R2010-79 AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT FOR ADA ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION SERVICES

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Scope of Work PART I. PARATRANSIT ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS Easter Seals shall provide paratransit rider eligibility determination services on an ongoing basis, for each applicant who wishes to be certified to use the paratransit services of Operation Uplift. In assessing the functional ability of an applicant to use the bus system, Easter Seals must consider the different types of disabilities and the functional characteristics of persons with ili i s and sensitivit vanous disabilrties; the mteraction of environmental condrtions wrth disab t e y issues; the effects of certain medications or treatments on an individual's ability to use the bus system; and the skills generally needed to successfully use fixed route transportation services. Specific actions include: • Conducting in-person evaluations at a single, centralized site approved by the City; • Based on the evaluation and any medical information supplied by the applicant's doctor, determining the functional ability of a person with a disability to use accessible fixed- route transit and, if applicable, ascertaining the appropriate eligibility for ADA paratransit service; and • Processing eligibility determinations and submitting that determination as a recommendation to the City. • Submitting monthly and annual reports to the City. 1. When it receives applications from the City, Easter Seals shall promptly schedule appointments with these applicants, and then conduct in-person eligibility evaluations at a single contractor provided centralized site approved by the City. The site must be designed and equipped to support interviews with the applicants, and evaluations of the applicants' physical functions relating to use of the fixed route transit system. An indoor "obstacle course" that includes simulated bus steps, various sidewalk conditions, various sloping conditions, simulated street crossing, etc. is recommended. This will allow the evaluator to make observations and functional measurements such as walking speed, street crossing times, use of curbs, or handling of transit fares. Regardless of apparent level of disability or eligibility, each evaluation, lasting 15 minutes to 45 minutes, shall include: a. An interview to go over the applicant's answers to questions on his/her application and to gather more detailed information on the applicant's disability. The interview will be particularly important for applicants with disabilities other than reduced mobility, such as a cognitive disability. b. A functional mobility assessment, when appropriate. Easter Seals will evaluate each applicant's ability to perform the normal movements required to use the bus system: walking a distance to a bus stop; navigating curbs, sloping and cracked sidewalks; standing for several minutes at the bus stop; and climbing the steps onto the bus. 6