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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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2010-2011 Association of Travel Instruction Officers: |
President
President-elect
Secretary
Treasurer |
Mary
Riegelmayer
Peggy Schmidt
Susan Olsson
Rosanne Bopp |
To contact any of
the above ATI Officers or the eight 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.
President's Message by Mary Riegelmayer
2.
ATI Scholarship and Grant Applications for August Conference Now
Being Accepted,
by Mike McDermott
3.
CTAA Scholarships Available for Mobility Management Conference
4.
New Downtown Mobility Center Debuts in Phoenix
5.
50th and 40th Anniversary Celebrations in New York City
6.
Department of Energy Finalizes $50 Million Loan for Vehicle
Production Group
7.
Forward this Newsletter |
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE BY MARY RIEGELMAYER
I am pleased to report
to the membership that planning for the Eleventh Association of
Travel Instruction Annual Conference, from Friday, August 12 to
Sunday, August 14 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is moving ahead
nicely.
While our conference
planners, Peggy Schmidt and Cecile Charlton, have received a number
of presentation proposals already, we have decided to extend the
deadline for responding to our Call for Papers until MAY 1. Peggy
and Cecile will be attending two major transportation conferences
during the month of April where they plan to promote the ATI
Conference and to attract additional speakers. In the meantime, ATI
members, please consider submitting your own presentation proposal
on a travel training topic or issue that you believe is important to
all.
CLICK HERE to do so. |
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ATI SCHOLARSHIP
AND GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR AUGUST CONFERENCE NOW BEING ACCEPTED, BY
MIKE MCDERMOTT
I wish to remind current and potential ATI members and all
interested parties that it’s time again to start thinking about 2011
ATI Conference grants and scholarships for those who need them.
Due to the generosity of ATI members Jack and Helen Gorelick, Peggy
Groce, and Steven Dickerson, these resources are available to us.
CLICK HERE for the two relevant forms. The first form describes
the awards, the amounts awarded, and the eligibility criteria for
consideration. The second form is the actual application. I do hope
that you all make use of this opportunity, and I’ll see you all in
Philadelphia! |
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CTAA SCHOLARSHIPS
AVAILABLE FOR MOBILITY MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE
The Community Transportation Association of America’s National
Programs department has announced that 40 scholarships are available
for mobility managers to attend the Mobility Management conference
on June 6-7, as part of the Association’s Annual Expo in
Indianapolis.
The scholarship will cover three nights lodging and the two day
conference registration fee. It is open to all mobility managers or
to those who perform those duties in their organization. A total of
40 scholarship winners will be selected randomly from among all
qualified applicants.
CLICK HERE to print the Conference Scholarship Application. The
deadline for applications is Friday, April 15, 2011. |
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NEW DOWNTOWN MOBILITY
CENTER DEBUTS IN PHOENIX
In mid-February, Valley
Metro announced the opening of its new $1.2 million ADA In-person
Eligibility Program and Mobility Center at the Washington Corporate
Center in Phoenix.
This amazing new facility is the new home for the agency’s ADA
certification, assessment and travel training programs. It is easily
accessible from bus routes and light rail stations, and it features
a passenger drop-off/pick-up area and ample parking for persons with
disabilities. It gets better once an individual is inside the
Mobility Center, complete with a full-size bus parked at a typical
Phoenix bus stop, and a ramped entrance to a Phoenix light-rail
vehicle mock-up.
CLICK
HERE to view a presentation on the new Valley Metro Transit
Center. |
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50TH AND 40TH
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS IN NEW YORK CITY
A cold, rainy
late winter day could not dampen the enthusiasm on March 16th at St.
Francis College in Brooklyn as AHRC of New York City commemorated
the 50th Anniversary of its travel training program, and the New
York City Department of Education marked the 40th anniversary of its
travel training program in a joint celebration.
Among those
present was Mary A. Leary, Ph. D., Senior Director of Easter Seals
Project ACTION, and Jack Gorelick, the founder of the travel
training profession. Mr. Gorelick was recognized for believing that
even youngsters with severe developmental disabilities could be
taught to travel safely and independently on the city’s buses and
trains. Part of the festivities was an eye-opening panel
presentation comprised of both parents and successfully-trained
students from both programs, moderated by ATI Board member Peggy
Groce. Ms. Groce was also recognized with a plaque from ESPA’s Dr.
Leary for her generosity in sharing her travel training expertise
with those interested in starting travel training programs here and
around the world. Readers can view an outstanding 16 minute film
prepared by NYC DOE travel trainers Steven Garcia and David Abrahams
and premiered at this event by going to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FHkk6fKyy0&feature=youtube_gdata |
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
FINALIZES $50 MILLION LOAN FOR VEHICLE PRODUCTION GROUP
U. S. Energy
Secretary Steven Chu announced on March 10th that the Department of
Energy finalized a nearly $50 million loan to The Vehicle Production
Group LLC.
The loan will support the development of the six-passenger MV-1, a
purpose-built wheelchair accessible vehicle that will run on
compressed natural gas. The vehicle will be produced at the
Mishawaka, Indiana AM General Plant. “Advances in vehicle technology
like this will help reduce our dependency on oil and ensure that our
nation’s workforce is producing the best, most innovative vehicles
in the world,” said Secretary Chu. “We hope projects like VPG will
encourage the development of other compressed natural gas vehicles,
resulting in reduced emissions, new jobs and increased independence
for Americans who use wheelchairs.” The compressed natural gas
vehicle MV-1 will use no gasoline and will produce lower emissions
than gasoline-fueled vehicles. VPG is a new American car company
that states its MV-1 is the only vehicle designed from the ground up
for wheelchair accessibility. The company also states that MV-1 is
the only factory-built light-duty vehicle to date that meets or
exceeds the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The
vehicle features a deployable access ramp with a 1,200-pound weight
capacity, a 36-inch entryway and an interior that accommodates up to
six occupants with the optional jump seat, including one or two
wheelchair passengers and the driver.
For updates, go to
www.vpgautos.com |
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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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