Barriers to Public Transportation and Employment: A National Survey of Individuals With Disabilities

Abstract

The current study investigated the relationship between public transportation barriers and employment status among a national sample of 3,218 individuals with disabilities. A web-based survey was developed out of a participatory action research program and disseminated to potential participants using the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network. Approximately 89.7% of respondents reported experiencing at least one barrier to using public transportation, with an average of 3.39 (SD = 2.73) barriers per person. Individuals with disabilities who were not employed experienced significantly more barriers than those who were employed, and this difference was most prominent among those who were deaf or hard of hearing. The findings corroborate previous reports of the association between transportation and employment, but further specify that individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may be disproportionately affected by public transportation barriers.