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Access and Mobility for All Summit

On Tuesday, October 29, 2019, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) hosted the Access and Mobility for All Summit to raise awareness of DOT and government-wide efforts to improve access and mobility for people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals of low income and identify priority Federal and non-Federal activities and innovations that can provide more efficient, affordable, and accessible vehicles and mobility services such as transit and ridesharing.

During the Access and Mobility for All Summit, Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao made the following announcements:

  • A planned Complete Trip - ITS4US Deployment Program, which will make up to $40 million available to enable communities to showcase innovative business partnerships, technologies, and practices that promote independent mobility for all.  “Complete Trip” means that a user can get from point A to point B seamlessly, regardless of the number of modes, transfers, and connections.
  • An Inclusive Design Challenge, which makes up to $5 million in cash prizes available to innovators who design solutions that can enable people with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities to use AVs to access jobs, healthcare, and other critical destinations. Stage I, which will award up to ten $300,000 prizes for proof-of-concept ideas, is now open for submissions.
  • A Notice of Funding Opportunity for FTA’s FY 2020 Mobility for All Pilot Program.  The program seeks to improve mobility options and access to community services for older adults, individuals with disabilities, and people with low incomes.  The $3.5 million initiative will fund projects that enhance transportation connections to jobs, education, and health services.
  • A strategic plan for the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM), an interagency partnership to coordinate the efforts of federal agencies funding transportation services for targeted populations. The strategic plan will help provide better transportation outcomes through the coordination of more than 130 government-wide programs.

Archived recordings of the Summit’s keynote remarks and panel discussions are available below.

Session 1

Keynote Remarks

  • Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., M.D.
  • Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao (prepared remarks available here)

Access and Mobility for All: An Interagency Mission (Panel Discussion)

  • Moderator: K. Jane Williams, Acting Administrator for the Federal Transit Administration
  • Vincent Valdes, Associate Administrator for Research, Demonstration and Innovation, Federal Transit Administration
  • Mary Lazare, Principal Deputy Administrator for the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
  • Michael Akinyele, Acting VA Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director of the VA Innovation Center, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • Neil Romano, Chairperson of the National Council on Disability
  • Jennifer Sheehy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor

Session 2

The Future of Mobility Services (Panel Discussion)

  • Moderator: Nicole Nason, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration
  • Andrei Greenawalt, Vice President for Public Policy, Via
  • Michele Boomhower, Director of Policy, Planning & Intermodal Development, Vermont Agency on Transportation
  • David Capozzi, Executive Director, U.S. Access Board
  • Kelly Buckland, Executive Director, National Council on Independent Living

Keynote Remarks

Inclusive Design: Vehicle Technologies that Increase Access (Panel Discussion)

  • Moderator: James Owens, Acting Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • Anne Marie Lewis, Director of Safety and Technology Policy, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
  • Jordana Maisel, Director of Inclusive Design and Environmental Access Center, University at Buffalo
  • Miriam Manary, Biosciences Lead Engineer, University of Michigan, Transportation Research Institute
  • Maria Town, President and CEO, American Association of People with Disabilities

Closing Remarks

  • Steven G. Bradbury, Acting Deputy Secretary and General Counsel, U.S. Department of Transportation

Bios for summit panelists are available here.

An overview of Innovation Showcase participants and related materials are available here.

Last updated: Wednesday, July 29, 2020