Barry Baldwin won numerous commendations over his long career as a bus driver for the New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He earned awards for safety from the New York City Transit Authority and has been acknowledged for his professionalism in regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Barry Baldwin’s focus on showing respect for disabled riders exemplifies the best qualities of which New York City is capable. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the law of the land since 1990, ensures that people with disabilities have equal access to full participation in civic spaces, schools and universities, the workplace, and places of public accommodation. Title II of the ADA, administered under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Transportation, specifically covers public transit. Among the provisions of the ADA regarding public transit are those requiring priority seating for people with disabilities, adequate lighting in stations and platforms, and wheelchair lifts and sturdy handrails on buses and other vehicles. In addition to these and other physical accommodations, a public transit system is required to offer appropriate information in formats accessible by people with a variety of disabilities. Thus, today’s transit stations and vehicles feature way-finding and informational signage in braille or in another format readable by a person with other disabilities. More than one-fifth of all New York state residents live with some form of disability. For them, the ADA as implemented on local public transit has opened new worlds of dignity and community connections.
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AuthorRetired NYC Transit Authority Bus Operator Barry Baldwin. ArchivesCategories |