Keeping to the Path: A Roadmap for Pedestrian and Transportation Advocacy
Ron Brooks
Session Overview:
Regardless of size, every community has pedestrian spaces, and most offer at least some type of transportation that people with disabilities need to use for getting around town. Unfortunately, many of these pedestrian spaces and transportation services are inaccessible and inadequate, and it’s up to people with disabilities, Independent Living Centers, and others to advocate for the improvements we need. This type of advocacy can be confusing, complex, and exhausting. Participants in this workshop will learn the basics of how infrastructure projects and transportation services are regulated, planned, and paid for, and how decisions are made. This workshop will also include some simple strategies we can use to advocate for the pedestrian and transportation improvements we need in the communities where we live, work, and play.
Additional Materials for This Session:
About Your Presenter:
Ron Brooks
Ron Brooks is a graduate of Indiana University and a 30-year veteran of the public transit industry focused on making bus, rail, paratransit and other services accessible and equitable for everyone, including people with disabilities.
Ron is the founder and CEO of Accessible Avenue, and he is the Senior Director for Policy and Stakeholder Engagement for UZURV, a Transportation Network Company adapted to meet the needs of people with disabilities. Ron is a frequent presenter and author on topics related to public transit accessibility, including accessible public involvement, wayfinding to, from and within transit networks, autonomous vehicle accessibility, and strategies for modernizing ADA paratransit. He is a co-author of the book, “All Aboard – Conducting Accessible Community Involvement for Public Transit,” which is scheduled for publication in the Summer of 2024.
Ron is also a lifelong member of the disability community, having been born with a significant visual impairment, and then having lost his remaining eyesight at the age of fourteen. Ron is a committed community advocate, and has served on a number of boards and committees for several non-profit community-based organizations, including two years as a Board Member for Ability 360, the Independent Living Center serving Arizona, and the Phoenix metropolitan area.