TY - JOUR TI - The development and implementation of the Access Link Program at New Jersey Transit DO - https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T39G5QSM PY - 2017 AB - In 1992, New Jersey Transit began providing complementary paratransit service in response to a mandate within the groundbreaking Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Access Link serves as an example of a deliberate, comprehensive, locally-minded response to a national civil rights challenge. Through document evaluation and oral interviews, this paper analyzes the requirements, stories, and human factors that were considered in setting policies, determining scope and eligibility, and planning for the future. This is the story of a group of individuals that were determined to do what was right, establish a program that would remain largely unchanged for years to come, and become an example to their peers across the country. The story of the development and the implementation of Access Link is a national story hidden inside of a New Jersey specific world. Understanding the efforts of the few and local to rectify the civil rights problems of a nation can help historians and policy makers understand the importance of inclusion, participation, and citizenship for all. Access Link is a physical representation of that societal change. KW - History KW - Local transit--New Jersey KW - Railroads--New Jersey KW - People with disabilities--Transportation LA - eng ER -