The mass transit board will have to poll people with disabilities to determine what they want from public transportation, Student Association Mass Transit Board officials announced Monday.

Federal administrators suggested surveying the disabled to Board President Todd Allen as a way to find out what kind of special services—namely for people in wheelchairs—will be needed on buses or other mass transit vehicles.

Allen said he met with the administrators last week in an Urban Mass Transit Association conference about how the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to mass transit systems.

Ultimately, the changes needed to meet ADA standards are not clear and NIU will need to be examined separately by federal officials to determine what local people with disabilites need, Allen said.

However, the federal administrators encouraged the mass transit board to find out the needs of disabled people and begin make changes on its own, he said.

“They want us to be pro-active and seek what our riders would like to see,” Allen said. Currently, the mass transit board offers the Handivan for people with disabilites.

The board already is planning to make changes with the Late Nite Ride Service by including the Handivan along with another car. The night service now offers two cars which are not available for people in wheelchairs.

LNRS employee and SAMTB member Steve Lawrence said he has not received “late nite” calls from people in wheelchairs yet, but added it might be because there is no Late Nite service for the disabled.

The Handivan was used last year for the night service, but LNRS decided that using smaller cars would be faster and easier, Lawrence said.

However, Allen said there is no reason why the Handivan could not be available in case it is needed.

Lawrence said the Handivan night service should begin soon. “The biggest time factor would be getting the licensed driver,” he said.