Creating Opportunities for Individuals with
Disabilities in the Transportation Workforce

About this Module

The contents of this module are intended to be a resource
for mobility and transportation agencies and organizations
to facilitate the recruitment of individuals with disabilities
Organizations and hiring managers are encouraged to use
all or some of this content to complement existing
recruitment strategies
This module is intended to build on the work that anorganization may have around diversity, equity, inclusion,and access (DEIA)
The resources included in this module can be used as an
ongoing source of ideas and references
This is only the beginning – agencies and organizations areencouraged to explore local resources in their own
communities

Module Development
The contents of this module were developed cooperatively by the National Center on
Mobility Management (NCMM) and the Transit Workforce Center (TWC), technicalassistance centers funded by the US Department of Transportation, Federal Transit
Administration.
NCMM and TWC provide technical assistance, produce trainings and products, host
events, and conduct programming around professional and workforce development.
NCMM is a national technical assistance center created to facilitate communities in
adopting mobility management strategies. NCMM is a partnership across threenational organizations: the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA)
which is the lead organization, the American Public Transportation Association, andEasterseals.
Operated by the International Transportation Learning Center, TWC is FTA’s first-evertechnical assistance center focused on workforce development. TWC supports theworkforce development needs of urban, suburban, tribal, and rural public
transportation entities, with an overarching mission to assist the industry as it recruits,
hires, trains, and retains the diverse workforce needed now and in the future.
This module was developed by Easterseals’ Dr. Judy Shanley along with ITLC/TWC staff.
All questions and suggestions should be directed to jshanley@easterseals.com. The
module is disseminated in the interest of information exchange. Neither the NCMM,
TWC, nor the FTA assumes liability for its content or use. The opinions and conclusions
expressed herein are solely those of the authors and should not be construed as
representing the opinions or policy of any agency of the federal government.

Learning Outcomes
Mobility and Transit
Professionals using thislearning module will:

Examine information related to hiring
people with disabilities intotransportation careers.
Identify key strategies that can be used
to recruit individuals with disabilities
into the transportation workforce.
Discover resources to complement therange of recruitment tools that
employers may already be using.

1. Review the content
throughout the module.

2. Consider the thought
questions before and after
each major section thatenable you to reflect onwhat you have learned.

3. Connect withpractitioners in the field tolearn more about thissubject area.

4. Explore the links andresources to acquire more
information.

Using this Module

Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Recruitment and a Welcoming Workplace
3. Accommodations
4. Measuring Success
5. Conclusion & Resources

Introduction

Challenges andOpportunities

Reflection Questions• Have you ever had a colleague with a disability?
• Have you ever known someone who had
challenges finding work because of a disability?
If so, what were the impacts of those challenges,
and what was the outcome?
• Have you personally ever had to cope with adisability in a job search or work-related
situation?

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People with disabilities are already successful
employees within transit agencies.

Here are several of MetroWest Regional Transit Authority’s employees with disabilities.
Stay tuned for examples later in the module.
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It’s not about charity or meeting Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) hiring goals….

..its about the value that qualified and competent employees can add toyour organization.

What is “disability”?
…“a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life
activities” -Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Types of disabilities may include:
Mobility
disabilities

Learning
disabilities

Deafnessor hearing
lossIntellectual
disabilities

Blindnessor low
visionAutismSpectrum
Disorders…and more! Some disabilities are hidden/not immediately apparent to others.
12Recruitment and a
Welcoming WorkplaceReflection Questions• Have you seen or experienced recruitment andoutreach strategies directed toward employees withdisabilities?
• What barriers to employment in your organization
might people with disabilities face? Think about morethan one type of disability.
• Have you seen, worked in, or been involved in aworkplace that is or was welcoming to people withdisabilities? How was that welcoming nature
manifested?
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Recruitment
Strategies in Transit• Start career awareness outreach early• Work in partnership with appropriate organizations• Feature images and voices of current workers withdisabilities in your recruitment campaigns• If they are interested, send current workers withdisabilities out into the community, throughpartnerships and community campaigns; they canbe your best ambassadors• Use targeted outreach that emphasizes transit’s
role in serving the community, including access forpeople with disabilities• Target message and type of materials (including
accessible materials) to the audience you are trying
to reach; your community partners can help
• Include information about accommodations in youradvertising and outreachStart Early• Connect with youth transition professionals from K12 schools and vocational
rehabilitation professionals from Dept of Labor offices• Visit K12 schools on career days and community fairs• Invite children and youth into your agency andfacilitate awareness regarding mobility andtransportation options in both rider access andemployment contexts• Be present at relevant community forums thatfamilies attend

