Travel Training Program Educates People with Disabilities on How to Use Public Transportation

July 15, 2014

RTA Celebrates 24^th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act

Chicago – The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) joins the more than 37 million Americans with disabilities in celebrating the 24^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The law, signed by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990, guarantees equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government service and communications.

The RTA Travel Training program educates more than 2,500 individuals with disabilities annually on how to use CTA, Metra and Pace buses and trains.  The Program offers three types of training tailored to meet each participant’s need:

1. 1.Trip Training:  Participants work one-on-one with an RTA travel trainer to practice using buses and trains to travel to locations they visit on a regular basis.
2. 2.Individual Transit Orientation: Participants work one-on-one with an RTA Travel Trainer to receive a general introduction to bus and train accessibility.
3. 3.roup Transit Orientation: RTA staff provides group presentations at agencies that serve people with disabilities and older adults throughout the six-county region.

A rider who participated in the RTA Travel Training program says it best: “My Travel Trainer was wonderful.  She was always on-time and very patient. I’m more comfortable taking buses and trains directly because of my trainer and the Travel Training.”

-      Annie Michaels

(Ms. Michaels may be contacted for press interviews; please contact Susan Massel, RTA Communications Director for more information.)

To learn more about the RTA’s Travel Training program, visit www.RTAchicago.org/accessibility/travel-training.html.