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Funding and General Acknowledgements This project was supported in part by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, under grant number 18PP05SC21 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.
About the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (https://ddc.ohio.gov/) operates under the authority of federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000. The Council conducts activities that improve Ohio’s capacity for delivering services to people with developmental disabilities. The Council funds grant projects that are designed to ensure that self-advocates and their families have a voice in issues involving their services, supports, and projects intended to streamline the quality and efficiency of services that people with developmental disabilities need. The mission of the Council is to create change that improves independence, productivity, and inclusion for people with developmental disabilities and their families in community life.
About the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center In 2008, The Ohio Council of Medical School Deans founded the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center (GRC) (http://grc.osu.edu/). Housed at The Ohio State University, GRC is a public university-based center for applied health policy research and technical assistance. GRC engages expert faculty and staff at Ohio's Colleges of Medicine and partners with state health and human services policymakers to improve the health and health systems for all Ohioans. GRC promotes health system transformation by: 1) linking expert faculty and staff with health and human services policymakers, 2) providing health and health service research, evaluation, and quality improvement management, 3) performing data system management, data analytics, and training in analysis of administrative data, 4) consulting in survey design, management, and evaluation, and 5) offering project development, management, and fiscal administration.
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Acknowledgements GRC gratefully acknowledges our project advisory panel who represented selfadvocates with disabilities, disability advocates, and transportation experts who guided the development of an accessible survey, survey dissemination, and reporting of results. GRC also gratefully acknowledges the support of the project sponsor the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council.
Suggested Citation Whalen Smith CN, Robinson AC, Brown C, Jiang F, Ashmead R, Disman P, Howard K. Transportation Accessibility for Ohioans with Disabilities: A Follow-Up to the 2017 Report “Transportation Challenges for Ohioans with Disabilities.” The Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center, Columbus, OH. December 2021.
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Table of Contents Funding Acknowledgment
2
About the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council
2
About the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center
2
Acknowledgements
3
Summary
6
Background
6
Results
6
Conclusions
7
Introduction
9
Background
9
Purpose
10
Methods
11
Definition of People with Disabilities
11
Involvement of People with Disabilities
11
Survey Development
12
Survey Distribution
12
Survey Analysis
13
Demographics of Survey Participants
14
Ohio Adults with Disabilities
14
Ohio Transportation Providers
19
Survey Results
22
Transportation for Ohio Adults with Disabilities before COVID-19
22
Transportation for Ohio Adults with Disabilities during COVID-19
38
Transportation Provider Perspectives
53
Discussion
64
Comparison of Results from Ohioans with Disabilities and Ohio Transportation Providers
64
Comparison of Results to 2017 Transportation Report Findings
65
Conclusions
68
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References
70
Appendices
72
Appendix A: Survey for Ohio Adults with Disabilities
72
Appendix B: Survey for Ohio Transportation Providers
88
Appendix C: Technical Description of Survey Weighting Methods
100
Appendix D: Raw Survey Responses for Participants with Disabilities
102
Appendix E: Infographic Fact Sheets
115
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Summary
Background Transportation is consistently cited as the number one unmet need of Ohioans with disabilities. In 2016, the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (the Council) partnered with the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center (GRC) to conduct a statewide survey to better understand transportation issues for Ohioans with disabilities. The results of this 2016 study identified a number of challenges for Ohioans with disabilities to access transportation. In 2021, the Council partnered with GRC to conduct a follow-up survey five-years after the original transportation study to answer four key questions about transportation in Ohio.
Executive Summary
Results •
What is the current status of transportation accessibility for Ohioans with disabilities? •
•
Do survey participants identify the same or similar transportation challenges as the participants from the 2017 report? •
•
Transportation accessibility for Ohioans with disabilities continues to be a challenge from both the perspective of participants with disabilities and transportation providers.
Survey participants identified the same or similar transportation challenges as the participants from the 2017 report. Finding affordable transportation that operates at the times and the locations needed in their communities, with transportation providers that can serve and accommodate the diversity of people with disabilities in the community, without long wait times, and the ability to make spontaneous or flexible travel decisions all continue to be concerns or challenges for Ohioans with disabilities.
Were any of the recommendations from the 2017 report implemented to improve transportation accessibility for Ohioans with disabilities? •
It does not appear that any of the 2017 recommendations were effectively implemented. Transportation providers continue to cite regulation and reimbursement for transportation in Ohio as major issues as well as the need for better coordination across agencies involved with transportation. Participants with disabilities report continued issues with the number of transportation options they have in their community and the reliability of
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rides. In addition, participants with disabilities continue to indicate that better communication is needed between riders with disabilities and transportation providers as well as on-demand ride share services are not accessible for the diversity of disability in the community. •
Do survey participants identify any new transportation challenges that were not identified in the 2017 report, particularly related to COVID19? •
This survey identified several new transportation challenges that were not identified in the 2017 report. Most of these new identified challenges were a direct result of the COVID-19 impact on transportation.
•
For riders with disabilities, new safety concerns with transportation have emerged, particularly around health and safety, which has resulted in less utilization of the various transportation options in Ohio. Also for riders with disabilities, the pandemic has negatively impacted the accessibility, availability, and scheduling of transportation in Ohio.