16• Establish and maintain relationships withhuman services organizations, particularly
those with a workforce development program

The Importance ofPartnerships• Centers for Independent living (CILs) or State
Independent Living Council (SILC)• Governors Committees on People with Disabilities• Mayors Office of People with Disabilities• Workforce Boards and Councils• Higher education organizations – disability services
offices• Vocational rehabilitation agencies and job centers• Ensure your recruitment methods areaccessible

Accessible Recruitment Materials
Accessible materials can take on many forms, such as:• Large type font size (at least 14-18 point font)• Use easy to read font such as Arial or Verdana• Use a limited number of fonts on a page
• Use high-contrast colors (e.g., dark words on a white background)• Line spacing should be 1.5 or 2.0 (double-spaced) when possible• Braille if requested• Audio version of print materials
From the Tarjan Center at UCLA

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Beyond Just
Recruitment: Tips
for Making a
Welcoming
Workplace

A critical part of recruitment is theworkplace you are recruiting people into.
For successful recruitment and retention ofpeople with disabilities, the workplace must
be welcoming.
• Supports and accommodations should be
individualized, not based on a diagnosis. Range offunction can vary within in a single disability.
Individuals with the same disability may not havethe same functional capacity.
• Consult with those who have disabilities todetermine needs. The best source to understandthe needs of people with disabilities is people
themselves.
• Connect with community agencies to learn about
inclusive hiring practices.

Beyond Just
Recruitment: Tips
for Making a
Welcoming
Workplace

Consider incorporating into your workplace
the following:• A career ladder to create opportunities foradvancement for all staff• Education and training to all staff regarding
interacting and working with individuals withdisabilities (called disability etiquette)• An induction program that provides peer-to-peer
support• A mentoring program• Visibility of people with disabilities in key leadership
positionsRecruitment and Creating a Welcoming and Appropriate Environment

Examples of Success
MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA)• Central Massachusetts• Employs people with a range of disabilities• Currently, people with disabilities comprise
20% of MWRTA’s workforce across a varietyof roles (e.g., call center, grant writing)• MWRTA partnered with disability-serving
organizations• Partners help identify candidates &navigate accommodation processes
21“It really was our benefit…We
got some great employees andwe still have them to this day”
Deputy Administrator of MWRTA

Several of MWRTA’s employees with disabilities

Recruitment and Creating a Welcoming and Appropriate Environment

Examples of SuccessCentral Ohio Transit Authority (COTA)••••

Columbus, OH
Accommodates young people with learning
challenges in its pre-apprenticeship technician
program
COTA realized some participants had different waysof learning and likely had Individualized Education
Plans (IEPs) in high school
COTA worked to determine what barriers to successmight exist, exploring varied ways to train andestablish competency to fit the individual’s learning
styles22“COTA gets another good employee who,with some special attention, now has theconfidence to succeed. This approachprovides us with a well-rounded anddiverse workforce and helps us live up to
our motto, Moving Every Life Forward.”

COTA’s Workforce Development Senior
Program Manager

Reflection Questions• Which organizations in your community might behelpful recruitment partners?
• Which of the strategies for a welcoming workplace
discussed in this section might work well in yourorganization?

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Accommodations

Reflection Questions• Based on your experience and general knowledge,
what is a disability accommodation?
• What experiences have you or others you know
had with accommodations in school, employment,or other organizations?

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What are Reasonable Accommodations?
Under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a reasonableaccommodation is a modification or adjustment to a job, the work environment, or
the way things are usually done during the hiring process.

Equity in applying for the job and in performing the job

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More about Reasonable Accommodations• Modifications enable an individual with a disability to have an equal opportunity
not only to get a job, but successfully perform their job tasks to the same extent as
people without disabilities.
• The ADA requires reasonable accommodations as they relate to three aspects of
employment:1) ensuring equal opportunity in the application process2) enabling a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of a job
3) making it possible for an employee with a disability to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of
employment

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Examples of Reasonable Accommodation• Physical changes• Installing a ramp or modifying a restroom• Modifying the layout of a workspace• Accessible and assistive technologies• Ensuring computer software is accessible• Providing screen reader software• Using videophones to facilitate communications with colleagues who are deaf

• Accessible communications• Providing sign language interpreters or closed captioning at meetings and events• Making materials available in Braille or large print• Policy enhancements• Modifying a policy to allow a service animal in a business setting• Adjusting work schedules so employees with chronic medical conditions can go to medical
appointments and complete their work at alternate times or locations

