TRANSPORT AND THE HANDICAPPED. COMPREHENSIVE APPROACHES OR PIECEMEAL MEASURES

The purpose of the paper is to provide an introduction to an issue which is badly in need of more comprehensive and systematic treatment: ready access by the elderly and handicapped to the full range of activities and places which are meant to be enjoyed by all. The thesis outlined here is intended to serve as a counterpoint to what might be called the "504 Transbus approaches" where emphasis is given to a single, often highly emotional issue, such as the full adaptation of the urban transport system to all the needs of all of the handicapped, though the issue ultimately is interpreted as ensuring only that the disabled will be able to get on board and ride in reasonable safety on a waiting vehicle. The guidelines issued by the U.S. Administration on Ageing (HEW) in January 1978 interpreted this clause to mean that any U.S. Federally funded program or activity, when viewed in its entirety must be readily accessible to, and usable by, handicapped persons. The Department of Transportation (DOT) rules for implementing Section 504 guarantee handicapped persons their civil rights with respect to the use of public transit systems, but due to the barriers which still remain in the community, improvement in mobility is questioned. Current estimates of the cost of full accessibility vary between $5-$8 billion, to be spent over the next 30 years. Many argue that accessible transit is a less effective alternative for improving the mobility of handicapped individuals than solutions involving combinations of paratransit and conventional transit. The high cost of implementing the changes mandated by DOT's rules for Section 504, coupled with predictions that these changes would remove barriers for relatively few users, has created considerable controversy. For the covering abstract see IRRD 276750. (TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  International Federation of Pedestrians

  Van Montfoortlaan 11
  2596 SN The Hague,   Netherlands 
• Authors:
  • Britton, FEK
• Publication Date: 1982

Media Info

• Features: Tables;
• Pagination: p. 24-38
• Serial:
  • VOICE OF THE PEDESTRIAN
  • Issue Number: 17

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accessibility; Age; Aged; Benefit cost analysis; Buses; Conferences; Federal government; Mobility; Paratransit services; Pedestrians; Persons with disabilities; Policy; Public transit; Transportation; Vehicle design
• Old TRIS Terms: Bus design; Government policies
• ITRD Terms: 1757: Age; 8525: Conference; 226: Cost benefit analysis; 1726: Disabled person; 9105: Mobility (pers); 1746: Old people; 1733: Pedestrian; 1155: Transport
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Society; Transportation (General); I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00390150
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 30 1984 12:00AM