•
For Ohio transportation providers, the pandemic has had a negative impact resulting in loss of revenue, rising costs, staffing shortages, and reduced overall capacity.
•
This survey also highlighted regional differences by county type and differences by disability and provider types that may be useful in targeted interventions to improve transportation accessibility for all. Specifically, a theme emerged where, in general, all challenges that were identified regarding transportation across Ohio were magnified for participants from rural and Appalachian counties.
•
Additionally, it was observed that some transportation providers may be overestimating their ability to serve the full diversity of disability in their community and are unaware of the extent of communication challenges that riders with disabilities are experiencing, which suggests the need for additional training specific to these topics.
Conclusions Transportation in Ohio continues to be a challenge for Ohioans with disabilities and new challenges have emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. From the perspectives of transportation providers, improved funding, better ride coordination, decreased rules and regulations, better communication, and increased staffing are all needed to improve services for Ohioans with disabilities.
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From the perspective of Ohioans with disabilities, ensuring that there are more accessible transportation options in Ohio, transportation services are reliable, policies are improved to prioritize transportation access in the community, and appropriate transportation is available near individuals’ homes are all needed to improve transportation in Ohio.
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Introduction
Background Transportation is consistently cited as the number one unmet need of Ohioans with disabilities. For example, transportation was reported as the primary barrier to community integration for Ohioans with disabilities in the 2012 Ohio Mobility Improvement Study.1 In 2016, the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (the Council) partnered with the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center (GRC) to conduct a statewide survey to better understand transportation issues for Ohioans with disabilities. The survey examined transportation access, use, perceived gaps and issues, and possible solutions for improving transportation for Ohioans with disabilities.2 The results of the survey were published in the 2017 Council report “Transportation Challenges for Ohioans with Disabilities.” The main findings of this report were:
Executive Summary
•
Finding safe, affordable, and appropriate transportation can be very difficult for Ohioans with disabilities.2
•
Transportation options for Ohioans with disabilities do not always operate at the times or in the locations that are needed.2
•
Transportation options in Ohio often do not, or cannot, serve the diversity of people with disabilities within the community.2
•
There are major scheduling challenges for Ohioans with disabilities, which can result in long wait times for transportation.2
•
Finally, Ohioans with disabilities could not make spontaneous or flexible travel decisions, which limited or prevented their participation in a variety of activities and integration in the community.2
In terms of recommendations, survey respondents felt the following was needed to improve transportation for Ohioans with disabilities: •
Improvements to regulation and reimbursement for transportation in Ohio.2
•
Better communication between riders with disabilities and transportation providers.2
•
Better coordination across agencies involved in Ohio transportation.
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•
Finally, more on-demand accessible transportation, such as Uber and Lyft.2
GRC concluded from this study that improved communication between transportation providers and riders with disabilities as well as improved coordination and cooperation among government agencies, transportation providers, and other professionals were viable solutions to improving the transportation accessibility for Ohioans with disabilities.2
Purpose In 2021, the Council partnered with GRC to conduct a follow-up survey five-years after the original transportation study. GRC worked closely with an advisory panel to plan and conduct the current follow-up study. The purpose of this study was to answer the following questions: •
What is the current status of transportation accessibility for Ohioans with disabilities?
•
Do survey participants identify the same or similar transportation challenges as the participants from the 2017 report?
•
Were any of the recommendations from the 2017 report implemented to improve transportation accessibility for Ohioans with disabilities?
•
Do survey participants identify any new transportation challenges that were not identified in the 2017 report, particularly related to COVID-19?
The results of this study will help inform transportation stakeholders and policy makers and determine needed steps to further improve transportation accessibility for Ohioans with disabilities. This is in alignment with the Council’s mission to create change that improves the independence, productivity, and inclusion of individuals with disabilities and their families in community life.
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Methods
Definition of People with Disabilities The World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of disability was used to define the population of Ohioans with disabilities. The WHO defines disability as any impairment in body function or structure, activity limitation, and/or participation restriction.3
Executive Summary Involvement of People with Disabilities
In recognition of the importance of meaningfully including people with disabilities in projects that directly impact their lives, GRC partnered with self-advocates with disabilities, disability advocates, and transportation experts to plan and conduct this follow-up transportation study. Self-advocates with intellectual, developmental, sensory, and mobility disabilities were included throughout the project in meaningful, paid roles. Self-advocates with disabilities were represented on the project team and in the project advisory panel. Team members with disabilities provided the following support to the project: •
Assisted in meeting preparations for each advisory panel meeting including agenda creation and reviewing meeting materials to ensure accessibility for all advisory panel members;
•
Participated in co-leading each advisory panel meeting to provide input and guidance on survey item creation, dissemination strategies, interpretation of results, and recommended next steps;
•
Led the review and revisions of survey items to ensure clear language, appropriate reading level, and an overall universal, accessible design of the survey, particularly for individuals with intellectual disability and limited English proficiency, and;
•
Assisted in survey distribution through disability self-advocate networks and other contacts across Ohio.
