Experiences of Older Aboriginal People in Navigating Transport Systems in an Urban Setting: An Indigenous Perspective on Transport Access, a Social Determinant of Health

Tracey Ma (), Rebecca Ivers, John Solar, Aaron Simon, Evelyne de Leeuw and Kathleen Clapham
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Tracey Ma: School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Rebecca Ivers: School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
John Solar: School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Aaron Simon: School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Evelyne de Leeuw: Healthy Urban Environments Collaboratory, Maridulu Budyari Gumal SPHERE, Liverpool, NSW 2170, Australia
Kathleen Clapham: Ngarruwan Ngadju First Peoples Health and Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 21, 1-14

Abstract: Background: In Australia, Aboriginal people are underserved by the transport system and are less able to easily get to places they need to go than others. This is a part of a larger pattern of exclusion and inequity for Aboriginal people which affects their health, wellbeing, and social participation. Guided by a decolonising framework, this research explored how older Aboriginal people, whose pivotal roles in their families and communities require their mobility, experience the transportation system, providing an Indigenous-centred view of the accessibility of transportation options in society. Methods: Interviews drawing from the yarning technique were conducted with ten older Aboriginal people living in Greater Western Sydney and analysed qualitatively. Results: In addition to the cognitive labour required to decipher the rules of the transport system and organise commitments to match the scheduling of transport services, older Aboriginal people in this study experienced stigmatising attitudes and condescending treatment from service professionals and the public when traveling. Conclusions: This study suggests three potential ways that the current trajectory that underserves older Aboriginal people could be disrupted, relating to service design, the diversity and inclusion agenda, and the social determinants of Indigenous health.

Keywords: mobility; access; age-friendly transportation; social inclusion; quality of life (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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