2013 OSI-Baltimore Fellow Kate Anderson made the news recently for her work with Disability Rights Maryland (DRM). In 2015, DRM, AARP Foundation Litigation (AFL), and Consumers for Accessible Ride Services (CARS) filed a class action lawsuit against MTA Mobility, a paratransit system, regarding violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This week, a federal court approved the settlement that was reached between DRM, AFL and CARS, and MTA Mobility in January.
According to the Sun story, the MTA “agreed to overhaul its MTA Mobility/Paratransit Service” as part of the suit:
Among other steps, the MTA will spend up to $160,000 to hire independent consultants to review the service over the next three years and make faster decisions on whether someone is qualified to use it.
As an OSI-Baltimore Community Fellow, Anderson, who is an attorney with DRM, established a self-governing Accessible Transportation Advisory Committee composed of people with disabilities. The committee was charged with addressing systemic issues in state and local transportation policies that affect accessibility for thousands of individuals with disabilities in the city.
Find out more about the suit here.