Public transit agencies know their services can be overwhelming, especially for new users. This is why some public transportation agencies provide assistance.

There are a variety of services available to you.

• Travel Training
• Trip Planners
• Orientation and Mobility (O&M)

Travel Training

Travel training is a service that helps riders navigate the system. Riders gain confidence as they learn to travel independently. Some training is conducted in-person while others are self-paced activities.

Riders can get skills to:

• read route maps and schedules
• locate bus stops
• flag down buses
• calculate and pay fares
• obtain and use transit passes
• recognize when the desired stop has been reached
• indicate to the bus driver to stop
• use mobility devices safely on vehicles

Example: Kalamazoo Metro Transit’s Travel Training

Trip Planning

This service is often found on the website or through a trip planner application. These usually ask you to simply enter:

• The date and time you want to travel.
• The addresses of the origin (where your trip starts) and destination (where your trip ends)

Example: MyRide2 (Connecting Seniors & Adults with Disabilities to Rides)

O&M Training

This training helps individuals who are visually impaired rely on their other senses and gain problem solving skills when traveling.

The Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (BSBP) offers an O&M class. The class teaches “mastery of various forms of transportation options within communities (i.e. fixed route busy system, curb to cur service, etc.)” and other transit-use related skills.

BSBP Training Brochure (multiple formats)

Your Rights

A public transit agency is required to employ people to help you navigate their services even if they don’t offer training or planning assistance. These individuals are often called Mobility Mangers or ADA Coordinators. They can help you:

• Plan your trip.
• Answer accessibility questions.
• File a complaint.
• Answer any additional questions.

Travel Training/Planner Directory

We have created a database of agencies offering travel assistance by county.