Additionally, the project included the diverse lived experiences and perspectives of people with disabilities in the design and distribution of the survey. GRC convened an advisory panel with 13 members. Seven of the 13 advisory panel members were selfadvocates with disabilities (54% of the panel) so that people with disabilities had an
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equal voice at the table in determining survey priorities and distribution methods. The remaining six panel members represented disability organizations and disability and transportation experts from the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council, Disability Rights Ohio, the Ohio Disability and Health Program, the University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, the Ohio State University College of Social Work, and the Ohio Department of Transportation.
Survey Development GRC worked closely with advisory panel members to create a universally designed and accessible survey to distribute broadly to Ohio adults with disabilities and Ohio transportation providers. The survey was developed and pilot tested with the advisory panel members during a 4-month period from January through April 2021. In consultation with the advisory panel and using the previous survey as a starting point, GRC developed survey items to address the key questions for the follow-up study. The survey contained two separate modules: one for people with disabilities and one for transportation providers. Survey development was an iterative, collaborative process and followed the tenets of Universal Design of Research,4 the Surveying Persons with Disabilities: A Source Guide, Version II,5 and the work by Havercamp et al.6 on surveying people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. See Appendix A for a copy of the Survey for Ohioans with Disabilities and Appendix B for a copy of the Survey for Ohio Transportation Providers.
Survey Distribution The survey was open to all Ohio adults with one or more disabilities and all Ohio transportation providers. Family, friends, and caregivers of adults with disabilities were permitted to assist participants with disabilities in completing the survey. The survey was open from May 17 through August 2, 2021 (11 weeks). To broadly distribute the survey to Ohio adults with disabilities and transportation providers, GRC worked closely with the advisory panel, the Council, and other partners to create a distribution plan, compile contact lists, and send out the survey. The survey distribution plan aimed to maximize diversity among participants in terms of transportation provider type, disability type, race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, geographic location, housing type, and socioeconomic status. Furthermore, to increase accessibility of the survey, it was available in three formats: 1) online, 2) mailed paper survey, and 3) telephone survey. The online survey was tested for screen reader accessibility and usability. In survey promotion materials, the contact information for the project manager was provided for questions about the survey and requests for other accommodations. Mailed paper surveys were accepted through August 31 to account for postal service delays. Several strategies were used to promote and distribute the survey. GRC sent direct emails to our compiled disability and transportation provider direct contacts. These emails included information on how to complete the survey and asked individuals to pass the survey onto others who may be interested in completing it. Multiple email reminders were sent to email contacts throughout the period that the survey was open. GRC also created a social media package that was posted to the GRC website for
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public use and was provided to the advisory panel and the Council to assist in survey promotion. This package included templates for Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram posts as well as templates for online newsletters and printable flyers. GRC posted frequently about the survey on their social media accounts throughout the survey period. The project director and other staff promoted the survey to different communities in Ohio through participation in podcasts, radio shows, and in-person meetings. Finally, during the 11-week period that the survey was open, GRC tracked demographics of the survey responses for additional targeted outreach and messaging to obtain more survey responses from underrepresented groups so that the sample would be as diverse and representative as possible.
Survey Analysis For the module for Ohioans with disabilities, surveys were included in the final analysis if they: 1) self-reported having one or more disabilities, 2) lived in Ohio, 3) were 19 years of age or older, and 4) completed 75% or more of the survey. To identify disability in the survey, the gold standard minimum six-item data set for measuring disability status in surveys was used7 in addition to a question about intellectual and developmental disabilities. For the survey module for Ohio transportation providers, surveys were included in the final analysis if they: 1) were a transportation provider, 2) provided service in Ohio, and 3) completed 75% or more of the survey. For each module of the survey, all data was coded and entered into Excel spreadsheets. Quantitative data was analyzed using the SAS statistical software package and qualitative data from open-ended survey responses were organized using the ATLAS.ti software package. Descriptive statistics were produced for the quantitative data, including frequencies (percentages), averages, and ranges where appropriate. Analysis was also conducted on sub-groups for county type, independent living status, disability type, and transportation provider type. Open-ended responses were analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis. Open-ended responses were independently coded by three evaluators who reached consensus on coding in an effort to reduce subjective bias. Results were also compared qualitatively between the observed results in 2017 and 2021 to comment on any trends observed. Finally, because it was not possible to use a randomized sample, responses from the survey questions for Ohioans with disabilities were assigned weights created from demographic information on adults with disabilities in Ohio gathered from the 2019 Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey (OMAS).8 These weights allow the data from the survey to be more representative of adults with disabilities in Ohio as a whole. See Appendix C for a full technical description of the survey weighting methods. The weighted survey estimates are reported for all of the survey questions for Ohioans with disabilities except for the demographics and sub-group analysis, which report the raw survey results.
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Demographics of Survey Participants
Ohio Adults with Disabilities A total of 707 Ohio adults with disabilities completed the survey. Of those who completed the disability module, 323 (46%) completed the survey independently and 384 (54%) completed the survey with assistance or were an individual responding on behalf of someone else with a disability. Participants with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD) were most likely to have assistance or have an individual respond on their behalf (66%).
