Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan
Kimley-Horn partnered with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to update their 2009 ADA Transition Plan.
The Kimley-Horn team assessed the current TDOT programs, procedures, policies, and facilities for compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Additionally, best management practices of other public agencies were reviewed using surveys and interviews. As part of the project, the public involvement process was updated to identify innovative ways to better involve and welcome the disabled community into the process.
Kimley-Horn’s findings were then developed into a Transition Plan, detailing ways TDOT can remove barriers of full participation as well as policies to monitor progress of barrier removal.
Areas addressed in the Transition Plan included:
- Review of Policies and Practices
- Communication Assessment
- Architectural Survey Reports
- Programs and Facility Accessibility
Updating the ADA Transition Plan for TDOT
In 2014, Kimley-Horn partnered with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to update its 2009 ADA Transition Plan, assessing the current TDOT programs, procedures, policies, and facilities for compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Additionally, best management practices of other public agencies were reviewed using surveys and interviews.
Facility evaluation data that was previously collected for 15 welcome centers, 17 rest areas, four regional offices, 20 district offices, 28 field offices, and TDOT headquarters, was evaluated for quality and accuracy. Our team also developed new standards for the design of accessible pedestrian facilities within TDOT right-of-way.
As part of TDOT’s subrecipient monitoring, we conducted telephone interviews to determine the status of its ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan document, providing four full day training sessions to give municipalities an overview of the requirements for ADA compliance.
During the public involvement process, we identified innovative ways to better involve people with disabilities in the transition plan process:
- Conducted telephone interviews with eight disability rights organizations across the state, located in Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville, while servicing clients throughout the state.
- Conducted an online survey with members of a select number of Tennessee disability rights organizations who agreed to disseminate the link to their constituents.
- Developed a tri-fold pamphlet for public distribution to communicate TDOT’s Title II Discrimination Policy, basic requirements of ADA compliance, steps to ADA compliance, TDOT’s ADA Coordinator contact information, and web resources.