Ecology and Environment, Inc. Supports The Arc to Improve Transportation Access


LANCASTER, NY--(Marketwire - March 28, 2011) - Ecology and Environment, Inc. (E & E) (NASDAQ: EEI) and The Arc are pleased to announce their alliance in support of improved transportation access for those with disabilities. E & E has enrolled as a corporate member of The Arc and will lend its considerable transportation expertise to chapters of The Arc through a Webinar series that will be offered in 2011 about transportation solutions and plans and other activities. E & E strongly supports The Arc's overall mission to promote and protect the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and foster their full inclusion and participation in their community. 

E & E is also a corporate sponsor of The Arc's Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) study. The FINDS study polled over 5,000 caregivers and persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities to define the most pressing needs of this vulnerable but impressive community. Early results indicate that transportation continues to be a barrier to access to necessary services. Full study results will be available to the public in early summer.

"We are pleased to be working more closely with The Arc as they seek better transportation options for individuals with disabilities," said Kevin Neumaier, president and CEO of Ecology and Environment, Inc. "Providing means to help consolidate and streamline transportation options with a solution like Flex-T can help provide more choices for those needing rides." Flex-T is a Web-based transportation system that allows for inter-agency coordination and the ability to share rides in real-time. "Using a consolidated approach to transportation helps save gas and money -- reducing vehicle wear and tear, emissions, and miles driven, while at the same time improving mobility," said Mary Ann Ferris-Young, program manager for E & E's Flex-T software application for paratransit services.

Trudy Jacobson, Chief Development and Marketing Officer for The Arc, stated, "Transportation continues to be an impediment to our community as they seek full participation in their home communities and are often frustrated by inaccessible transportation hindering their options to go to school and become gainfully employed. The Arc appreciates E & E's interest in new ideas and approaches to improve the mobility of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities."

E & E and The Arc share a commitment to best serve the needs of individuals with disabilities seeking transportation support and services. E & E, a global environmental consulting firm founded in 1970, has completed more than 50,000 projects for a wide variety of clients in 113 countries, providing environmental solutions in nearly every ecosystem on our planet. 

Serving more than 150,000 members through over 700 nationwide chapters, The Arc promotes and protects the human rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively supports their full inclusion and participation in the community throughout their lifetimes.

Additional information about E & E may be found at www.ene.com, www.greenride.com, and www.flex-t.com. Information about The Arc may be found at www.thearc.org.