From the US Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy
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Examples of Transit-Specific Workplace
Accommodations• Screen-reader software that successfully interacts with scheduling and dispatchingsoftware• Adjustable-height desks in call center or other offices• Additional time off for medical appointments as needed for older adults andpeople with disabilities across transit settings• Changing schedules to align with medical needs for certain positions• Reduce sensory stimuli such as audible or light announcements in maintenancefacilities as feasible• Making space for service animals on vehicles and in office spaces
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Cost of Accommodations
The U.S. Department of Labor announced today that a new report finds that nearly
half of workplace accommodations made for people with disabilities can be
implemented at no cost to employers, and of those that do incur a one-time cost,the median expenditure has decreased when compared to previous reports to only$300.
Accommodation and Compliance: Low Cost, High Impact
Job Accommodation Network, 2023

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Consider Using PEAT’s Digital Accessibility Toolkits
Resources from PEAT’s website equip employers with the information needed to ensure the digital workplace isaccessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. For example:

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National Workforce and Disability Resources
Need help understanding accommodations and getting started?
• US Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP): Disability,
Part of the Equity Equation• Job Accommodation Network- free consultation on workplace accommodations• National Technical Assistance Center on Transition-The Collaborative (NTACT):
Connect with High school youth transition professionals• Easterseals Workforce Development Services

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National Workforce and Disability Resources (cont’d)• ADA National Network. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network provides information,
guidance, and training on how to implement the ADA in order to support its mission to "assure equality ofopportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities."• EARN. The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) offers
information and resources to help employers recruit, hire, retain and advance people with disabilities;build inclusive workplace cultures; and meet diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) goals.
• DREDF. Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), founded in 1979, is a leading national civil rights
law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities.
• NCIL. The National Council on Independent Living is the longest-running national cross-disability, grassroots
organization run by and for people with disabilities. Founded in 1982, NCIL represents thousands of organizations
and individuals including: individuals with disabilities, Centers for Independent Living (CILs), Statewide
Independent Living Councils (SILCs), and other organizations that advocate for the human and civil rights ofpeople with disabilities throughout the United States. NCIL advances independent living and the rights of people
with disabilities.
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Key Questions toConsider on
Accommodations• Are your interview and hiring processes
accessible to people with disabilities?
• Do you have training materials that areaccessible for all learners?
• Do your staff understand the American with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and reasonableaccommodations?

Review Questions• Think about several types of positions in an
organization you are familiar with and several types of
disabilities. What kinds of accommodations might behelpful for each? You can draw a matrix or table tovisualize.
• Describe how at least two national organizations canbe helpful to you in developing accommodations inyour organization.

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Measuring SuccessReflection Questions• Have you had experience assessing the impact ofworkplace or organizational programs? If so, what
did you measure?
• Why might you want to assess the impact ofworkplace-based programs for people withdisabilities? What might you learn and do basedon those assessments?

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THINKANALYZEEVALUATEASSESS
Always Assess How it’s Going

So, What’s So Important about Data and Metrics?
• Informs you about performance• Enable real-time corrections• Important to “tell your story”• Funding, policy, recruitment, partnerships• Contributes to the validity of the program• Oh yes, sometimes funders require!
National Academy of Sciences Proceedings

39Performance Measurement starts with Collecting
the “Right Data” and using the “Right Process”
Know your challenge/problem(needs, assumptions, situations)

Know your solution or strategy(Inputs, activities)

Know the metrics & method(measurement, evaluation)-Outputs: Things that can becounted;-Outcomes: Impacts or changes
as a result of a program or service
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Know how best to communicate
and reportMeasuring Progress - Outputs
Examples of Output Measures:• Increase in number of people with disabilities in the work setting• Increase in career advancement opportunities• Increase in number of individuals with disabilities in work teams• Increase in number of individuals with disabilities as decision-leaders, managers,
supervisors• Increase in the number of meaningful relationships with recruitment sources• Decrease in number of ADA related reports, incidents, and decreases in staff turnover
attributed to ADA issues.

41Measuring Progress - Outcomes
Examples of Outcome Measures:• Increase in the percentage of employees (with and without disabilities) indicating
positive perceptions of the work setting and specifically referencing diversity• Inclusive recruitment and retention policies and practices become fully integrated and“common” in the work setting• Decrease in overall costs of turnover– the Return on Investment (ROI) is proven by
calculating the cost of turnover• Increase in the production of work products and services that reflect inclusive practiceand regard for individuals with disabilities• Increase in career ladder opportunities and positions of authority for employees withdisabilities
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Review Questions• What are some examples of performancemeasurement indicators or processes to better
understand how well people with disabilities areincluded in an organization?
• What types of data can you use to measure thesuccess of activities to recruit people with disabilities?

