Emily Keller-O'Donnell, Journalist

MTA Plan Will Cut Buses, Subways and Access-A-Ride

    People with disabilities and their advocates are voicing their opposition to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) latest plan to cut service on Access-A-Ride, buses and subways.

    The MTA said it will modify Access-A-Ride service by bringing customers to the nearest accessible subway or bus station rather than going all the way to their destination. The MTA also plans to tighten eligibility standards and increase the use of taxi vouchers.

    The MTA board announced the plan at its December meeting following a string of bad financial news that reduced the transportation budget by $383 million.

    This article was published in Able News. Click on the page numbers to read the story: one, two and three.

Chelsea Now Reports Access Barrier in Midtown

    Rachel Stern, reporter for Chelsea Now, has reported that city bus and paratransit customers are having trouble accessing their vehicles due to idling New Jersey Transit buses between Penn Station and the Lincoln Tunnel.

    In "10th Ave. Freeze-Out: NJ Buses Blocking Straphanger Access," Stern reported that New Jersey-bound buses regularly block the curb on 10th Avenue between 33rd and 34th streets during rush hour. This creates a barrier between the curb and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's M11 bus, which she says must stop in the middle of the street when the curb is blocked.

    Access-A-Ride buses making stops at the Young Adult Institute for people with developmental disabilities on 34th Street must do the same, Stern writes.

   Click here to read the January 28 article with New Jersey Transit's response.

Voting Upgrades Could Bring NYC Closer to Compliance

     Electronic voting machines will increase equality for people with disabilities in the 2010 election, but poll site accessibility will be pivotal to making sure voters can get to them.

     The city's Board of Elections received a poor rating on poll site accessibility from the Center for the Independence of the Disabled following the November 2009 election.

    Click here to read the article in Able News.

Senate Passes Health Care Reform Bill

    On December 24, the U.S. Senate passed a landmark health care reform bill, which combined with its companion bill in the House of Representatives will expand medical care options for more than 30 million Americans. The bill was passed with a vote of 60-39.

    The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or H.R. 3590, includes a requirement for the Access Board to develop accessibility standards for medical equipment like exam tables, authorizes funding for long-term care workers to receive additional training and prohibits discrimination in coverage decisions on the basis of disability.