ADA & Reasonable Modification

Accessibility Features

rabbittransit offers a convenient, accessible, and safe way for people with disabilities and senior citizens to get around. rabbittransit believes in equal opportunity and inclusion for these groups, consistent with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To accomplish this, rabbittransit works hard every day to ensure that all of our services are accessible and ready to meet our customers’ needs.

rabbittransit offers materials and forms in other accessible formats. Should you need materials or forms in a different format, please contact us.

Reasonable Modifications to Policies and Procedures

The Susquehanna Regional Transportation Authority (SRTA) may make reasonable modifications to policies and programs to assist people with disabilities in achieving equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities. Anyone who requires auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in SRTA’s programs, services, or activities, should contact mobility planning by phone at 1-800-632-9063; mail at Sherry Welsh, ADA Officer, 415 Zarfoss Drive, York, PA 17404; or email at mobilityplanning@rabbittransit.org as soon as possible. Every effort should be made to make requests before the scheduled event. Should you want to appeal any decision related to a reasonable modification request, please click the appeal form or the Formulario de apelación.

The ADA does not require SRTA to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its services, create a direct threat, or is unnecessary to enable use of service.

You have the right to appeal a denial of a reasonable modification request. To do so, please download and return the appeal form.

Appeal Form

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ADA Complaint Procedure

SRTA complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.

ADA INSTRUCTIONS

Any person who believes they have been discriminated against on the basis of disability by rabbittransit may file a complaint by completing and submitting SRTA’s ADA complaint form. SRTA investigates all completed complaint forms that are filed no later than 180 calendar days following the date of the incident in question.

HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT

A complaint must be filed in writing and mailed to the following address:

Civil Rights Officer
rabbittransit
415 N. Zarfoss Drive, York, PA 17404

The preferred method is to file a complaint in writing by completing SRTA’s ADA Complaint form. If you do not use the ADA complaint form, your written complaint must be signed and at a minimum contain the following:

• Contact information including name, address, telephone number(s) and email address(es);
• A description of how, when, where, and why you believe you were discriminated against, including location, names and contact information of any witnesses;
• Other information that you deem significant or important.

You also have the right to file a complaint with an external entity such as the Department of Transportation (DOT), a federal or state agency, or a federal or state court.

ADA Complaint Procedure

1. When a representative receives a complaint, it is entered into the compliant tracking software and forwarded to the below investigators:

• For fixed route complaints:
  • Customer service or mobility issue- Designated Mobility Planning Representative.
  • Scheduling, routing or staffing issue- Operations Supervisor.
• For paratransit complaints:
  • Customer service or mobility issue- Designated Mobility Planning Representative.
  • Scheduling, routing or staffing issue- Operations Supervisor.
• For civil rights complaints:
  • Must be forwarded to the Civil Rights Officer. If the complaint is of a serious nature or is specific to a department, the Eclipse manager will seek out the appropriate Senior Manager immediately for guidance.

2. The Director of Customer Service & Mobility Services will monitor the investigation process. The process is as follows:

• The Director of Customer Service & Mobility Services will issue a form letter indicating the complaint was received and an investigation has begun. Correspondence will be sent to the party making the complaint within five business days.
• If the complaint cannot be resolved in five business days, the Director of Customer Service & Mobility Services will correspond with the appropriate senior staff member to inform them of the complaint.
• If the complaint is not resolved in seven business days, the Director of Customer Service & Mobility Services will communicate the issue(s) and investigation status to the Executive Director.
• Upon investigation completion, the Director of Customer Service & Mobility Services will send the correspondence that was uploaded into the system to the Complainant for verification and will mark the file as archived.

rabbittransit will retain ADA-related complaints for, at minimum, one year and a summary of all ADA-related complaints for at least five years.

 

Ley sobre Estadounidenses con Discapacidades

RSRTA cumple con la Ley sobre Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA) de 1990.

INSTRUCCIONES DE LA ADA

Cualquier persona que crea haber sido objeto de discriminación por parte de SRTA debido a su discapacidad puede presentar una queja, llenando y enviando el formulario de quejas de la ADA de rabbittransit. SRTA investiga todos los formularios de quejas llenos que se presenten dentro de un plazo de 180 días consecutivos siguientes a la fecha del incidente en cuestión.

CÓMO PRESENTAR UNA QUEJA

Las quejas deben presentarse por escrito y enviarse por correo a esta dirección:

Civil Rights Officer
rabbittransit
415 N. Zarfoss Drive
York, PA 17404

El método preferido es presentar la queja por escrito, llenando el formulario de quejas de la ADA de rabbittransit. Si no utiliza el formulario de quejas de la ADA de SRTA, su queja debe ir firmada, y contener, como mínimo, todo lo siguiente:

• Información de contacto, incluyendo nombre, dirección, número(s) de teléfono y dirección(es) de correo electrónico;
• Una descripción de cómo, cuándo, dónde y por qué usted se sintió objeto de discriminación, incluyendo la ubicación, nombres e información de contacto de cualquier testigo; y
• Cualquier otra información que considere significativa o importante.

También tiene derecho a presentar una queja ante una entidad externa como el Departamento de Transporte (DOT), una agencia federal o estatal, o un tribunal federal o estatal.

