RTC celebrates 30^th anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
RTC to feature community advocates, organizations, transit drivers and others that have contributed to equal access for persons with disabilities

Click to Tweet: Happy 30^th Birthday, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)! @RTCSNV celebrates three decades of equal access for persons with disabilities through blog stories and videos at rtcsnv.com/blog. #ADA30 #RTCSNV

LAS VEGAS – The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) is celebrating the 30^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) this Sunday, July 26, by recognizing customers, drivers, advocates and community partners that have helped persons with disabilities obtain equal access to transportation. The RTC will be releasing a weeklong series of blog stories and videos highlighting these unique individuals and agencies that have advocated for equal opportunity and access and in effect, contributed to building our community.

Two of the featured individuals will be available for media interviews regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act and their contributions to equal access. The RTC also invites our media partners to tour our one-of-a-kind Mobility Training Center where every year hundreds of people with disabilities receive training on how to ride public transit independently.

WHO:            Dan Howland, RTC paratransit and specialized services director

                         Jim Shampoe, RTC mobility training supervisor

                        Raquel O’Neill, Blindconnect president and disabilities advocate

WHEN:           Monday, July 27

                           Time – Due to COVID-19, we are asking interested media outlets to RSVP by Friday, July 24. Please coordinate with listed media contacts.

WHERE:        RTC Mobility Training Center

                           5165 W. Sunset Road

                           Las Vegas, NV 89118

Dan Howland oversees the RTC’s paratransit and specialized services division, and Jim Shampoe is the supervisor at the RTC’s Mobility Training Center (MTC), a 14,700-square-foot facility that brings the outdoors in, allowing people with disabilities and senior citizens to learn how to use transit service safely and properly. Mobility training assists individuals in developing the skills and confidence necessary to travel independently.

In addition to being a wife, mother and advocate for persons with disabilities and living with her own disability, Raquel O’Neill is the president of Blindconnect, a nonprofit that provides Nevada’s blind and visually impaired individuals with life skills training, support and other valuable resources. Blindconnect is a long-time partner of the RTC’s and has a 1,200-square-foot apartment housed within the MTC called Angela’s House, a training facility to prepare individuals and their families to live independently.

About the RTC
The RTC is the regional authority overseeing public transit, metropolitan planning, roadway funding, traffic management, and the public bike share system. The RTC’s vision is to advance regionally transformative mobility solutions through equitable, innovative and sustainable infrastructure development. The RTC’s mission is to elevate quality of life for residents and visitors through sustainable planning, collaborative problem-solving, and safe and equitable transportation service. For more information about the RTC and our major initiatives or to download the rideRTC app, visit rtcsnv.com. Stay informed by subscribing to our blog or following us on social media.

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