Transportation Issues: Results from a Preliminary Survey

1. Transportation Issues:Results from a Preliminary Survey Adele Crudden and Michele McDonnall

2. Objectives: After participating in this session participants will be able to: Paraphrase current knowledge about transportation barriers for people who are blind/visually impaired Compare results from a transportation survey of persons who are blind/visually impaired to their personal experiences Have a greater understanding of the limits of current research about transportation

3. Transportation Barriers Even with the ADA, transportation barriers exist Public transportation is limited or inaccessible in some areas Small percentage benefit from adaptive technology Orientation and mobility skills are important Awareness of options

4. Transportation Disadvantaged Persons who: Lack public transportation Live in rural areas Live in poverty Have disabilities Are elderly

5. Rural Issues: • 40% in rural areas have no public transportation • of those who do, 25% have minimal services • Persons with disabilities comprise greater percentages in rural areas

6. Economics Based on the American Community Survey (2012): 31.2% of adults with visual disabilities were below the poverty line (15.9% of general population) Median household income was $33,400 for BVI ($51,324 for total population) Transportation expenditures for low income households represent a higher percent of income

7. Vocational Rehabilitation Strategies Provide O&M training Reimburse for defined period Discuss importance of reliable transportation Provide information about local options Assist with paratransit applications

8. Current Project Intervention study in AL failed to yield anticipated number of participants Gain further information about transportation and impact, particularly regarding employment Examine stress associated with transportation as well as availability

9. NRTC Transportation Survey Disseminated to NRTC Participant Registry Useable pool of 142 persons $25 gift card to participants Modified survey disseminated to larger audience

10. Limitations Not a representative sample Issues with technology Some missing data Self report

11. Race *US Census Bureau (2011) Retrieved from: www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-02.pdf

12. Age • Age of participants • Mean = 43.6 years (SD=12.34) • Range from 20 to 67 • Age at vision loss: • Birth = 52.8% • After birth to 5 years = 9.1% • 6 years and older = 38%

13. Level of Vision Loss Totally blind = 37.3% Legally blind = 54.2% Less severe VI = 8.5%

14. Geography

15. Income

16. Living Situation Could select more than one.

17. Education

18. Travel 75.4% white cane users 24.7% guide dog users 18.3% use neither 16.2% use other (wayfinding devices)

19. Vocational Rehabilitation 69% received VR services Of those, 20.6% said the VR agency assisted in locating transportation to and from work

20. Employment Status • Approximately 37.4% of people with disabilities aged 21 – 64 are employed. • Approximately 1.8% of the US workforce 21- 64 are individuals with visual disabilities. US Census Bureau ACS 2012 1-year estimates of Selected Economic Characteristics for the Civilian Non-intuitionalized population for individuals 16 and over.

21. Employment Barriers

22. Work Transportation

23. Work Transportation Satisfaction How satisfied are you with how you get to work? (scale from 0 to 10) • 23% (0 to 3) Dissatisfied • 43.7% (4 to 6) Neutral • 33.3% (7 to10) Satisfied • 34.3% have turned down a job because of transportation concerns

24. Public Transportation 75% had public transportation available 57.7% used public transportation one or more times per week in the last year 76.7% were very or somewhat comfortable using public transportation 93.9% who do not have public transportation would use it if available 82.3% have used paratransit

25. Public Transportation cont. • 11% were very or somewhat uncomfortable using public transportation • Reasons not used: • Inconvenience – 66.7% • Difficulty getting to destination – 58.3% • Poor shelter from weather while waiting – 33.3%

26. Orientation & Mobility 78.9% Received O & M services

27. Transportation Availability

28. Difficulty Finding Transportation • Asked how much difficulty experienced finding transportation for: • Entertainment/leisure – 5.62 • Visiting friends/family – 5.40 • Other shopping – 5.18 • Grocery shopping – 4.43 • Employment – 4.34 • Medical appointments – 4.32 • Worship services – 3.88

29. Lack of Transportation Limits

30. Transportation Stress

31. Stress Using Transportation • Asked how stressful it is to use transportation for the same activities • Entertainment/leisure – 4.74 • Visiting friends/family – 4.59 • Other shopping – 4.45 • Medical appointments – 4.11 • Employment – 4.06 • Grocery shopping – 3.77 • Worship services – 3.15

32. Transportation Stress Limits

33. Differences on Difficulty/Stress • Do people who are working, have higher incomes, or have access to public transportation have lower levels of difficulty & stress? • Working vs. not working: • Difficulty finding transportation: only had differences on employment • Stress using transportation: only had differences on employment

34. Differences on Difficulty/Stress • Low income (< $25K vs. $25K+): • Difficulty finding transportation: only had differences on employment • Stress using transportation: only had differences on employment • Public transportation available: • Difficulty finding transportation: differences on most • Stress using transportation: differences on some (visit family/friends & leisure)

35. Unemployed 36.1% of unemployed persons said transportation is reason 37.8% have looked for a job in last 4 weeks 27.8% of unemployed believe they are somewhat or extremely likely to make enough money at a job to afford transportation

36. If Unemployed Offered a Job • 44.1% of those not currently working report one or more factors would prevent them from accepting a job (even if transportation was not an issue) • 25% - Potential loss of benefits • 14.7% - Poor health or other disability • 10.3% - Difficulty with travel skills • 4.4% - Lack of interest

37. Drivers Only 7 drivers, 6 had a license 2 use a bioptic device 6 have problems driving at night 4 restrict length of time driving 3 restrict the route

38. Conclusions Participants : Were more likely to be working than general population of people with visual difficulties Had more difficulty with transportation for factors other than work

39. Conclusions People who are working have similar amounts of transportation difficulty/stress as non-workers (other than employment). People with lower incomes have similar amounts of transportation difficulty/stress as people with higher incomes (other than employment). Many more differences on difficulty/stress based on access to public transportation.

40. Reflections Is work related transportation the problem we think it is? Low percentage get help from VR – is this surprising? What could VR do? What is best way to uncover and document work related transportation issues?

41. Thank You! Adele Crudden: crudden@ra.msstate.edu Michele McDonnall: mec10@msstate.edu Visit our website at: http://www.blind.msstate.edu/