Transit agencies are required to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. The resources in this topic guide provide information to ensure compliance with the law.

Please note: National RTAP's ADA Toolkit is a much-expanded version of this topic guide.

FTA Circulars and Guidance

49 CFR Part 37 - Transportation Services for Individuals with Disabilities (ADA)

49 CFR Part 38 - Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accessibility Specifications for Transportation Vehicles 

49 CFR Part 27 - Transportation for Individuals with Disabilities; Reasonable Modification of Policies and Practices 

ADA and the FTA: Improving Transit Access for People with Disabilities - video

Federal Transit Administration (FTA) - Americans with Disabilities Act webpage

FTA - Questions and Answers Concerning Wheelchairs and Bus and Rail Service (includes answers defining a wheelchair)

FTA - ADA Training page

U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) - website on Section 508 compliance for federal agencies for accessible websites for people with disabilities
 

National RTAP Resources

2 The Point - ADA and Sensitivity and 2 The Point - Transporting Non-Ambulatory Passengers

Technical Assistance and Best Practices

America Walks' Inclusive Planning in Tribal Communities: Engaging People with Disabilities in Designing Safe and Accessible Transportation Systems

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) - Topic Guides on ADA Transportation

Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA) - A.C.C.E.S.S. Matters, Determining Paratransit Eligibility: An Approach, Guidance, and Training Materials and Service Animal Poster

MassMobility's Community Transportation for Transition-Aged Youth with Disabilities

METRO - Designing and Building Accesible Bus Stops and Transit Increases On-Demand Options for Wheelchair Users

NADTC - Checklist for Assessing the Accessibility of Transportation and Mobility

National RTAP - eLearning Videos on Wheelchair Securement, Oversized Wheeled Mobility Devices Technical Brief and Website Accessibility Support

RHIhub - Access to Care for Rural People with Disabilities Toolkit

Shared Use Mobility Center (SUMC) and National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM)'s Examples of Mobility on Demand Policies and Public Private Partnerships to Increase Accessibility

TCRP -  ADA Paratransit Service Models and Implementing the U.S. DOT Reasonable Modification Rule

University of Buffalo Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access produces knowledge and tools to increase equity in design for underrepresented groups. Also see their Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Accessible Public Transportation, in partnership with Carnegie Melon University.

U.S. Access Board/U.S. DOT - Standards for Transportation Facilities, 2006 and Standard 810: Transportation Facilities

DISCLAIMER: The resources provided in each topic guide are not an exhaustive survey of every available resource on each topic. If you would like to add a resource to a Topic Guide, please email info@nationalrtap.org.

Updated February 10, 2021