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Transportation for special needs

We all rely on different forms of transportation to go to job interviews, get to work, and participate in work-related trainings. Accessible, reliable transportation is one of the most critical — and perhaps least appreciated — components of becoming an active, productive member of the workforce for many Americans with disabilities. The best job, skills, or employment program provides few benefits if there is no reliable means of getting to work.

Transportation systems have become increasingly accessible, but many people with disabilities are still not able to benefit from the options available to most Americans. Access to public and private transportation for individuals with disabilities is more than just physical accessibility. It can include travel training for individuals with cognitive disabilities, coordination of transportation resources, and understanding one's rights.

ODEP's collaboration with the U.S. Department of Transportation and other Federal agencies has been critical to the development and ongoing work of the Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility. This Federal interagency initiative supports states and their localities in developing coordinated human service delivery systems.

The following resources offer helpful information related to transportation and disability employment:

• The Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) — A partnership of Federal agencies working to build ladders of opportunity across America by improving the availability, quality, and efficient delivery of transportation services to people with disabilities, older adults, and people with low incomes.
• Technical Employment Notice (TEN) on Strategies to Meet One-Stop Career Centers’ Business and Job-Seeker Customer Needs for Employment-Related Transportation Services — A jointly issued TEN from the Employment and Training Administration and the Office of Disability Employment Policy to provide successful strategies to the public workforce system for connecting individuals with transportation to jobs and training and to help businesses access a diverse workforce.
• U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) — A list of transportation-related links that provide information about DOT accessibility policy, resources for travelers with disabilities, disability laws, and regulations.
• Transportation to Work Toolkit for the Business Community — Practical information from the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) to help businesses build transportation programs that are easy to implement and increase employment opportunities for people with specialized transit needs, including individuals with disabilities.
• Guaranteed Ride Home Programs: Giving Peace of Mind to Commuters (PDF) — Community-based guaranteed ride home programs provide a way for employees who commute to work by public transportation, carpool, vanpool, biking, or walking to travel home when an unexpected need to do so arise. Employers benefit by encouraging their employees to share a ride to work or use a more reliable means of traveling than driving a vehicle alone.
• Transportation for Workers with Disabilities: Widening Your Pool of Potential Talent (PDF) — Details several actions employers can take to help employees with disabilities make use of different transportation options, such as encouraging ridesharing and providing employees with information about ADA complementary paratransit eligibility.
• National Aging and Disability Transportation Center — A program of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) administered by Easterseals and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) that promotes the availability and accessibility of transportation options for older adults, people with disabilities, and caregivers.
• Demand Response Transportation Fact Sheet (PDF) — Provides an overview of Demand Response Transportation, a type of transportation that provides service at the passenger’s request and is also called dial-a-ride or paratransit. The publication provides best practice examples of demand-response programs, suggestions to enhance current practice, and references for further reading.