Enhancing Employment Access for People with Disabilities through Transportation: Insights from Workers with Disabilities, Employers, and Transportation Providers

Alexandra Tessier (), Isabelle Gélinas, Normand Boucher, Claire Croteau, Diane Morin and Philippe S. Archambault
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Alexandra Tessier: School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y5, Canada
Isabelle Gélinas: School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y5, Canada
Normand Boucher: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (CIRRIS), Quebec, QC G1M 2S8, Canada
Claire Croteau: Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR), Montreal, QC H3S 1M9, Canada
Diane Morin: Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
Philippe S. Archambault: School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1Y5, Canada

Disabilities, 2024, vol. 4, issue 2, 1-29

Abstract: Transportation is integral to the employment accessibility and sustainability of people with disabilities. This study aims to identify barriers, facilitators, and solutions to commuting for people with disabilities, drawing from their perspectives as well as those of employers and transportation providers. Through semi-structured individual interviews, insights were gathered from sixteen individuals with disabilities, seven employers, two job integration agents, and four transporters. Qualitative analysis of the interview transcripts revealed factors influencing commuting, including personal attributes and environmental factors. This study underscores the significant impact of environmental factors, particularly the role of social networks and transport infrastructure in either supporting or hindering public transportation use for people with disabilities who commute to work. For example, employers’ limited awareness of their employees’ commuting challenges contrasts with their recognition of their potential role in supporting it. Training and disability awareness initiatives emerge as pivotal solutions to empower individuals within the social network, including transport personnel, fellow passengers, and employers, to facilitate public transportation use by people with disabilities for work commutes.

Keywords: transport; employment; disability; work; job; commuting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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