Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Albany Transit System will provide wheelchair accommodation provided the chair does not exceed the following standards:  dimension of 30 inches in width, 48 inches in length and the weight of the chair, when occupied, does not exceed 1000 pounds.

Service animals play an important role in ensuring the independence of individuals with disabilities, and it is Albany Transit’s policy to welcome any service animal that is trained to assist an individual with a disability on fixed route buses, paratransit vehicles, and in Albany Transit public facilities.

In compliance with 49 CFR Part 37, the transit system allows trained service animals to accompany passengers with disabilities. The driver will not ask for proof of the qualifications of the animal but may ask what tasks the animal has been trained to perform. Albany Transit does not impose species or breed restrictions. However, any animal which is not under the passenger’s control, or which becomes a direct threat to the health or safety of other passengers may be restricted from riding. Emotional support animals or “comfort animals” are not service animals within the context of the US DOT ADA regulations.

Albany Transit uses Hamilton Relay for the passengers who are hearing or speech-impaired through Text Telephone or TTY. The passenger can dial 711 to reach an operator who will translate the messages. TTY is a special device that communicates by allowing them to type messages back and forth to one another instead of talking and listening. A TTY is required at both ends of the conversation in order to communicate.

To use a TTY, you set a telephone handset onto special acoustic cups built into the TTY (some TTY models can be plugged directly into a telephone line). Then, type the message you want to send on the TTY's keyboard. As you type, the message is sent over the phone line, just like your voice would be sent over the phone line if you talked. You can read the other person's response on the TTY's text display.

If you do not have a TTY, you can still call a person who is hearing or speech-impaired by using the Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS). With TRS, a special operator types whatever you say so that the person you are calling can read your words on his or her TTY display. He or she will type back a response, which the TRS operator will read aloud for you to hear over the phone. Toll free TRS services are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

You can visit the Ultratec website for information about a wide range of TTYs for home, office and personal use. Or, visit WCI for all your assistive device needs, including the CapTel (Captioned Telephone).

ADA Reasonable Modification of Procedure

Albany Transit System will make reasonable modifications to policies, practices, or procedures when the modifications are necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability or to provide program accessibility to its services, subject to the limitations of Federal Regulations § 37.169(c)(1)–(3).

Individuals requesting reasonable modifications to Albany Transit System service shall contact the EEO Officer, Dr. Dwight Baker,  and describe what they need in order to use the service. Individuals requesting modifications are not required to use the term “reasonable modification” when making a request.

ADA Complaint Procedure

All complaints of discrimination on the basis of disability will be promptly forwarded to the Transit Planner  and promptly and objectively investigated. Complaints are also to be submitted to the GDOT.

 Albany Transit  will promptly communicate its response to the complaint allegations, including its reasons for the response, to the complainant. The response will be documented. Corrective or disciplinary action will be taken for behavior prohibited by this policy, up to and including termination of employment.

Documentation of each complaint will be kept on file for a minimum of one year, and a summary of all complaints will be kept for at least five years. This meets DOT regulations that require FTA grantees to maintain all complaints of noncompliance with 49 CFR Part 27 for one year, and a record of all such complaints, which is permitted to be in summary form, for five years.  

Towanna Howard, Human Resources Director
222 Pine Ave, Suite 340
Albany, GA 317011
229-302-1546 TTY711

 or

Jason Tolbert, Transit Planner
712 Flint Ave.
Albany, GA 31701
229-302-1534 TTY 711