Metro - File #: 2025-0328

• File #: 2025-0328
• Type: Motion / Motion Response
• Status: Agenda Ready
• File created: 4/18/2025
• In control: Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting
• On agenda: 4/17/2025
• Title: APPROVE Motion by Mitchell, Yaroslavsky, Dupont-Walker, Butts, Sandoval, and Padilla that the Board direct the Chief Executive Officer to: A. Develop and administer a survey no later than September 2025 that solicits feedback from individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, including their families and caregivers, on how they ride public transit and ways to improve their transit experience. The survey should also solicit feedback from those who do not use public transit to understand barriers and opportunities. The survey should be developed and administered in consultation with key stakeholder groups that directly represent or work with individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, such as the Special Needs Network, The Wiley Center, and Aging and Disability Transportation Network. B. Based on the survey, identify gaps, opportunities, and recommendations on changes or additions to policy, programming, and operational capital infrastructure that can ...
• Sponsors: Board of Directors - Regular Board Meeting
• Indexes: Holly J. Mitchell, Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, James Butts, Katy Yaroslavsky, Motion / Motion Response, Persons with disabilities, Program, Safety, Surveys, Tim Sandoval

Meeting_Body
OPERATIONS, SAFETY, AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE
APRIL 17, 2025

Preamble
Motion by:

DIRECTORS MITCHELL, YAROSLAVSKY, DUPONT-WALKER, BUTTS, SANDOVAL, AND PADILLA

Embracing Autism and Neurodiversity in Transportation

Related to Item 32: Monthly Update on Public Safety

For all to ride Metro safely and with autonomy, it requires designing the Metro system from neurodiverse perspectives, including people with autism and other developmental disabilities. Neurodiversity recognizes that people experience and interact with the world in different ways that impact differences in social preferences, ways of learning, communicating, or experiencing the environment that should be embraced and encouraged (https://www.nnlm.gov/reading-club/topic/331).

Several agency efforts exist to enhance transportation services and operations for persons with disabilities, such as the Coordinated Plan, Section 5310 Program, Metro's Office of Civil Rights management of ADA compliance, and community relations programming, among others. However, the agency has an opportunity to make a focused effort in building programs, policies, and infrastructure enhancements for people with autism and other development disabilities. As Metro continues to strive to deliver a world-class transportation system, it must reflect the spectrum of neurodiversity and developmental disabilities within our communities so that all can Go Metro.

Subject
SUBJECT: EMBRACING AUTISM AND NEURODIVERSITY IN TRANSPORTATION

Heading
RECOMMENDATION

Title
APPROVE Motion by Mitchell, Yaroslavsky, Dupont-Walker, Butts, Sandoval, and Padilla that the Board direct the Chief Executive Officer to:

A. Develop and administer a survey no later than September 2025 that solicits feedback from individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, including their families and caregivers, on how they ride public transit and ways to improve their transit experience. The survey should also solicit feedback...