Infrastructure Bill Includes Accessibility Wins; Access Living Amtrak Advocacy Plays Role
Chicago – November 17, 2021 – A new $1.75 billion federal grant program to improve the accessibility of legacy passenger rail stations, and a seat for a person with a disability on the national board of Amtrak, are part of the infrastructure bill President Joe Biden signed the into law Monday, marking a big accessibility win for disabled people nationwide.
Also called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework (BIF), the new law infuses $1.2 trillion into efforts to modernize public transit, passenger rail, bridges, water systems, the internet, and clean energy. Improved accessibility of national infrastructure is a critical part of the work ahead.
“We are pleased to see the law include dedicated funds for accessibility improvements,” said Karen Tamley, President & CEO of Access Living, a leading disability advocacy and service organization in Chicago. “The support of the Chicago Transit Authority, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, and Representatives Chuy Garcia and Marie Newman helped make this progress for disabled people a reality.”
The legacy passenger rail grants will bring long overdue accessibility improvement dollars to older rail transit systems so that they can finally meet [...]