ATLANTA -- Open Doors Organization and the United Motorcoach Association have teamed up with three state motorcoach associations to offer Americans with Disabilities Act training for bus and motorcoach operators.

The training program is designed to help companies meet the ADA requirements that apply to bus operators and help them provide the best possible service to passengers with disabilities, including older travelers.

The full-day training sessions cover ADA basics, disability awareness, and service on the coach, and are designed for all company personnel, including drivers.

The training also addresses ADA requirements that impact company policies and procedures for management and sales staff.

The training locations and dates are:

Orlando, Nov. 30

Memphis, Dec. 3

Nashville, Dec. 4

Knoxville, Dec. 10

Atlanta, Dec. 17

The Orlando session will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, at the Holiday Inn Main Gate East and is sponsored by the Florida Motorcoach Association.

For information, contact Linda Morris, association executive director, by email at mmmlinda@embarqmail.com, or call (434) 376-1150.

The sessions in the three Tennessee cities all will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are sponsored by the Tennessee Motor Coach Association.

The Memphis seminar will be Monday, Dec. 3, at the Memphis Marriott East; the Nashville session will be Tuesday, Dec. 4, at the Radisson Opryland Hotel, and the Knoxville seminar will be Monday, Dec. 10, at the Holiday Inn Worlds Fair Park.

For information, contact Deborah Neese, executive director of the Tennessee Motor Coach Association by email at Debbie@tnmca.net, or call (423) 288-8622.

The Atlanta session will be Monday, Dec. 17, at Stone Mountain Park and is sponsored by the Georgia Motorcoach Operators Association.

Contact Linda Morris, Georgia association executive director, by email at: mmmlinda@embarqmail.com, or call (434) 376-1150.

At a minimum, the Tennessee Motor Coach Association recommends that company supervisors or trainers attend the sessions so they may have the knowledge to train others who cannot attend the classes, as well as future new hires.

For all the sessions, the training focused on drivers will be in the morning and the training aimed at office personnel will be in the afternoon.

For its programs, the Tennessee Motor Coach Association is charging a flat fee of $150 per company, and companies can bring as many employees as they would like to the class. Study materials and certificates of attendance will be given for company files.

The Tennessee association is making the training available to operators that are not members.

"Everyone knows when there is a newsworthy event it affects everyone in the industry -- whether they are a member or not," said Neese.

"So, if we can help others along the way then thats great, and the Tennessee Motor Coach Association is always looking for more members."

Neese also noted that providing the training to everyone is consistent with the associations mission to improve the industry.

Questions concerning costs and policies for the Florida and Georgia sessions should be directed to Linda Morris.

The Florida, Tennessee and Georgia sessions will conducted by Open Doors Organization, which created the ADA training program specifically for motorcoach operators at the request of the United Motorcoach Association.

For more information, go to www.opendoorsnfp.org.