The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) awarded $284,898 in competitive grants to communities in 10 states—Alabama, California, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, New Mexico, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Virginia and Washington State—to implement innovative projects that will remove barriers to transportation and expand mobility options for older adults and people with disabilities. The 10 Innovations in Mobility grantees each received grants of up to $30,000 to fully launch transportation programs that address the needs of older adults and people with disabilities living in their communities.
Grantees included:
- Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens in Cedar Bluff, VA seeks to increase the availability and accessibility of transportation for older adults receiving medical treatment for chronic conditions. The transportation program will provide individuals residing in the four-county service area with reliable transportation to medical appointments. Transportation will be provided to dialysis three days a week and cancer centers two to three days a week.
- Capacity Builders in Farmington, NM will provide transportation information to empower older adults and individuals with disabilities living in rural and tribal areas of San Juan County to become self-reliant in accessing transportation services.
- The City of Talladega, AL will extend the hours of operation during the week and add Saturday hours to better connect older adults and people with disabilities with transportation to shopping, dining and other leisure activities. The grant will also provide the community’s blind residents who work at the Industries for the Blind more options after work hours.
- Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties, Inc. in Concord, NH will create a cohesive marketing and branding plan to attract attention, and promote professionalism and trust following the merger of Concord Area Transit and the Rural Transportation System into one transit system.
- Horizon Health, Inc., in Pierz, MN will provide transportation services to adults with disabilities and those in need who struggle with transportation insecurities in the rural county, market the service, reimburse volunteers’ mileage, recruit new volunteers and offer a free to low-cost sliding fee scale for transportation.
- Laurens County Disabilities & Special Needs Board (LSDCN) in Laurens, SC will improve customer service, increase organizational cooperation and expand access to transportation for older adults, people with disabilities, special needs consumers, caregivers and families.
- Mountain Rides Transportation Authority in Ketchum, ID will establish a fixed-route Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) bus service that connects the rural communities in south-central Idaho to essential medical facilities in the City of Twin Falls.
- Molly’s Angels in Napa, CA will provide free transportation to and from medical appointments for low-income older adults in rural areas of Napa County where public transportation is either not available or has limited availability, and the targeted population has difficulties accessing transportation because of frailty, dementia and physical or mental disabilities.
- San Juan County Islands Shuttle in Friday Harbor, WA will expand daily availability of shuttle hours to the vulnerable population on San Juan Island, making earlier and later trips available daily to residents of rural San Juan County.
- Thrive Allen County in Iola, KS will provide Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) services to Allen County residents to increase the availability and accessibility of transportation in the community, and expand current mobility options for older adults and people with disabilities.
Innovations in Accessible Mobility Grantee Showcase Presentations:
⇒ Grantee Showcase Recording Part I
Part I Presenters:
• Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens, Cedar Bluff, VA
• Molly’s Angels, Napa, CA
• San Juan County Islands Shuttle, Friday Harbor, WA
• Mountain Rides Transportation Authority, Ketchum, ID
⇒ Grantee Showcase Recording Part II
Part II Presenters:
• Capacity Builders, Farmington, NM
• Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties, Inc., Concord, NH
• Horizon Health, Inc., Pierz, MN
• Thrive Allen County, Iola, KS
Additional Documents:
Summary of 2020 Grant Innovations
Highlights of 2020 Grant Innovations
Thrive Allen County – Planning to Implementation