Key Metrics
12.29
Heat Index-
Impact LevelMedium
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Scope LevelNational
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Last Update2025-08-28
Key Impacts
Positive Impacts (2)
Negative Impacts (1)
Event Overview
The absence of organizational coordination and comprehensive planning often hampers effective accessibility initiatives within major service providers. A lack of overarching strategy can lead to fragmented efforts, unclear responsibilities, and inefficiency in meeting regulatory or customer needs. Reliance on siloed data and insufficient goal-setting undermines progress on inclusivity, exposing organizations to oversight scrutiny and potential legal or reputational consequences regarding equitable access.
Collect Records
Federal OIG Report Finds Amtrak Lacks Coordinated Strategy for Passengers with Disabilities
A federal Office of Inspector General (OIG) report has found that Amtrak's current efforts to improve service for passengers with disabilities are not well coordinated between departments. The OIG determined that Amtrak does not have an overarching strategy to guide customer service for these passengers and is not fully leveraging relevant data. The lack of a strategy results in no established goals, metrics, staff roles, or priorities regarding accessibility. The report highlighted that the departments providing customer service do not consistently involve Amtrak’s Accessibility Office in initiatives. For example, the Digital Technology and Innovation office did not coordinate with the Accessibility Office when modifying the Amtrak mobile app. The report also stated that accessibility is not always prioritized in companywide initiatives, and when it is, there are no meaningful ways to measure the effectiveness of those initiatives.
The OIG found that Amtrak is not regularly analyzing key data, such as customer surveys, ridership numbers, and customer service audits, which could provide insight into the needs of passengers with disabilities. Additionally, the Accessibility Office is not tracking all customer complaints and their resolutions, with approximately 69% of complaints tracked by the OIG not included in the Accessibility Office’s complaint spreadsheet. Key data, including dates and resolutions to complaints, were also found to be missing from the spreadsheet. The OIG recommended that the Accessibility Office begin utilizing other data sources, such as ridership trends among passengers with disabilities and passenger injury claims data.