Procedimiento de Quejas por la ADA

1. Cuando un representante recibe una queja, la misma se introduce en el software de seguimiento de Eclipse y la envía a los siguientes investigadores, de esta manera:

• Ruta fija:
  • Problema de servicio al cliente o de movilidad – Representante designado de planificación de movilidad.
  • Problema de programación, dirección o personal – Supervisor de operaciones.
• Paratránsito:
  • Problema de servicio al cliente o de movilidad – Representante designado de planificación de movilidad.
  • Problema de programación, dirección o personal – Supervisor de operaciones.
• Derechos civiles:
  • Debe ser remitido al Oficial de Derechos Civiles. Si la queja es de naturaleza grave o se refiere específicamente a un departamento, el gerente de Eclipse buscará inmediatamente al Gerente Superior apropiado para que lo oriente.

2. El gerente de Eclipse supervisará el proceso de investigación:

• La correspondencia debe ser enviada al reclamante dentro de un plazo de 5 días hábiles.
• Si la investigación sigue en curso, el gerente de Eclipse emitirá una carta estándar indicando que la queja fue recibida y que la investigación se está realizando.
• Al terminar la investigación, el gerente de Eclipse enviará al reclamante la correspondencia que se cargó al sistema, para que el mismo la verifique, y luego marcará el archivo como listo y archivado.
• Si la queja no puede resolverse dentro de un plazo de cinco días hábiles, el gerente de Eclipse se comunicará con el miembro senior correspondiente del personal para informarle de la queja.
• Si la queja no se resuelve dentro de un plazo de siete días hábiles, el gerente de Eclipse comunicará el/los asunto(s) y el estado de la investigación al Director Ejecutivo.

ADA Visitor Procedure

A visitor is defined as someone who does not reside in the jurisdiction or jurisdictions served by the public entity or other public entities with which it coordinates paratransit service.

Complementary paratransit service must be provided to ADA-eligible individuals who travel outside of the region in which they live.  If an individual has not been certified as eligible by another public entity but can claim that they are ADA paratransit eligible, they are entitled to “presumptive eligibility” and must be provided with 21 days of service.  Individuals that are not certified by another transit agency will be expected to provide documentation from their place of residence explaining the nature of their disability.  The 21 days of service that a visitor receives must be calculated as any combination of 21 days during any 365-day period beginning with the visitor’s first use of the service.

If a visitor has been granted complementary paratransit service in their home region, the conditions determined by the home transit agency will be followed.  The individual’s home transit agency will be contacted to verify the individual’s conditions.

If the individual claims that they are ADA paratransit eligible but have not been certified by another transit agency, other documentation will need to be reviewed.  Doctor verification will be needed and a physical assessment may be needed to determine the individual’s conditions specific to the SRTA system.  Once the individual provides the proper documentation, the individual will be granted “presumptive eligibility” for a period of 21 days.

Blind or Low Vision
For individuals with a visual impairment, accessible audio formats of the rabbittransit Paratransit/Shared Ride Guide are available.

If you are blind or have vision impairment, these accessibility features can help you get around on our buses:

• Braille/raised-letter signs that indicate bus routes.
• Buses announce their route name and destination over an external speaker system as they pull up to a stop.
• Buses feature an automated system that announces the name of the next station. On buses without the automated system, the operator announces the major stops and transfer points. (You can also ask the operator to announce when a specific stop is coming.)
• Service animals are permitted on all buses.

Deaf or Hard of Hearing

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, these accessibility features can help you get around on our buses:

• The King Street Station features a digital display that shows you when the next vehicle is expected to arrive.
• Reader boards inside buses show the name of the next stop.
• On the bus, a sign near the operator lights up when a stop has been requested.

For individuals who are hearing impaired, rabbittransit encourages customers to use the PA Relay service. This service can be accessed by calling 711. The translation and interpretation services are free of charge.

Limited Mobility

If you use a wheelchair, scooter, or other mobility device, these accessibility features can help you get around on our buses:

• Buses are equipped with lifts and kneelers.
• All buses have priority seating areas inside by the door for seniors and riders with limited mobility, plus space for mobility devices.

Operators shall kneel the bus to make boarding and de-boarding as easy as possible for everyone by minimizing the slope of the ramp. Operators shall provide assistance to passengers upon request. Passengers with disabilities shall be allowed adequate time to board and de-board the vehicle.

Mobility Devices/Aids

All passengers who utilize wheelchairs must be properly secured before the bus may move. Wheelchairs and scooters should be backed onto the bus.

Service animals, as defined by the ADA, are permitted on all rabbittransit vehicles. The ADA applies to service animals who have been trained to perform specific work or tasks for persons with disabilities.

If a passenger has an oxygen tank or other medical aid, all items must be secured and kept out of aisles or walkways. Passengers are responsible for ensuring they have sufficient aid to last the duration of their trip. At times, our vehicles are delayed due to traffic, auto accidents, or other unusual circumstances.

Bus Lift Limitations

The average bus has a lift that can accommodate a total combined weight of up to 800 pounds, which includes both the mobility device and the customer. The average lift platform can accommodate wheelchair dimensions of 34″ x 51″. rabbittransit may or may not accommodate anything larger or heavier.