB 3116, a bill that would have made it much more difficult for public agencies acting in the public interest to obtain data on mobility devices, including scooters, bike shares, and TNC vehicles like Uber and Lyft. Local governments have used this data to regulate the devices, with a range of successes, including preventing scooters from being left on sidewalks that interfere with visually impaired and wheelchair users, and ensuring effective oversight of TNCs. Read DREDF’s letter (PDF) in opposition to AB 3116.
In a brief to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Department of Transportation affirmed the right to next-day service for paratransit riders covered by the ADA. The brief specifically states that DOT’s ADA regulations require transit agencies to “design, fund, and implement next-day service that meets the foreseeable needs of all individuals covered by the ADA.” The brief’s pro-consumer finding is a clear victory for disability advocates.
Please read the summary.
ADA Transportation Resources
DREDF works with groups and organizations when possible to provide transportation rights training. For more information, contact Carol Tyson at [email protected]. DREDF’s ADA training manual, the ADA Implementation Guide (also known as the Blue Book), provides a detailed and thorough analysis of every provision of the law, including the ADA’s legislative history, statutes, and regulations. It also includes an addendum covering ADA Supreme Court decisions. For ordering information, see Publications. For regular and large print versions, call DREDF at (510) 644-2555 or email [email protected]. For other formats, contact Carol Tyson at [email protected]. The Current State of Transportation for People with Disabilities in the United States is a report by the National Council on Disabilities (NCD) co-authored by DREDF (see above) and is available free of charge in HTML and PDF on the NCD website. Alternatively, you can order a copy from NCD. The Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) ADA website contains many important ADA transportation policy resources, including the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) ADA regulations.
Public Comments to the National Council on People with Disabilities on the DREDF Ground Transportation Experience for Wheelchair Users (March 1, 2024)
This website includes:
DOT ADA Guidance Documents FTA ADA Complaint Form FTA ADA Compliance Review All ADA Transportation Regulations and Standards Link to the National Transit Institute Courses on or affecting ADA Transportation Link to the U.S. Department of Justice ADA Website
H.R. 3985, the Long Distance Bus Transportation Accessibility Act of 2008;
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