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Transportation

Home > Illnesses and Disabilities Home > Help with Daily Living > Transportation

• Public Transportation
• Adapting Motor Vehicles for People with Disabilities
• Additional Resources

Like all people, people with disabilities need a way to get around. More and more, public transportation and new technologies are helping people with disabilities go to work, go shopping, and visit friends.

Public Transportation

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 requires that new public buses and rail vehicles (such as subway cars) be accessible to people in wheelchairs. Many new buses now have lifts or ramps for people in wheelchairs. The buses also must have at least two spaces inside for securing wheelchairs.

For people who cannot use fixed route bus services, many city transit agencies provide what is known as "paratransit." Paratransit services typically use vans or mini-buses that are equipped with wheelchair lifts or ramps. These vehicles usually do not follow fixed schedules. To schedule a pick-up, you call the transit agency.

Adapting Motor Vehicles for People with Disabilities

Adaptive devices allow many people with disabilities to drive their own vehicles. Some examples are:

• hand controls that operate the brakes and accelerator
• wheelchair lifts and ramps
• left foot accelerator (for a driver missing a right leg)
• right hand turn signals (for a driver missing a left arm)

A driving rehabilitation specialist can tell you if adapting your vehicle is possible. To find a driving rehabilitation specialist in your area, contact a local rehabilitation center or call the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists. A qualified vehicle modification dealer installs the devices suggested for your car. This dealer is not the same as the dealer that sold you your vehicle. Your state's department of disability services may have a list of qualified vehicle modification dealers in your area. Also, you can contact the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association.

Programs that pay part or all of the cost of vehicle modification might be offered in your state. To find out, contact your state's department of disability services.

For more information on adapting your motor vehicle and how to pay for it, see the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's brochure titled "Adapting Motor Vehicles For People With Disabilities."

Additional Resources

Publications

1.   Disabled Drivers and Passengers - This page links to a variety of information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for disabled drivers and passengers.

   http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.17ddcdf0fc7be9bbbf30811060008a0c/...

2.   New Horizons: Information for the Air Traveler with a Disability - This publication contains information on air travel accommodations for persons with disabilities.

   http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/publications/horizons.htm

3.   Transportation - This section of DisabilityInfo.gov offers a wide range of information on accessible transportation systems, community transportation initiatives, and federal laws and regulations to improve access and availability of bus, rail, and air travel.

   http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=126...

4.   U.S. Department of Transportation Accessibility Homepage - This Internet site links users with U.S Department of Transportation (DOT) information on access to transportation, air travel for people with disabilities, and DOT Implementation Regulations.

   http://www.dot.gov/citizen_services/disability/disability.html

5. Car Seats for Children with Special Needs — General Guidelines (Copyright © AAP) - This fact sheet provides general information on car seats that are available for children with special needs. It also links to more specific information about car seats for premature babies, older children, and children in casts and wheelchairs with special needs.

   http://www.aap.org/pubed/ZZZXLFM0S7C.htm

6. Project Action (Copyright © Easter Seals) - This is a project from Easter Seals that advocates for accessible transportation for everyone. They provide training, free resources, technical assistance, and more.

   http://projectaction.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ESPA_homepage

7. Resources for Adults with Disabilities - This publication helps adults with disabilities find organizations and resources that can assist them with employment, postsecondary education, recreation, independent living, and assistive technology.

   http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/transum/adttxt.htm

8. Transportation Access (Copyright © NOD) - This web page contains all the information from the National Organization on Disability about access to transportation for people with disabilities.

   http://www.nod.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=20

Organizations

1.   U.S. Department of Transportation
2. Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists
3. National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association
4. National Organization on Disability

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated May 15, 2008.