An important element of NADTC’s recent online course on rural transportation was dialogue among participants, invited presenters, and NADTC staff. The major topics covered by the course were: program funding; volunteer driver programs; diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); coordination of services; and technology. Every discussion was grounded in rural community experiences and the unique transportation…
Transportation providers serving older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers understand that transportation is vital to the health of their riders, but often health is thought of in broad terms, and mental or behavioral health gets overlooked. Yet statistics show that behavioral health, a term which encompasses both mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs),…
Telehealth was perhaps the most positive outcome of COVID-19. When cities and states announced stay-at-home mandates, telehealth became a critical path to maintaining our nation’s health. Still, telehealth could not answer such in-person medical needs as dialysis, cancer treatment, surgical treatment, and even some behavioral health therapy, including substance use treatment. This became particularly true…
Guest blogger – Jana Lynott| AARP Public Policy Institute When it comes to technology, many rural transportation providers face a mismatch between their needs and what’s on the market today, particularly in terms of ride-scheduling software solutions. Software developers make assumptions about the agencies that will use their products, the services they provide, the availability of…
This blog was written by Caitlin Musselman, Senior Communications Associate at the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). Learn how 10 communities across the country are working to implement innovative projects that will remove barriers to transportation and expand mobility options for older adults and people with disabilities. Local public transportation is a critical…
Thank you to guest blogger Steve Yaffe for writing this blog on factors that influence our decision when procuring technology for scheduling and dispatch for transit agencies. This blog is a continuation of the Technology for Demand Response Transportation series. This blog delves into choices we face when procuring technology for scheduling and dispatch. Key issues in…
This blog is provided by Carrie Diamond, Training and Technical Assistance Specialist for the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center. If you have questions or comments, Carrie can be reached at cdiamond@easterseals.com According to the U.S. Constitution, the population of the country must be counted every 10 years. The last census was completed in…
Special thanks to guest bloggers Kelly Ast, Project Director, Rides to Health & Wealth and to Patty Cantrell, Director of New Growth for preparing this post. This article provides an overview of how organizations in rural west central Missouri collaborated to form the region’s Rides to Health and Wealth program to address rural transportation issues. Rural communities across America…
The following is the last in a series of seven blogs on demand response transportation design and operations from guest blogger Steve Yaffe. In this last blog of the series, the need for transactional data specifications to efficiently provide demand response transportation. Many older adults and people with disabilities have difficulty in reaching medical appointments,…
The following is the fourth in a series of blogs on demand response transportation design and operations from guest blogger Steve Yaffe. This blog focuses on the stages of procuring technology for scheduling demand response transit. Based on experience scheduling demand response transit manually and with software, pleased be assured that using technology is the…