Executive Summary
Disability Type In terms of functional disability type, approximately 71% of survey participants had an intellectual or developmental disability, 72% had an independent living disability, 57% had a cognitive disability, 42% had a mobility disability, 22% had disabilities in selfcare (activities of daily living), 20% had a disability in vision (were blind or had a visual impairment/low vision), and 9% had a hearing disability (were deaf or hard of hearing) (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Survey Participants by Disability Type
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Most survey participants (48%) did not use any mobility supports to get around. The top five mobility supports for those participants who used supports were: 1) manual wheelchair (18%), walker or rollator (14%), 3) motorized wheelchair or scooter (14%), 4) orthoses, such as ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) (9%), and 5) support cane or crutches (9%). See Figure 2 for a complete description of mobility supports that survey participants reported using. For those who selected “other” the most common other types of supports used to get around were support from another person or aide, other types of braces, and visual aids.
Figure 2. Mobility Supports Used by Survey Participants
Vehicle Ownership A majority of survey participants (83%) reported that they did not own a car, van, or other vehicle. Only 17% of participants reported owning a vehicle. Of note, participants from suburban areas were more likely to report owning a car, van or other vehicle (24%) than participants from rural non-Appalachian (13%), rural Appalachian (17%) and
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metropolitan (16%) areas. Additionally, among functional disability type, participants with mobility disabilities were most likely to report owning a car (24%), followed by deaf and hard of hearing participants (19%).
Technology Used to Schedule Transportation Among participants who scheduled rides for their transportation, the top 5 technologies used were: •
Smart phone (50%)
•
Landline or home phone (20%)
•
Computer (18%)
•
iPad or tablet (14%)
•
Other type of cell phone (i.e. flip phone) (8%)
For the few participants who did not use technology to schedule transportation, they reported making arrangements for transportation through family or staff to schedule rides and through in-person communication.
Age The age range of survey participants was 19 to 86 years old with the average (mean) age of survey participants being 41 years old. The median age (the middle number) of participants was 38 years old.
Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation In terms of gender identity, 50% of survey participants were male, 48% were female, and 2% (11 participants) identified as another gender identity, which included: nonbinary, multi-sexual, genderqueer, gender fluid, gender neutral, agender, transgender, and non-binary transmasculine. See Figure 3 for a depiction of participant gender identity.
Figure 3. Survey Participant Gender Identity
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Among those participants who provided their sexual orientation, participants reported identifying as the following: •
Straight (73%)
•
Gay or Lesbian (2%)
•
Bisexual (2%)
•
Other (2%), including pansexual, transgender, and unsure
•
Asexual (1%)
•
Queer (1%)
Thus, approximately 8% of survey participants (who responded to this question) identified with the LGBTQIA+ community. Note that 18% of survey participants preferred not to disclose this information. According to a 2019 Gallup poll, approximately 4.3% of Ohio adults identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.9 Given this knowledge, the LGBTQIA+ community is adequately represented in this survey.
Race and Ethnicity The top racial and ethnic demographics were: •
White (86%)
•
Black or African American (10%)
•
Hispanic or Latino (4%)
•
Native American, American Indian, or Alaskan Natives (2%)
•
Asian (1%)
Note that 2% of participants did not provide their race and 1% indicated they were some other race including being bi-racial, Taino Indian, and Puerto Rican. These results are also closely representative of the racial and ethnic demographics of Ohio as a whole, where it is estimated there are 81.7% white, 13.1% Black or African American, 4% Hispanic or Latino, 0.3% Native American, American Indian, or Alaskan Natives, and 2.5% Asian adults in Ohio.10
Education
In terms of education, the most common responses regarding highest level of education completed by participants were: •
Vocational, trade, high school graduate, or GED (49%)
•
4-year college degree (13%)
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•
Some college but no degree (12%)
•
Some high school but no diploma (8%)
•
Advanced degree such as a Masters or Doctorate (7%)
Employment Status In terms of employment: •
39% were unemployed
•
37% worked part-time
•
14% worked full-time
•
6% indicated they were not currently working or on a leave of absence due to COVID-19 but will return once vaccinated, do not have steady employment, were retired, or were in a vocational training program
•
5% worked as a volunteer
Housing In terms of housing, the most common living situations for participants were: •
House or apartment with family (49%)
•
House or apartment alone (27%)
•
House or apartment with a significant other (9%)
•
House or apartment with roommates (8%)
•
Group home (4%)
Geographic Location The survey reached Ohioans with disabilities in 77 of Ohio’s 88 counties. Most responses came from metropolitan counties (54%), followed by even distributions in suburban counties (15%), rural counties (15%), and Appalachian counties (15%). See Figure 4 for a map of the distribution of survey responses.
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Figure 4. Map of Survey Participant Counties
Ohio Transportation Providers A total of 233 Ohio transportation providers completed the survey.
Organization Type The largest group of transportation provider participants worked for a non-medical transportation provider (48%). Other transportation provider participants identified as homemaker/personal care (HPC) transportation service providers (25%), local transportation authority providers (12%), paratransit providers (7%), and regional transportation authority providers (3%). The remaining participants (5%) worked for organizations serving senior and assisted living centers for medical and non-medical transportation, behavioral health and social service organizations, non-profits,
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independent contractors, county board of developmental disabilities, city government, and mobility management. Additionally, 53% reported only serving people with disabilities for their transportation services, while 46% served both Ohioans with and without disabilities.
Number of Vehicles More than half (54%) of the organizations that responded to this survey operated between 1 and 10 vehicles, with 35% operating between 1 and 5 vehicles. Around 20% operated 11 to 20 vehicles. See Figure 5 for a full description.
