ADA Compliance Officer and MATAplus
By Allison Donald
Anthony Amos the new ADA compliance
officer for MATA attended the October Specialized Transportation Advisory
Committee (STAC) meeting. Mr. Amos is
responsible for making sure that MATAplus is compliant with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). Mr. Amos has a
background in advocacy. He was previously employed by Disability Rights of
Tennessee. After meeting with Mr. Amos as a committee we
have a wait and see approach in regards to whether he can deliver on his
promises of more transparency and collaboration with the disability community,
as well as improved customer service.
Mr. Amos and Ms. Tia Horton will oversee
the approval process as well as re-certification. The STAC has been waiting for the finished
re-certification application. The application is scheduled for review and
approval by Mr. Amos by the middle of next week. Mr. Amos must address the drawn out
application process and customer service. In particular the interaction between
office staff and riders is still a problem which effects the efficient delivery
of service.
Mr. Amos acknowledged that for many
years now that MATAplus had been operating without a structure that would
assist employees in dealing with customer service issues. Both Mr. Amos and STAC agree that there
should be more of a partnership between the disability community and
MATAplus.
Mr. Amos hopes to use resources like the
Memphis Center for Independent Living to develop a curriculum that will address
interaction between staff and riders. During
the meeting Mr. Amos suggested semi-annual meetings to discuss possible changes
to improve service.
STAC wants MATAplus to be a viable
transportation option for people with disabilities in Memphis. The only way
that can be accomplished if everyone has a vested interests in the success of
the service. What Mr. Amos’ impact will
be on the present and future operations of paratransit in this city and how we
as a community will be affected remains to be seen.
The next STAC meeting will be on
November 3, 2017 at 2:00pm at the Memphis Center for Independent Living.
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