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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. New Website Button
2. Keep Those "Call For Papers" Coming
3. Travel Trainers In Print
4. A Wheelchair-Accessible Sedan?
5. The Saga of AMTRAK and the ADA
6. Forward this Newsletter |
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NEW WEBSITE BUTTON
It’s on every page of
the ATI website, and it has become very, very important to the
future of this organization.
It is our new “DONATE NOW” button, and three of the reasons that we
need to raise funds this way are our last three annual conferences:
our expenses were only somewhat more than our conference income in
2008 in Minneapolis, but we really got hammered at both our 2006
Arlington, VA, and 2007 Reno annual conferences! ATI has recently
submitted five grant applications, and we are working on five more
grant submissions, but there are no guarantees that we will be
awarded even one. So, we ask all ATI members and friends not to dig
into your pockets, but if you know someone who is really
appreciative of the value of travel training, ask them to click on
the DONATE NOW button at
www.travelinstruction.org. |
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KEEP THOSE "CALL
FOR PAPERS" COMING
So far, we have
received:
A proposal for a professional
development workshop on the importance of data collection in travel
training programs, and a possible grant writing workshop; another
proposal concerning travel training for students receiving
transition services; a presentation on proper securement in public
transit vehicles; a presentation on travel training of non-literate
consumers; possible presentations including a panel of people who
have successfully completed a travel training program, an assessment
used for door-to-door service eligibility, training the challenging
consumer, etc., but where is YOUR PROPOSAL? Just
CLICK
HERE for the very simple form you will need to fill out,
and along with a brief Abstract, submit electronically. The deadline
for submissions is Wednesday, April 8th. |
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TRAVEL TRAINERS IN PRINT
One-page story
published in the February-March issue of Metro magazine.
CLICK HERE to read the story from ATI member Sean Barbeau of the
Center for Urban Transportation Research at the University of South
Florida, and a cameo appearance by ATI Board member and HART Travel
Trainer Mark Sheppard, both from Tampa. The article reports on the
progress of the Travel Assistance Device(TAD) developed by CUTR
researchers. Some may remember Sean’s presentation at our 2005
Seattle conference, and his update along with Mark at last year’s
conference. Enjoy, and know that we have a commitment from Sean to
present on TAD progress at our St. Louis conference. |
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A WHEELCHAIR-ACCESSIBLE
SEDAN?
That’s right, and it will be made
in America, too.
It will
be built accessible at the factory, which is in the South Bend,
Indiana area. Its designers and manufacturers plan to build versions
of it for individual sale, for taxi service, for ADA paratransit
service (it will be produced in a configuration that can accommodate
two passengers who use wheelchairs), and any other type of
transportation service (all?) where accessible vehicles are
desirable. It is expected to be available in early 2010. Read and
see more by
clicking here. And, there will be a presentation about it at the
St. Louis conference, too. |
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THE SAGA OF AMTRAK AND
THE ADA
The deadline for AMTRAK compliance
with the Americans with Disabilities Act is July 26th of next year,
but a report recently issued by the agency indicates that they have
a long way to go to achieve compliance with the law.
Among other facts included in
the report are that only 10% of AMTRAK stations are 100% in
compliance with the ADA, and that they need a more than five year
extension from the Congress. Read all about it on the American
Association of People with Disabilities website at
http://www.aapd.com/TTPI/amtrak.html. |
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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 |
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