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20 <br /> �1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> NORTH CAROLINA <br /> ORANGE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ADA PARATRANSIT PLAN <br /> 5) Service must be made available to eligible persons on a next-day basis; and <br /> 6) There can be no constraints on the amount of service that is provided to any eligible <br /> person. Specifically, there can be no operating practice that significantly limits the <br /> availability of service to ADA-paratransit-eligible individuals. <br /> ADA paratransit service must be provided to all individuals who are unable, because of their <br /> disability, to use the fixed-route system, some of the time or all of the time. The criteria for <br /> determining eligibility are also regulated by the ADA, and Orange Public Transportation <br /> (OPT) must have a documented process in place to determine if an individual qualifies for <br /> ADA service. <br /> Who is Entitled to ADA Paratransit Services? <br /> There are three (3) major categories of individuals who are required to be served based <br /> upon their functional disability interacting with conditions of the service and surrounding <br /> environment: <br /> 1) Persons who are unable to board, ride, or disembark from accessible fixed-route <br /> vehicles as a result of their disability. <br /> 2) Persons who could use accessible fixed-route services, but such services are <br /> being operated using vehicles that are not fully accessible. <br /> 3) Persons who cannot travel to or from a bus stop because their disability prevents <br /> it. <br /> It is important to emphasize that only those persons who are prevented from using fixed- <br /> route services because of their disability are required to be served by ADA paratransit, <br /> rather than individuals who would have difficulty using fixed-route services but could, in fact, <br /> use it. Within the ADA paratransit requirements, there are also provisions relating to the <br /> transportation of personal care attendants, other traveling companions, and persons visiting <br /> from other areas. <br /> Difference Between ADA Paratransit and Other Types of Paratransit Services Provided by <br /> OPT.- <br /> ADA paratransit is quite different from other types of demand-response and specialized <br /> transit services provided by OPT in that its service parameters are highly prescribed by <br /> federal regulation. ADA paratransit is required only for a narrowly defined population of <br /> individuals who are unable to use fixed-route service because of their disability, unlike <br /> OPT's Elderly and Disabled Transportation Assistance Program (EDTAP), which serves any <br /> elderly person 60 years of age or older or any individual with a disability. EDTAP-funded <br /> services also only provide transportation to medical appointments as opposed to trips for <br /> other purposes, which is required of federal regulations pertaining to ADA paratransit. <br /> 2 <br />