Course Description
Planning by communities to develop effective Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition plans requires team effort, strategic approaches in thinking and resource use, and a will for sustained implementation.  This workshop will demystify the challenge of building a program of access for people with disabilities, and provide critical resources to support municipal compliance activities through a federal and state focus on the public right-of-way.  

The following topic areas will be covered during the workshop: 
The structure of state and federal disability access oversight
Current issues and trends in the enforcement of ADA and related state law
Key disability nondiscrimination principles that apply to cities and towns
The public participation mandate
The outline of transition plans and procedural requirements
Effective self evaluation and data collection strategies
Methods for prioritizing remediation and altering existing facilities
Budgeting for transition planning
Technical and policy considerations across curb ramps, sidewalks, accessible pedestrian signals, determination of maximum extent feasible, and more
Adoptable resources and funding opportunities

Target Audience
It is recommended that 3 to 4 professionals from each municipality attend as a team. The team should consist of the public works directors, town planners, town managers and mayors, town counsel, designers and local ADA Coordinators.

Maximum class size is 30.

Instructors
Andrew Paul, P.E., State Highway Design Engineer, MassDOT
Lyris Liautaud, Assistant Highway Design Engineer, MassDOT
John Lozada, Manager of Federal Programs (ADA and Title VI), MassDOT/MBTA - Office of Diversity and Civil Rights