Figure 5. Number of Vehicles Operated by Organization
Hours of Operation More than 90% of transportation provider participants provided regular service during the weekdays. The earliest pick-up times on weekdays for most transportation provider participants (83%) was between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. The latest pick-up times reported on weekdays were primarily (43%) between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., followed by 24% ending service between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Only 25% of transportation provider participants provided regular service on Saturdays. An additional 31% provided some limited service on Saturdays and 27% do not provide any service on Saturdays.
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On Sundays, only 19% provided regular service, 20% provided limited service, and 37% did not operate on Sundays.
Geographic Location of Services The survey reached Ohio transportation providers in 87 out of Ohio’s 88 counties. No responses were received from Vinton County. Most of the transportation provider participants provided services statewide (35%), followed by services to metropolitan counties (25%), Appalachian counties (16%), rural counties (14%), and suburban counties (10%). See Figure 6 for a map of the distribution of survey responses.
Figure 6. Map of Transportation Provider Survey Responses
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Survey Results Before COVID-19
Transportation for Ohio Adults with Disabilities Before COVID-19 Modes of Transportation The main way that survey participants with disabilities got to the places where they needed or wanted to go was through a ride from family (66%). The next most frequent ways were rides from staff (34%), rides from friends (30%), walking/rolling (18%), and direct ride paratransit or other transportation service for people with disabilities (such as COTA Box 1. Estimated Modes of mainstream on-demand service) (18%). See Transportation for Ohioans with Appendix D (Figure I) for the full results Disabilities before the Pandemic from survey participants. For those who reported using “another way” the most frequent types of ways were through The estimated top five ways that senior center/medical transport, day Ohioans with disabilities across program or county transportation, the state got to the places where and paying an independent driver to they needed or wanted to go drive their own vehicle.
Executive Summary
before the pandemic were:
Given that this survey was a nonrandom sample and oversampled certain demographic groups, survey weights were applied to more closely match demographic characteristics of all Ohioans with disabilities to our survey responses in order to create more representative estimates of survey responses. Box 1 provides the results of our analysis to estimate how Ohioans with disabilities as a whole traveled before the pandemic.
•
Ride from a family member (59%)
•
Ride from a friend (36%)
•
Ride from staff (30%)
•
Bus (24%)
•
Drive self (21%)
See Figure 7 for all the estimated ways that Ohioans with disabilities got to the places where they needed or wanted to go before the pandemic.
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Figure 7. Modes of Transportation before the Pandemic
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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, survey participants who lived in metropolitan areas were more likely to use bus (22%) and ridesharing (25%) services than those who lived in suburban, rural, and Appalachian counties (Table 1). Additionally, those who lived in metropolitan and suburban counties were most likely to use paratransit services (23% and 21% respectively) compared to the rest of the state (Table 1).
Table 1. Differences in Modes of Transportation before the Pandemic by County Type Mode of Transportation
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
Bus
17%
22%
13%
13%
12%
Paratransit
18%
23%
21%
8%
7%
Ride Share
16%
25%
7%
4%
6%
Among functional disability types, blind participants and participants with low vision/ visual impairments were most likely to get a ride from a friend (44%) and use ridesharing (35%), bus (29%), paratransit (29%), and taxi services (19%) in comparison to participants with other disability types (Table 2). Participants with IDD were most likely to get a ride from staff (42%) in comparison to participants with other disability types (Table 2).
Table 2. Differences in Modes of Transportation before the Pandemic by Disability Type Mode of Transportation
All Survey Participants
Participants with IDD
Participants with Mobility Disabilities
Participants with Vision Disabilities
Participants with Hearing Disabilities
Ride from Friend
30%
25%
32%
44%
32%
Ride from Staff
34%
42%
29%
23%
35%
Bus
17%
14%
18%
29%
20%
Paratransit
18%
15%
22%
29%
9%
Taxi
9%
7%
8%
19%
11%
Ride Share
16%
13%
10%
35%
12%
The main or preferred way that survey participants got to the places where they needed or wanted to go before the pandemic was through getting a ride from family (35%). See Appendix D (Figure II) for the full results from survey participants. Among deaf and hard of hearing participants, the main or preferred way to travel was through getting a ride from staff (29%), whereas the main or preferred way for other disability types was through getting a ride from family, as was observed with survey participants overall. The other subgroup of participants who had a different preference for the main or
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preferred way to travel were participants who lived alone. Among survey participants who lived alone, the main or preferred way they traveled was also through getting a ride from staff (24%). Additionally, of note, deaf and hard of hearing participants were also more likely to drive as a main form of transportation (15%) followed by participants with mobility disabilities (11%) compared to other participants (Table 3). Therefore, although participants with mobility disabilities were more likely to own a car (24%) than deaf and hard of hearing participants (19%), deaf and hard of hearing participants were more likely to drive as a main or preferred way of transportation than participants with mobility disabilities. See Box 2 for the estimated main or preferred modes of transportation for Ohioans with disabilities before the pandemic.
