Thirty years ago on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law. The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public, to assure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.
Every day, OCTA honors this landmark ruling by complying with the law and offering OC ACCESS, a shared ride paratransit service for people who cannot use the fixed-route bus service due to a physical or cognitive limitation. OC ACCESS provides 1.4 million trips annually.
To connect residents with the skills and resources needed to gain better mobility and independence, OCTA’s Mobility Management Program provides complimentary training to ride the fixed-route bus system safely and independently or with a friend or family member.
The program clearly makes a difference in peoples’ lives. A disabled mother who learned to ride with her daughter now confidently uses the bus every day after learning how to use the schedule and look up schedules, directions and to save time.
Said one rider after completing the Mobility Management Program, “The training has provided me with greater independence and gotten me out of my home more often. The trainer taught me to plan trips, view the bus book, buy bus passes, and understand transfers. Now, I use the bus daily.”
OCTA is adapting the Mobility Management Program for proper social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about the program, please contact us at (714) 560-5431 or mmp@octa.net.
For more information about OC ACCESS or to learn more about the eligibility process, please click here.