Exploring the Complexity of Fixed-route Transportation Accessibility: Insights from Experiences of People with Disabilities

Research Objectives: To investigate access challenges that people with disabilities experience on public transportation. This study sought to describe the scope and complexity of environmental factors that affect community participation of people with disabilities. This qualitative study focused on environmental factors that facilitate and interfere with access to public, fixed-route transportation systems.

Design: A qualitative, multiple case study design focused on the fixed-route transportation and participants' in-situ experiences. Participatory research strategies included go-along travel, where the researcher traveled alongside participants, and photovoice, where participants took photos and described their experience during a semi-structured interview. People with disabilities who use public transportation were recruited from local disability advocacy organizations. Purposive sampling with criterion-based selection by disability type assured inclusion of people with diverse disabilities. Thematic analysis involved three phases of inductive coding.

Setting: This study occurred on fixed-route bus and subway lines in Chicago, Illinois.

Participants: Twenty-two people were screened and 10 people were selected and participated.

Interventions: not applicable

Main Outcome Measures: not applicable due to study design.

Results: Participants completed 13 trips across subway and bus routes. Participants documented and described facilitators and barriers to transportation access which were coded as four themes: (1) policy and system conditions, (2) social environment and societal context, (3) safety and security, and (4) meaningful access. These environmental factors often occurred in relationship, sequentially or simultaneously, implicating complex and cumulative barriers. Equally complex were facilitators that relied on individual participant expertise, resiliency, and ad hoc problem-solving.

Conclusions: Rehabilitation clinicians should consider the accessibility of the transportation environment to enhance community participation, economic opportunity, health care and social well-being for people with disabilities.

Author(s) Disclosures: No author disclosures.