Table 3. Percentage of Survey Participants who Drive Themselves as Main or Preferred Form of Transportation by Disability Type Mode of Transportation
All Survey Participants
Participants with IDD
Participants with Mobility Disabilities
Participants with Vision Disabilities
Participants with Hearing Disabilities
Driving Self as a Main or Preferred form of Transportation
9%
4%
11%
2%
15%
Accessing Transportation Many survey participants (43%) reported that they were “always” able to find safe transportation to get to where they needed or wanted to go prior to the pandemic. See Appendix D (Figure III) for the full results from survey participants. However, survey participants from suburban areas of Ohio were more likely to report “always” finding safe transportation, whereas participants from metropolitan, rural, and Appalachian areas of Ohio as well as those Box 2. Estimated Preferred who lived alone were more likely to report they were only “sometimes” able to find safe Mode of Transportation for transportation before the pandemic (Table Ohioans with Disabilities 4). before the Pandemic Additionally, among functional disability types, deaf and hard of hearing participants were most likely to report “always” finding safe transportation in comparison to participants with other disability types (Table 5). See Box 3 for the estimates of finding safe transportation for Ohioans with disabilities.
•
The estimated main or preferred way that Ohioans with disabilities got to the places where they needed or wanted to go before the pandemic was through getting a ride from family (28%) followed by getting a ride from staff (17%).
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Table 4. Participant Responses to Finding Safe Transportation before the Pandemic by County Type Frequency of Finding Safe Transportation
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
Always
43%
42%
51%
40%
41%
Sometimes
45%
47%
39%
44%
46%
Never
3%
2%
3%
5%
4%
Table 5. Participant Responses to Finding Safe Transportation before the Pandemic by Disability Type Frequency of Finding Safe Transportation
All Survey Participants
Participants with IDD
Participants with Mobility Disabilities
Participants with Vision Disabilities
Participants with Hearing Disabilities
Always
43%
43%
39%
44%
49%
Sometimes
45%
46%
49%
45%
37%
Never
3%
3%
4%
4%
3%
Most survey participants (36%) reported “always” having enough money to pay for transportation before the pandemic. See Appendix D (Figure IV) for the full results from survey participants. Participants from suburban areas of Ohio were more likely to report “always” having enough money to pay for transportation compared to participants from other areas of Ohio (Table 6). In terms of being able to get an affordable or discounted rate for transportation, only 25% of participants reported that they were “always” able to find these types of rates (Table 7). Again, participants from suburban areas of Ohio were Box 3. Estimates of Finding most likely to report “always” being able to Safe Transportation for find transportation at an affordable or Ohioans with Disabilities discounted rate (Table 7). Participants from rural areas were the most likely to report before the Pandemic “never” being able to find transportation at an affordable or discounted rate compared • Approximately half (50%) of to other areas of the state. Among Ohio adults with disabilities functional disability types, blind were “always” able to find safe participants and participants with low transportation to get to where vision/visual impairments were the most they needed or wanted to go likely to report “always” being able to get an prior to the pandemic (Figure 8). affordable or discounted rate for transportation in comparison to participants with other disability types (Table 8). See Box 4 for the estimates of the proportion of Ohioans
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with disabilities who had enough money to pay for transportation prior to the pandemic.
Figure 8. Survey Estimates to “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I could find safe transportation to get to where I needed or wanted to go”
Table 6. Participant Responses to the Statement “I had enough money to pay for transportation to get to where I needed or wanted to go” before the pandemic by County Type Frequency of Having Enough Money to Pay for Transportation
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
Always
36%
36%
47%
31%
30%
Sometimes
31%
33%
23%
33%
31%
Never
7%
7%
8%
8%
8%
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Table 7. Participant Responses to the Statement “I could get transportation at an affordable or discounted rate” before the pandemic by County Type Frequency of Transportation at an Affordable or Discounted Rate Always
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
25%
25%
30%
21%
19%
Sometimes
25%
26%
23%
16%
30%
Never
13%
12%
10%
21%
14%
Table 8. Participant Responses to the Statement “I could get transportation at an affordable or discounted rate” before the pandemic by Disability Type Frequency of Transportation at an Affordable or Discounted Rate
All Survey Participants
Participants with IDD
Participants with Mobility Disabilities
Participants with Vision Disabilities
Participants with Hearing Disabilities
Always
25%
22%
25%
30%
19%
Sometimes
25%
23%
27%
24%
19%
Never
13%
12%
15%
19%
17%
Most survey participants (44%) reported only being able to find transportation options to get “where they wanted to go at the time they want to go there” some of the time. See Appendix D (Figure V) for the full results from survey participants. Participants from rural and Appalachian counties were more likely to report “never” being able to find spontaneous transportation options in comparison to metropolitan and suburban areas (Table 9). See Box 5 for the estimates of Ohioans with disabilities being able to find transportation to go where they wanted, when they wanted to go there.
Box 4. Estimates of the Proportion of Ohioans with Disabilities who had Enough Money to Pay for Transportation Prior to the Pandemic •
An estimated 44% of Ohioans with disabilities “always” had enough money to pay for transportation before the pandemic (Figure 9).
