Specialized Transit Committee: Part A
Delta Marriott: New York

8:30 – Welcome

8:35 -9:00  Presentation

• Learnings from the DARTS Fleet Management and Vehicle Safety Audit – Recommendations and Management Responses
  Michelle Martin, Manager, Accessible Transportation Services, Hamilton Street Railway (HSR)
• Brief history of contractor DARTS as HSR specialized transit
• Role of Auditor General in Hamilton
• Why Accessible Transportation Services called the Auditor General
• Why the Auditor General initiated the Audit
• How communications to Council and public were managed
• Breadth of audit, how the work was done
• Summary of some immediate steps to address, and next steps planned

9:00 – 9:30 Round Table Topics

• Approaches to and Developments in Eligibility Assessment – Mark Castro, Peel TransHelp
• Additional supports requested for passengers with cognitive disabilities.
• Seatbelt buckle covers and/or additional securement/harnesses applied by caregivers
• Paratransit vehicles and protected bike lanes

9:30 – 9:45 – Refreshment Break

9:45 – 10:30 – Accessibility – How It’s Evolving in Transit Leadership

Hosted by ProHara Accessibility, this panel session will discuss how accessible leadership is evolving across the broader transportation industry to discover new standards being set by transit leaders for the removal of barriers and the promotion of equitable transit. This conversation will bring to the forefront opinions from specialized transit professionals on topics that dive into innovative contributions being undertaken by organizations to improve accessibility of transit services, eliciting a better understanding of the barriers organizations are facing, and cross-examining the accessibility initiatives of other transportation agencies. At the end of the conversation, attendees will leave on an inspired note, ready to put new accessible leadership practices into place and look to the future with a fresh perspective on bringing more equitable transit opportunities to our communities at large.

• Moderator:
  • Samantha Ryan, C.E.T., RHFAC, BCIN, ProHara Inc., Technical Accessibility Specialist

• Panelists:
  • Mark Castro (TransHelp & Specialized Transit Committee – Chair)
  • Shelly Ayers (YRT & Specialized Transit Committee – VP)
  • Bonnie Crawford (US), Umo Mobility by Cubic
  • Michelle Martin (Hamilton Street Railway, Accessible Transportation Services)
  • Mazin Aribi (Lived Experience Participant & ProHara Advisory Member)