Statewide Need
Accessing transportation is a key component to full inclusion in the community as it provides access to a job, family and friends, adequate health care, and leisure activities. Historically, the advocacy movement around transportation has had limited involvement in decision making at the state level. Lack of transportation consistently rates as the biggest barrier to community living and employment for people with developmental disabilities (DD). In addition, transportation issues must compete with other equally important issues on the advocacy agenda. Advocacy organizations often have a few contacts within the Legislature and state agencies responsible for funding or providing transportation services, but few have the resources to maintain an ongoing presence in the Legislature. A coordinated effort around this issue could effectively create a collaborative advocacy network in Texas focused on promoting the issues and concerns around affordable, accessible transportation.
Project Goal
Increase reliable and accessible local transportation and mobility by supporting the full participation of people with DD in local transportation planning.
Project Summary
The project was designed to increase reliable and accessible local transportation and mobility by supporting the full participation of people with DD in local transportation planning. It would build on a previous three-year project and expand on existing statewide and local alliances. These alliances exist in Tarrant County, Bexar County, El Paso, Harris County, Smith County and surrounding rural counties. New alliances were proposed to be started in Nueces County, South Plains, and the seven-county transportation area of the Central Texas Council of Governments. Additionally, several statewide partners were already operating principally in Laredo, the Rio Grande Valley, Beaumont, the broader North Central Texas region, and Austin.
Project Period
Dec 2003 – May 2005
