Easter Seals Project ACTION Hosts Free Webinar and Audio Conference:
Selected Topics on Accessible Transportation (STAT)

A.C.C.E.S.S. Matters — A FREE Training Resource for Transit Trainers and Fixed-Route Bus Operators
(Introductory, Skill-Building)

Please plan to attend both sessions:

Nov. 19, 2009 2 - 3 p.m. EST
Dec. 3, 2009 2 - 3 p.m. EST

The application period for this event is now closed.

About this event

Easter Seals Project ACTION offers a free training program for transit operators on serving customers with disabilities. It is titled “A.C.C.E.S.S. Matters: Accessibility, Communication, Cooperation, Excellence, Sensitivity and Service.” As part of Project ACTION’s Selected Topics on Accessible Transportation series, Kristi Ross, ESPA training & technical assistance specialist, and Stephen Fein, retired coach operator and transit trainer, will conduct a two-part training on the use of  “A.C.C.E.S.S. Matters.” 

Copies of “A.C.C.E.S.S. Matters” are being sent to registrants prior to the event.

Session description and event resources

Designed for use as a one-hour facilitated or self-study course, “A.C.C.E.S.S. Matters” includes a training video, trainer materials, participant worksheet, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) materials. “A.C.C.E.S.S. Matters” is ideal for:

• New bus operator orientation
• A refresher course for veteran operators
• Transit customer-service staff training

Part 1 of this event on Nov. 19 will be a Webinar, requiring Internet and telephone access. The presenters will introduce the various sections of the training resource and provide practical instruction on how to use it as a sensitivity training tool for fixed-route bus operators. Each participant will be given a short “homework” assignment. The purpose of this assignment is to encourage direct application of the concepts presented.

• Part 1 resource: A.C.C.E.S.S. Matters PowerPoint presentation (photos have tags for accessibility)

Part 2 will be an audio conference, requiring telephone access only, on Dec. 3. Participants will discuss their experiences with the homework assignment, ask questions, and develop a training plan. The presenters will address these questions and provide additional training resources.

How to participate

If you have any questions regarding this or other Selected Topics on Accessible Transportation events, contact Penny Everline at 800-659-6428 or email STAT@easterseals.com.

Meet the presenters

Kristi Ross began her multi-faceted career in transit as a scheduling clerk for Bloomington Transit in Bloomington, Ind. She was the director of BTAccess, the paratransit system in Bloomington, and later became the general manager of the Niles Dial-A-Ride program in Niles, Mich. She joined the Easter Seals staff in Washington, D.C., in 2007 as a training and technical assistance specialist for the federal projects ESPA and the National Center on Senior Transportation. Today she fulfills that role for ESPA. 

Ross was the producer of the “A.C.C.E.S.S. Matters” training video.

Stephen Fein recently retired from his position as a coach operator with the Transit Authority of River City (TARC) in Louisville, Ky. In addition to his experience as a coach operator, he has nine years of experience as a transit trainer. He was known at TARC for his commitment to providing excellent service to all transit customers, including customers with disabilities. Noted J. Barry Barker, executive director of TARC, “Steve has always been interested in doing the job right, even becoming an instructor so he could pass along his skills and sensitivity to others.”

Fein starred in the “A.C.C.E.S.S. Matters” training video as a fixed-route bus operator and served on Project ACTION’s curriculum design board for the project. 

He presently serves as the financial secretary treasurer of ATU Local 1447 and as the recording secretary of the ATU Kentucky Joint Council.

About the STAT series

This Webinar and audio conference are part of Project ACTION’s Selected Topics on Accessible Transportation, a skill-building training series. Each STAT event is presented in two parts. In Part 1 the trainer presents the tool and provides information on how to use it. Then, participants are expected to take this information and apply it to their specific agency or community. In the second part, the audio conference, the group meets again to discuss their experiences, and the trainers are available to answer questions and provide additional support.

Sign up for additional learning opportunities

We invite you to learn more about our learning opportunities by subscribing to Project ACTION’s online newsletter, Extra. Go to our home page. In the upper-right-hand corner there is an invitation to subscribe by entering your email address.  After providing the information, a user account will be set up for you, and the newsletter Extra will automatically be sent on the third Thursday of every month. After you subscribe, the upper right corner of the screen will have a link called “My Profile” where you can change your preferences at any time.