The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) recently presented its second annual Accessibility Excellence Awards to individuals and organizations that make the public transit system in the nation’s capital accessible to everyone. The authority’s Accessibility Advisory Committee and Department of Access Services hosted the event.

The late Michael A. Winter, former director of FTA’s Office of Civil Rights and a pioneer in the independent living movement, posthumously received the Richard W. Heddinger Award, named for the first chair of the WMATA Accessibility Advisory Committee.

Easter Seals Project ACTION received the Dr. Rosalyn Simon Award for industry professionals, named after an international expert in disability issues and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The nonprofit organization has provides technical assistance, applied research, outreach, and communication to promote universal accessibility to public transit.

WMATA also honored 36 employees representing several departments.

“These awards reinforce the fact that ‘it takes a village’ to create accessibility, and the partners who make this happen include but extend far beyond accessibility professionals and organizations,” said Christian T. Kent, assistant general manager of access services, who established the awards program last year.