Glossary

Accessible Vehicle
A vehicle that can be boarded and de-boarded by people in wheelchairs and that has accommodations for other disabilities, such as a microphone system to announce stops, and a "kneeling" feature for those who have difficulty climbing steps to board.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The civil rights law enacted in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in the areas of employment, transportation, telecommunications, and public accommodation.

ADA Service Area
The area within 3/4 mile of transit routes. Trips must be provided by Specialized Transportation within this area to people with disabilities who are unable to use the transit system.

Cognitive Disabilities
Disabilities that impair thinking, understanding and the ability to exercise judgment. May include emotional illnesses, some learning disabilities, as well as mental retardation.

Customer Service Representative - A WTA employee who answers your calls, and who receives and records your ride request information.

Discretionary Trips
Trips that Specialized Transportation may provide to eligible riders if there is time and space on the vehicle.

Dispatch Staff
Office staff at WTA’s Specialized Transportation office, consisting of Customer Service Representatives and Dispatchers.

Dispatcher
A WTA employee who matches ride requests with an appropriate vehicle and driver.

Life Support Equipment
May include portable oxygen, battery-powered respirators or ventilators.

Mobility Aid
Equipment a rider needs to get around, such as a cane, walker, leg braces, wheelchair, etc.

No-Show
A trip in which Specialized Transportation shows up as scheduled, but the rider is not there, or the rider cancels when the Driver arrives.

Paratransit
Transportation provided by arrangement (based on a phone conversation between the passenger and WTA), using specially equipped mini-buses.

Personal Care Attendant (PCA)
Someone designated to travel with a passenger because of that passenger’s special needs.

Professional Verification
Confirmation of disability-related information, supplied by a a professional (health care provider, social worker, therapist, etc.) who is familiar with an applicant for Specialized Transportation.

Public Transportation Benefit Area (PTBA)
Designated transit service area based on voting district boundaries. Revenues come primarily from a local sales tax collected within the PTBA. All of Whatcom County (except Newhalem/Diablo and the Mt. Baker Ski Area) is included within the PTBA.

Service Animal
An animal that has been trained to assist a person with a disability, such as a seeing-eye or hearing-ear dog.

Specialized Transportation
The name of WTA’s paratransit service, providing transportation for people with disabilities and elderly unable to use the regular transit system.

Subscription Trips
Trips which are regularly scheduled on the same day(s) and times, from the same location to the same destination.

TTY
Teletype Writer for the hearing and speech-impaired, similar to a text-type telephone. Sometimes called a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD).

WTA Service Area
See "Public Transportation Benefit Area".