ADA Eligibility Process What works for your community? CalACT Spring Conference Wednesday, April 24, 2019

Access Services – Los Angeles, CA Background Created in 1994 by L.A. Metro Board to provide mandated ADA paratransit Created as an independent transit agency Contract paratransit and eligibility services Meets ADA obligation for 45 member agencies – incl. Metro, LADOT, Foothill Transit Services for persons who cannot use fixed-route independently for some or all transport needs For background purposes, Access Services is the only ADA paratransit provider for Los Angeles County. Access was created as an independent transit agency in 1994 for the purpose of providing ADA paratransit transportation. Access is structured with a small central administrative staff and vehicle services, eligibility services, etc. are contracted out. Access is a partner for all 45 fixed route providers in Los Angeles County, so each of Los Angeles County’s fixed route providers can concentrate on providing fixed route services and their ADA mandated services are provided through Access. Lastly, Access’ customer base is made up of persons who would find it very challenging or impossible to ride the fixed route services of L.A. on their own.

What is Access’ Service Area? Access is the single ADA complementary paratransit system for the 44 fixed route agencies of Los Angeles County. Access’ service area covers almost all of the urbanized area of Los Angeles County

Access Services – Los Angeles, CA Eligibility Statistics Total in-person applicants FY 2018: 32,925 (average 2,744/month) L.A. Basin location 30,666 applicants (2,547/mo.) Antelope Valley location 1,950 apps. (163/mo.) Santa Clarita location 309 apps. (26/mo.) Total number of in-person Access applicants for FY 2018: 32,925 (Maybe also, average applicants per month: 2,744) Total number in-person Access applicants for FY 2018 (at Commerce MTM Eligibility center): 30,666 (Maybe also, average applicants per month: 2,547) Total number in-person Access applicants for FY 2018 (at Santa Clarita-SCT-Eligibility center): 309 (Maybe also, average applicants per month: 26) Total number in-person Access applicants for FY 2018 (at Antelope Valley-AVTA-Eligibility center): 1,950 (Maybe also, average applicants per month: 163)   Total number of Access applicants for FY 2018 and their eligibility determination: Unrestricted: 17,215 Restricted: 7,049 Temporary: 2,098 Not Eligible: 6,563 Total number of eligibility appeals for FY 2018: 1,457 Total that confirmed original determination: 785 Total that reversed original determination: 672

Understanding Eligibility Who is Eligible? Applicant’s with Functional Disabilities: Cognitive Visual & Auditory Impairment Physical Medical Read Slide – They types of general disability categories that an evaluator is to recognize. The next two slides are to illustrate the complexity that a paratransit eligibility provider faces. There is a great variety of the types of disability an evaluator may encounter and within the varieties, there are levels of disability where, for instance, two individuals who may identify themselves as having the same disability, experience this disability with more or less severity.

Understanding Eligibility Who is Eligible? Persons with disabilities who cannot independently: Get to and from the bus Get on and off the bus Understand which bus to get on Understand when to get off the bus Due to their disability These are the general criteria for Access eligibility as to whether a person’s disability would make it challenging to execute any of these tasks. And for each of these, these are not ‘yes or no’ determinations. Depending upon the applicant’s particular condition, there may be times of day, particular paths of travel or the type of disability that may make some of these tasks easier or harder to perform.

Access Eligibility Timeline for Eligibility Schedule in-person assessment 7 days after mailing in application Transportation to/from Eligibility Center - no fare Eligibility determination provided within 21 days – otherwise eligible until determination provided Appeals permitted up to 60 days from initial determination

Changes Introduced to Eligibility Comprehensive Operational Review (2015) Comprehensive Operational Review (2015) recommendations: Applications completed prior to appointment Medical/supporting documentation review Own Eligibility locations in lieu of contractor Provide similar evaluation settings for different eligibility centers Work with drivers as eligibility resource. To point #3 – Access decided to lease its own facility to better accommodate anticipated growth in applicant demand. Additional parking & space for loading and unloading was a major factor for the new facility. To point #5 – A recommendation from the COR was to have driver’s share their observations of the applicant during the trip. This proved to be a nice idea, but a very cumbersome task by adding another person into the decision-making process who is not part of the eligibility team and also does not spend time at the eligibility center writing reports, but performs transport.

Email: EligDept@accessla.org The application was changed from 2 to 6 pages and also a requirement of a customer filling it out prior to their evaluation and providing those answers to the appointment taker This helped connect the correct evaluator with the proper applicant.

Eligibility Process Safety Orientation Video This illustrates Access’ ability to provide orientation information to the applicant (also has captions for those with hearing disabilities)

Eligibility Process Marketing/Tethering This illustrates Access’ ability to evaluate mobility devices – additionally, Eligibility is where many customers receive marking & tethering attachments.

Eligibility Process Interview In person interview with a review of the applicant’s application.

Eligibility Process Indoor Transit Walk

Eligibility Process Outdoor Transit Walk

Thank you