Understanding the Current Transportation Needs of Elderly and Disabled Persons

This paper describes how transportation, which has received limited attention in the past, has become a critical issue for the elderly and disabled because of social trends. Today, the disabled are achieving greater social integration in terms of education, employment and leisure. Alone, this trend has required that the disabled community have full access to transportation systems in order to facilitate such integration. To permit participation in community-based training and rehabilitation programs, and to secure subsequent entry to the many employment opportunities currently emerging as a result of new technologies, the disabled, like the general public, require unlimited access to modern transportation systems. Given the genuine interest of industry representatives in assisting the disabled, and ideal methodology to be employed is one based on cooperative problem solving. With the government, industry and the disabled working together, realistic solutions can emerge. The disabled possess a detailed understanding of the issues involved and the possible means of obtaining solutions. The government as the responsible party can take a leadership role in demonstrating concern. One of the dangers that is always associated with advocacy by the disabled community, is the emergence of an attitude that adopts a stance based on legal right. To adopt this stance can only serve to threaten and cause greater friction and a further attitudinal barrier. The paper describes how, unless the disabled community begins to work together on important issues such as transportation, little real progress will be made.