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Conclusion & Resources

Review Questions: Applying What You’ve Learned• What are the major strategies for recruiting andretaining persons with disabilities in the transit
workforce?
• What did you learn today that you will take backwith you into your work?

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FTA Technical Assistance Centers
National Center for
Mobility Management
National Aging andDisability Transportation
CenterNational Center for Applied
Transit Technology

Rural Transit Assistance Program

Shared-use Mobility Center

ACL Inclusive Transportation
Partnerships
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Transit Workforce Center

Additional Federal Supports• The National Transit Institute (NTI) at Rutgers University conducts trainings and educational programs related
to public transportation. Funded by FTA, NTI’s mission is to provide training, education, and clearinghouseservices in support of public transportation and quality of life in the United States. Training is available topublic transportation agencies, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), State Departments ofTransportation, and other agencies providing transportation services.
• The Mobility on Demand Innovation and Knowledge Accelerator (IKA) is a partnership between the Shared Use
Mobility Center (SUMC) and FTA. The IKA provides technical assistance to support FTA’s Mobility on Demand
Sandbox grantees and shares knowledge learned with the larger public transportation industry.
• The Multi-State Technical Assistance Program (MTAP), administered by the American Association of State
Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), provides a forum through which state-level public
transportation agencies can communicate with each other about federal transit regulations, grant program
management, and technical issues pertaining to everyday administration of public transportation service.
MTAP was developed to benefit the member states as well as their Federal program counterparts and local
transit operators. Networking among the States is conducted through two annual meetings, peer-to-peer
assistance, conference calls, and electronic communication.
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Thank you!
This module is intended to provide an overview of the wide range of topics that should
be considered in strategies to recruit people with disabilities into transportation careers.
We would always welcome your suggestions for this module. Let us know how you use
the material and how it affects your knowledge and practice:jshanley@easterseals.com
twc@transportcenter.org

Additional Information on the National Federally-fundedTechnical Assistance Centers•

The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) is a national technical assistance center funded by FTA with guidance from the Department of Healthand Human Services’ Administration for Community Living (ACL). NADTC promotes the availability and accessibility of transportation options that serve the needs ofpeople with disabilities, older adults, caregivers, and communities with a focus on the Enhanced Mobility of Seniors & Individuals with Disabilities Section 5310
program and other transit investments. The NADTC supports the delivery of effective, efficient, high-quality, and coordinated specialized transportation services thatmaximize Federal investments.

•

The National Center for Applied Transit Technology (N-CATT) provides technical assistance to small-urban, rural, and Tribal transit agencies. N-CATT supports the use
and development of transit technologies and innovations with the goal of making services more cost-effective and efficient. N-CATT’s work supports CCAM’s mission
by developing and supporting transit programs—which includes support for CCAM’s targeted populations—in rural and small-city America.

•

The National Center for Mobility Management supports FTA’s Transit & Health Access Initiative and is funded through a cooperative agreement with FTA. The NCMM’s
mission is to promote customer-centered mobility strategies that advance good health, economic vitality, self-sufficiency, and community. NCMM provides technicalassistance and training; catalogs and disseminates best practice information on innovative mobility management programs; and works to enhance the coordination ofFederal resources for human services transportation, especially for people with disabilities, older adults, and people of lower income. NCMM tracks State and regionaltransportation coordination contact information at https://nationalcenterformobilitymanagement.org/states-at-a-glance/.

•

The National Rural Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) addresses the training and technical assistance needs of rural and Tribal transit programs across thenation and supports state RTAP programs. National RTAP provides comprehensive free technical assistance programs and resources, including training materials,
webinars, newsletters and technical briefs, peer resources, research, and innovative technology initiatives. RTAP’s technical assistance aligns with the mission of the
CCAM by helping to improve the availability and efficiency of rural and Tribal transit.

•

The Transit Workforce Development Technical Assistance Center (TWC) was created by FTA in September 2021 to support public transit agencies’ workforce
development needs for all modes and in communities of varying sizes, including urban, tribal, and rural entities. The center helps transit agencies recruit, hire, train,
and retain the diverse workforce needed now and in the future. Main initiatives include 1) conducting technical assistance activities within and for transit agencies
that promote more effective and efficient training of frontline workers involved in public transportation maintenance and operations; and 2) implementing technicalassistance activities through collaborative partnerships between transit agency management and labor, including apprenticeships. Overall, the center is providing
opportunities to address social inequities that exist in the transit industry and creating diversity within and among the transit workforce.

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