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Figure 9. Survey Estimates to “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I had enough money to pay for transportation to get to where I needed or wanted to go”
Table 9. Participant Responses to the Statement “I could use transportation options to go where I wanted, when I wanted to go there” before the pandemic by County Type Frequency of being able to use Transportation to go where wanted Always
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
26%
29%
24%
19%
24%
Sometimes
44%
44%
47%
40%
44%
Never
8%
7%
5%
13%
11%
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Similarly, most survey participants (41%) were only able to find transportation options in their community that both operated at the times they needed and the locations they needed before the pandemic some of the time. See Appendix D (Figure VI) for the full results from survey participants. Again, participants from rural and Appalachian counties were more likely to report that they were “never” able to find transportation options in their community that both operated at the times they needed and the locations they needed before the pandemic in comparison to participants from metropolitan and suburban areas (Table 10). See Box 6 for the estimates of Ohioans with disabilities being able to find transportation options in their community that operated at the times and locations needed.
Box 5. Estimates of Ohioans with Disabilities being able to Find Transportation to go where they wanted when they wanted to go there. •
It is also estimated that many Ohio adults with disabilities (39%) were only able to find transportation options to get to “where they wanted to go at the time they wanted to go there” some of the time (Figure 10).
Figure 10. Survey Estimates to “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I could use transportation options to go where I wanted, when I wanted to go there”
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Table 10. Participant Responses to the Statement “transportation options in my community operated at the times and locations that I needed” before the pandemic by County Type Frequency of Transportation Options Operating and Times and Locations Needed Always
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
21%
23%
19%
24%
18%
Sometimes
41%
42%
46%
32%
38%
Never
11%
8%
8%
19%
16%
Box 6. Estimates of Ohioans with disabilities being able to find transportation options that operated at the time and locations needed •
It is also estimated that many Ohio adults with disabilities (40%) were only able to find transportation options in their community that both operated at the times they needed and the locations they needed before the pandemic some of the time (Figure 11).
Figure 11. Survey Estimates to “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation options in my community operated at the times and locations that I needed”
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Experiences While Using Transportation: Scheduling
In terms of scheduling, most survey participants (42%) only found it “easy to schedule transportation” some of the time. See Appendix D (Figure VII) for the full results from survey participants. Again, participants from rural and Appalachian counties were more likely to report that they “never” found scheduling transportation to be easy in comparison to participants from metropolitan and suburban areas (Table 11). See Box 7 for the estimates of transportation scheduling experiences for Ohioans with disabilities.
Table 11. Participant Responses to the Statement “it was easy to schedule transportation” before the pandemic by County Type Frequency of Reporting it was Easy to Schedule Transportation
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
Always
23%
23%
23%
27%
19%
Sometimes
42%
44%
41%
38%
40%
Never
10%
7%
8%
16%
15%
Box 7. Estimates of Transportation Scheduling Experiences for Ohioans with Disabilities. •
It is estimated that most Ohio adults with disabilities (40%) only found it “easy to schedule transportation” some of the time (Figure 12).
Figure 12. Survey Estimates to “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was easy to schedule transportation”
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In terms of timeliness, most survey participants (46%) only experienced transportation that was on time to pick them up before the pandemic some of the time. See Appendix D (Figure VIII) for the full results from survey participants. However, blind participants and participants with low vision/visual impairments were less likely to experience on time transportation pick-up in comparison to other participants (Table 12). See Box 8 for the estimates of on time pick-up transportation experiences for Ohioans with disabilities.
Table 12. Participant Responses to the Statement “my transportation arrived on time to pick me up” before the pandemic by Disability Type Frequency of Transportation On Time Pick Up Always
All Survey Participants
Participants with IDD
Participants with Mobility Disabilities
Participants with Vision Disabilities
Participants with Hearing Disabilities
26%
26%
25%
19%
25%
Sometimes
46%
43%
45%
53%
43%
Never
4%
5%
6%
6%
2%
Box 8. Estimates of On Time Pick-Up Transportation Experiences for Ohioans with Disabilities •
It is estimated that prior to the pandemic, only 29% of Ohio adults with disabilities could expect their transportation to “always” be on time. Another 45% of Ohio adults with disabilities could only expect their transportation to be on time some of the time (Figure 13).
Figure 13. Survey Estimates to “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, my transportation arrived on time to pick me up”
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Experiences While Using Transportation: Ride Share Finally, in terms of ride share services such as Uber and Lyft, only 8% of survey participants felt these services were “always” accessible. See Appendix D (Figure IX) for the full results from survey participants. Participants from metropolitan counties were more likely to find these services “always” accessible in comparison to rural, Appalachian, and suburban counties (Table 13). In terms of functional disability type, blind participants and participants with low vision/visual impairments were most likely to “always” find these services accessible whereas participants with mobility disabilities were most likely to find these services “never” accessible. See Box 9 for the estimates of ride share accessibility for Ohioans with disabilities (Table 14).
