ADA Paratransit Eligibility

Who is eligible for ADA Paratransit?

To be eligible for Paratransit, you must have a disability that is preventing you from independently using Valley Metro bus and light rail service for at least some or all of your trips.

Valley Metro’s process for determining ADA eligibility includes a paper application, release of information form, and an in-person eligibility assessment at the Valley Metro Mobility Center located at 4600 E. Washington St. in Phoenix.

Applying for ADA Paratransit/Dial-a-Ride is free. Valley Metro will provide free round-trip transportation to the Mobility Center for any applicant who resides in Maricopa County upon request.

ADA Paratransit eligibility application process

1. To apply for ADA Paratransit/Dial-a-Ride service, call (602)716-2100.

2. Request an ADA Paratransit/Dial-a-Ride application.

3. When you have completed the application and signed the Release of Information form, please mail both documents to the Valley Metro Mobility Center. We include a self-addressed stamped envelope for your convenience. If you have questions, please call Valley Metro at (602)716-2100.

4. Once we receive your completed application and signed Release of Information form, Mobility Center staff will reach out, via fax, to the professional(s) you provided to verify your disability.
   1. Please note: If we cannot verify your disability with your professional(s), your application will be considered incomplete and will be mailed back to you after 30 days.

5. When the professional(s) you provided verifies your disability, we will contact you to schedule your in-person evaluation.
   1. If you do not have transportation to and from our facility, we can provide you with round-trip transportation free of charge.

What to expect at the assessment:

• Your assessment will include a short interview with a Transit Evaluator who will gather basic information about your disability and how it prevents you from using public transit for some or all trips. You will be asked to participate in a “transit walk to observe your ability to travel in the community.
• A “Transit Walk” includes two components.
  • First, there is a short walk on an indoor course which simulates the transit environment—including street crossings, curb cuts, steps up and down, ramps, varied walking surfaces and transit stops and stations. There is even a transit bus with an ADA-compliant ramp where you can practice using your mobility device to board and exit the bus. The indoor course serves as a safe and comfortable environment where the Transit Evaluator can assess your ability to navigate safely within a transit environment.
  • Second, there is a pre-planned outdoor course that will enable you to navigate to and from a light rail station. The outdoor walk allows the Transit Evaluator to assess your ability to navigate safely in a typical urban setting, complete with sidewalks, curb cuts, uneven walking surfaces, noise, traffic and other pedestrians.
• Most assessments will generally last approximately 45 minutes.
  • If transportation is scheduled with Valley Metro, the total time commitment for the assessment for most people is four hours or less. This includes roundtrip transportation to and from the Mobility Center.

When you come for your assessment

• On the day of your evaluation, please bring the following:
  • Proof of identity - State ID, Driver’s license, Birth certificate, etc.
  • Equipment/Mobility aids - Any necessary equipment that you use in normal travel or would need to use when traveling on transit services (i.e. wheelchair, walker, white cane, oxygen tank)
  • Power wheelchair and scooter users – Please make sure that your battery is fully charged
• Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. As part of your assessment, you may be asked to walk or roll up to three-quarters of a mile in all types of weather, so dress accordingly. During summer months, you may also want to wear a hat and use sunscreen.
• Bring water. If you have special dietary needs, bring any food or drink that you may need to consume within the time frame you may be at or on route to or from the Mobility Center.
• If you are required to use oxygen or take any medications during the time you may be at or on route to or from the Mobility Center, please bring your oxygen and/or medications with you.
• If you use a service animal, cane, walker, wheelchair, scooter, or other mobility device when traveling outside your home, bring it with you for your assessment. This will help to ensure that we are able to accurately assess your ability to use public transit.

If you need a foreign language translator, a sign language interpreter or some other accommodation, please contact Valley Metro at (602)716-2100 at least three business days before your eligibility assessment so that we can arrange the assistance you will need.

If you need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, please contact Valley Metro at (602)716-2100 as soon as possible. We can reschedule your visit and that allows us to offer your appointment time to other customers.

Once the Assessment is Complete

After your in-person assessment is complete, Valley Metro will notify you of your determination status and/or eligibility in writing within 21 days. If your eligibility is not determined within 21 days, you may be entitled to receive presumptive eligibility and will be allowed to use ADA Paratransit until your eligibility determination is complete.

In accordance with the requirements of the ADA, Valley Metro can offer:

• Unconditional or full eligibility—you are eligible to use Paratransit/Dial-a-Ride for any and all trips.
• Conditional eligibility—you are able to use bus and light rail for some trips and that you may use Paratransit/Dial-a-Ride for other trips.
• Denial of eligibility—meaning that based on the functional assessment, you are able to use bus and light rail for all trips. You are not eligible for ADA Paratransit/Dial-a-Ride service.

If you receive full or conditional eligibility, there is an eligibility period with an expiration date that will be provided in your determination letter. You will need to reapply for ADA eligibility prior to your expiration date.

If your disability is of a temporary nature (i.e. after of a car accident or a medical procedure) and the disability prevents you from using the fixed route or light rail system, Valley Metro may provide a temporary eligibility. Your temporary eligibility period is determined by the professional that verifies your temporary disability.

ADA Appeals

In accordance with ADA requirements, you may appeal an eligibility determination with which you disagree. Details about Valley Metro’s appeals process will be included with your eligibility determination letter.

ADA Paratransit Eligibility for Visitors

In accordance with ADA requirements, Valley Metro will provide Paratransit/Dial-a-Ride eligibility for any person visiting the Phoenix area if,

• You live in an area where there is a transit agency and that agency has granted you ADA paratransit eligibility.
• You live in an area where there is no transit agency, but you have a disability that will prevent you from using Valley Metro bus and light rail service for some or all trips.

To learn more about visitor eligibility when visiting the Phoenix Metropolitan area, contact Valley Metro’s Mobility Center at (602)716-2100.