About Us

Capital District

Coalition for Accessible Transportation

(A Grassroots Disability Coalition located in Albany, New York's Capital Region)

Members of:

The Council for Community Service of NYS, (CCSNYS)

The National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates, (NAPTA)

Americans for Transportation Mobility, (ATM)

WE ARE NOT OWNED, MANAGED, OPERATED OR AFFILIATED WITH CDTA OR STAR PARATRANSIT.

American Flag

About CDCAT

Our Mission

The Capital District Coalition for Accessible Transportation is a independent, grass roots watchdog volunteer organization that formed in late May of 2002. We are a multi-cultural organization comprised of agencies, independent advocates and representatives from the disabled community who rely on and advocate for accessible transportation for their independence, quality of life and necessities.

We offer assistance with disability transportation information including individualized options as well as advocacy with issues and free assistance with disability transportation issues or specific complaints. We also assist with STAR paratransit applications and appeals.

Our memberships include the NYS Council of Nonprofits, The National Alliance of Public Transportation Advocates and Americans for Transportation Mobility.

We have specialized transportation advocates involved in several other transportation committees, some of which are described below:

	Capital District Transportation Authority’s (CDTA) Disabled Advisory Committee – Addresses line bus, STAR paratransit disability bus service and community transportation issues, including coordinated transportation.
	New York Association for Independent Living (NYAIL) Transportation Subcommittee
	Most Integrated Setting Coordinating Council's (MISCC) Transportation Subcommittee – Addresses statewide systemic disability transportation issues, including coordinated transportation, Medicaid transportation, rural and urban transportation, fixed route buses, and paratransit bus and senior transportation, educational and employment transportation assistance and others.

Our priority is the disabled community of the NYS Capital Region.

CDCAT's Board of Directors meets monthly at the Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley (ILCHV) in Troy, NY.

CDCAT Board of Directors:

**Cliff Perez - (ILCHV) Statewide Systems Advocate

& advocate for people with vision disabilities

* Hasan Tucker - Independent Advocate - Our Webmaster (2002 - Founding

Member)

**Patrick Burke - Volunteer Representative for the Capital District Center for

Independence (CDCI - (2003)

Karen Garofallou (ILCHV)- (2006)

& Advocate for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing

Lori Miner - Albany MS Society (2007)

David Jones - Catholic Charities (10/2008)

Patricia Pfeifer - NYS Self Advocacy, Inc. (2008)

Tom Keller - Independent Advocate (2009)

*Edward Rich - Vice Chairman (2002-Founding member)

* Donna Suhor - CEO and Disability Transportation

Advocate (2002-Founder)

* Uses Paratransit Bus Service (STAR)

** Uses Fixed-Route Buses

Legal Assistance through:

Simeon Goldman, Senior Attorney

Disability Advocates, Inc.

Albany, NY

Our Goals

Our goals are safe, accessible and affordable transportation for people with disabilities in the NYS Capital District.

CDCAT’s goals are particularly centered around the accessibility of public transportation because this is the least expensive and most basic transportation of most metropolitan communities. Equally important is the need for wheelchair accessible private transportation services (cab companies, etc) to provide accessible, equal and comparable services for all those with disabilities and all varieties of service animals and mobility equipment.

Disability Accessible transportation is vital to community integration and independent living for people with disabilities.