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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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2009-2010 Association of Travel Instruction Officers: |
President
President-elect
Secretary
Treasurer
Past-president |
Mary
Riegelmayer
Peggy Schmidt
Susan Olsson
Steven W. Dickerson
Terry Moakley |
To contact any of
the above ATI Officers or the seven additional ATI Board of
Directors members, please CLICK HERE.
E-news Editor: Terry Moakley E-news Designer: Terry
Massie |
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IN THIS ISSUE: |
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1.
Did You Forget? It's ATI Membership Renewal Time
2.
August 13 to 15
Annual
Conference in Baltimore
Approaching Quickly
3.
ADA
Guidelines for Buses and Vans to be Updated
4.
Big Election at
ATI Conference
on August 13th
5.
New Federal Rule
to Provide ADA Protections on Boats
and Ships
6.
July 31 is Deadline for Revised ATI By-Laws Comments
7.
Forward this Newsletter |
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DID YOU FORGET? IT'S ATI MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL TIME
The traditional ATI
membership year begins on July 1 of each year and closes on June 30
of the next calendar year.
So, 2009-2010 members will find a print Membership Form in the
Conference Registration packet mailed to you recently. Simply fill
it out and send it in with your check. Or, anyone interested in
renewing their membership or joining ATI for the first time can
CLICK HERE to print a 2010-2011 Membership Form from our
website. Even easier is to join/renew online using ATI’s secure
PayPal service. CLICK HERE to join
online. As of June 25th, ATI has 48 total 2010-2011 members, as
follows: one Bronze sponsor, 10 Organizational members, 34
Individual members, and three Auxiliary members. |
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AUGUST 13 TO 15 ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN BALTIMORE APPROACHING QUICKLY
The ATI conference
at the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel can benefit new, growing
and experienced travel training programs.
CLICK HERE to access
conference registration materials on our website Home page. There
will be sessions about hiring and training new travel trainers;
documents needed to manage a travel training program; partnering
with ADA paratransit staff at a transit property to achieve positive
travel training outcomes; and a cost/benefit model and budget for a
travel training service. The ATI conference also focuses on a travel
training growth area: teaching high school students in transition
how to use local public transportation safely and independently. One
session is a detailed review about how travel training is working
for students in transition in a large metropolitan area school
district, while a second panel looks at marketing and funding travel
training for students in transition. At some roadway intersections,
identifying a safe path of travel can be a daunting task for even
the most experienced travel trainer; at the August ATI conference
there will be a panel presentation about the variables involved in
teaching safe street crossings. A second panel will examine the most
important competencies of primary and secondary route training for
students with disabilities in transition programs. Additional
conference sessions will cover the use of assistive technology in
travel training; information about side effects of
commonly-prescribed medications that travel training students might
be taking; and information about the impending U.S. manufacture of a
new wheelchair-accessible sedan with public/private transportation
uses. |
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ADA GUIDELINES FOR
BUSES AND VANS TO BE UPDATED
The United States Access Board recently announced that it will
seek public comment starting early in July on proposed revised
Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines that address new types of
systems, such as bus rapid transit and low-floor buses, and advances
in technology, including automation of announcements.
The public
comment period will span 90 days and the Access Board will hold a
webinar about this proposed rulemaking on August 5th. For additional
information, visit
www.access-board.gov/transit/ or contact Jim Pecht at
pecht@access-board.gov,
(202) 272- 0021 (voice), or (202) 272- 0082 (TTY). |
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BIG ELECTION AT ATI
CONFERENCE ON AUGUST 13TH
No less than seven
positions on the ATI Board of Directors will be up for grabs at the
Friday, August 13th Annual Meeting of ATI Members, which will take
place at our Annual Conference at the Sheraton Baltimore City Center
Hotel.
Four directors will be elected to one-year terms; two directors will
be elected to two-year terms; and, one director will be elected to a
term of three years. So, whether you are a new member or you have
been around since ATI’s first conference in 2001, think about
throwing your hat into the ring. The Association of Travel
Instruction needs new and enthusiastic Board of Directors members to
help our organization improve and grow into the future. We encourage
all ATI members to consider service on our Board. Responsibilities
include attending several Board meetings each year (in person at our
Annual Conference, but on conference calls between conferences), and
Committee leadership. Interested members can
CLICK HERE to read
a description of current ATI committees. |
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NEW FEDERAL RULE TO
PROVIDE ADA PROTECTIONS ON BOATS AND SHIPS
On June 17th, U. S. Secretary of
Transportation Ray LaHood announced a new ADA regulation that
applies to two categories of vessels: those operated by public
entities, such as public ferry systems; and vessels operated by
private entities primarily engaged in the business of transporting
people, such as cruise ships.
Essentially, this regulation prohibits these vessel operators from
denying access to passengers based on disability. This rule does not
set access standards for new or renovated vessels, but the U.S.
Access Board is currently developing such guidelines. Also, the U.S.
Department of Justice plans to issue a regulation covering
disability non-discrimination for vessel operators not primarily
engaged in the business of transportation, such as fishing charters
and dinner cruise boats. For more information, go to
www.regulations.gov, docket DOT-OST-2007-26829. |
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JULY 31 IS DEADLINE FOR
REVISED BY-LAWS COMMENTS
By-Laws contain significant
changes from the By-Laws under which ATI was originally incorporated
in 2001.
These By-Laws will be voted up or down at the
August 13 Annual Membership Meeting. Members only please,
CLICK
HERE to review the revised By-Laws, then send any
comments/proposed amendments to ATI President Mary Riegelmayer at
RIEGELMAYER.MARY@cuyahogabdd.org no later than July 31st. |
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FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER
Know other travel trainers,
travel instructors, mobility specialists, ADA coordinators, ADA
Paratransit eligibility certifiers, travel buddies, human service
agency transportation staff, school transition coordinators,
independent living center or other disability group transportation
advocates—basically anyone who assists persons with disabilities or
seniors to use public transportation, or who is thinking of starting
any type of travel training service, from short and simple group
familiarization programs to intensive, short-term one-on-one travel
training?
If so, please forward this issue to them. Help ATI
build its membership and attract new sponsors |
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P.O. Box 2042 - Madison Square Station
- New York, NY 10159 |
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