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"Our mission is to support providers
of travel instruction for the purpose of
teaching people with disabilities and seniors
to travel safely and independently."
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IN THIS ISSUE: |
1. Call For Papers Now Available
2. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funds Public
Transportation
3. ATI Continues To Reach Out
4. First-ever Special Assistant To The President for Disability
Policy Appointed
5. New Freedom Program May Change
6. Forward this Newsletter |
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CALL FOR PAPERS NOW
AVAILABLE
The Association of
Travel Instruction’s 2009 Continuing Education Conference will be
held from July 31 to August 2 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Downtown in
St. Louis, Missouri.
CLICK
HERE to review and to respond to the Call For Papers for ATI’s
next conference. A print copy of the 2009 Call For Papers is being
mailed to all ATI members. Our Call For Papers was developed
directly from the session and overall conference evaluations
submitted by attendees at ATI’s 2008 Minneapolis conference. PLEASE
NOTE that any person(s) can submit a proposal for a presentation at
ATI’s St. Louis conference. |
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THE AMERICAN
RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT FUNDS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The massive
economic recovery law signed on February 17 by President Barack
Obama contains a total of $17.9 billion for public transportation,
with a big emphasis on building and upgrading rail systems.
Some $8 billion
will go to the development of high-speed rail corridors and
intercity passenger rail projects, and AMTRAK will receive another
$1.3 billion to upgrade security and stations. Another $8.4 billion
will fund transit capital projects, and $1.5 billion is included for
competitive grants for projects across all surface transportation
modes; however, this section of the law requires that the Secretary
of Transportation “ensure an equitable geographic distribution of
funds and an appropriate balance in addressing the needs of urban
and rural communities.” |
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ATI CONTINUES TO REACH
OUT
In our ongoing effort to let more
transportation and related entities know that ATI exists, we
contacted independent living centers in Missouri and its eight
bordering states during February to offer them the opportunity to
receive this newsletter each month at their desk, and to inform them
that ATI will be coming to St. Louis in late July for its annual
conference.
Further, we will soon be contacting via e-mail State Special
Education directors, coordinators for No Child Left Behind,
coordinators for transition services, coordinators for vocational
education, protection and advocacy agencies, and client assistance
programs to inform them about the work of ATI, and asking them to
pass along information about us to their local partners. |
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FIRST-EVER SPECIAL
ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR DISABILITY POLICY APPOINTED
His name is Kareem Dale, and in early February
Vice-President Joseph Biden announced that Mr. Dale has taken on
this role in the Obama Administration.
Born in Chicago, Dale received both his B.A. and J.D. from the
University of Illinois, and he previously served as the National
Disability Director for the Obama for America campaign. In one of
his first acts in his new position, through the Consortium for
Citizens with Disabilities, Mr. Dale is seeking information on
persons with disabilities who have been re-hired or who have gone
back to work as a direct result of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act. If ATI members know of disabled persons in this
situation, Kareem Dale wants to know about it to help him to be
effective in his position. He can be contacted directly at
kareemdale@sbcglobal.net. |
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NEW FREEDOM PROGRAM MAY
CHANGE
The Federal
Transit Administration seeks to allow “new and expanded fixed-route
and demand-responsive transit service designed to meet the needs of
individuals with disabilities” as eligible projects for New Freedom
funding.
Currently, projects that are “new” and go “above and beyond the ADA”
are the kind of projects considered for New Freedom funds. The
comment period was from January 23 to February 23. ATI President
Terry Moakley participated in discussions for brief comments
submitted by the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities on this
proposal. Essentially, the CCD comments stated that this was more
than a simple “policy change” as FTA referred to it, and that
because it materially changed the substance of the current New
Freedom regulations, it should be subject to the full rulemaking
process. The provision of travel training services is an “eligible
activity” under the New Freedom program. |
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FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER
Know other travel trainers who are
not ATI members, or other persons simply interested in ATI’s
mission?
If so, please forward this issue
to them. Help ATI build our membership and attract new sponsors! |
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P.O. Box 2042 - Madison Square Station
- New York, NY 10159 |