Table 13. Participant Responses to the Statement “I felt that ride share services such as Uber and Lyft were accessible” before the pandemic by County Type Frequency of Accessibility of Ride Share Services
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
Always
8%
11%
4%
7%
2%
Sometimes
17%
21%
14%
7%
17%
Never
20%
17%
23%
26%
23%
Table 14. Participant Responses to Statement “I felt that ride share services such as Uber and Lyft were accessible,” before the pandemic by Disability Type Frequency of Accessibility of Ride Share Services
All Survey Participants
Participants with IDD
Participants with Mobility Disabilities
Participants with Vision Disabilities
Participants with Hearing Disabilities
Always
8%
7%
3%
16%
8%
Sometimes
17%
13%
18%
26%
12%
Never
20%
21%
30%
12%
12%
Experiences While Using Transportation: Transportation Providers and Communication
Only 27% of survey participants felt that transportation providers were “always” able to serve people with all types of disabilities before the pandemic. See Appendix D (Figure X) for the full results from survey participants. Participants from rural and Appalachian counties were slightly more likely to report that they felt that transportation providers were “never” able to serve people with all types of disabilities before the pandemic in comparison to participants from metropolitan and suburban counties (Table 15). See Box 10 for the estimates on perceptions of transportation providers being able serve people with all disability types for Ohioans with disabilities.
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Box 9. Estimates of Ride Share Accessibility for Ohioans with Disabilities •
Only an estimated 8% of Ohioans with disabilities felt that ride share services such as Uber and Lyft were “always” accessible (Figure 14).
Figure 14. Survey Estimates to “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt that ride share services such as Uber and Lyft were accessible”
Table 15. Participant Responses to the Statement “transportation providers were able to serve people with all types of disabilities” before the pandemic by County Type Frequency of Perceptions of Transportation Providers Being Able to Serve all types of Disability
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
Always
27%
25%
32%
29%
27%
Sometimes
31%
32%
29%
28%
34%
Never
5%
4%
5%
11%
7%
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Additionally, only 22% of survey participants felt there was “always” excellent communication between transportation providers and riders before the Box 10. Estimates on pandemic. See Appendix D (Figure XI) for the Perceptions of full results from survey participants. Transportation Providers Participants from Appalachian counties were slightly more likely to report that there being able Serve People with was “never” excellent communication all Disability Types for between transportation providers and Ohioans with Disabilities riders in comparison to other areas (Table 16). See Box 11 for estimates of Ohioans with disabilities communication • Only 33% of Ohio adults with experiences with transportation providers. disabilities are estimated to believe that transportation providers were “always” able Figure 15. Survey Estimates to to serve people with all types “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, of disabilities before the transportation providers were able to pandemic (Figure 15).
serve people with all types of disabilities”
Table 16. Participant Responses to the Statement “I felt that there was excellent communication between transportation providers and riders” before the pandemic by County Type Frequency of Excellent Communication with Transportation Providers Always
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
22%
19%
27%
27%
20%
Sometimes
40%
45%
37%
31%
34%
Never
10%
10%
8%
8%
12%
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Box 11. Estimates of Ohioans with Disabilities Communication Experiences with Transportation Providers •
Only 29% of Ohio adults with disabilities are estimated to feel that there was “always” excellent communication between transportation providers and riders before the pandemic (Figure 16).
Figure 16. Survey Estimates to “Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt that there was excellent communication between transportation providers and riders”
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Survey Results During COVID-19
Transportation for Ohio Adults with Disabilities during COVID-19 Modes of Transportation The main way that participants with disabilities from this survey got to the places where they needed or wanted to go during the pandemic was through a ride from family (66%). The next most frequent ways were rides from staff (31%), rides from friends (26%), walking/rolling (17%), and direct ride paratransit or other transportation service for people with disabilities (such as COTA mainstream on-demand service) (14%). See Appendix D (Figure XII) for the full results from survey participants. For those who reported using “another way”, the most frequent types of ways were through day program or county board, paying an independent driver to drive their own vehicle, and transportation through senior center/medical transport. See Box 12 for estimates of Ohioans with disabilities as a whole currently travel during the pandemic.
Executive Summary
Box 12. Estimated Modes of Transportation for Ohioans with Disabilities during the Pandemic The estimated top five ways that Ohioans with disabilities across the state got to the places where they needed or wanted to go during the pandemic were: •
Ride from a family member (60%)
•
Ride from a friend (30%)
•
Ride from staff (28%)
•
Drive self (18%)
•
Walk or roll (wheelchair/scooter) (17%)
See Figure 17 for all the estimated ways that Ohioans with disabilities got to the places where they needed or wanted to go before the pandemic.
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Figure 17. Modes of Transportation during the Pandemic
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During the pandemic, survey participants who lived in metropolitan areas were still more likely to use bus and ridesharing services than those who lived in rural, Appalachian, and suburban counties (Table 17). Additionally, participants who lived in metropolitan and suburban counties were still most likely to use paratransit services compared to participants from the rest of the state (Table 17). Among functional disability types, blind participants and participants with low vision/visual impairments were again most likely to get a ride from a friend and use ridesharing, paratransit, and bus services than participants with other disability types. Participants with IDD and deaf and hard of hearing participants were most likely to get a ride from staff (Table 18).
Table 17. Differences in Modes of Transportation during the Pandemic by County Type Mode of Transportation
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
Bus
10%
12%
8%
8%
7%
Rideshare
10%
17%
4%
3%
1%
Paratransit
12%
14%
11%
6%
8%
Table 18. Differences in Modes of Transportation during the Pandemic by Disability Type Mode of Transportation
All Survey Participants
Participants with IDD
Participants with Mobility Disabilities
Participants with Vision Disabilities
Participants with Hearing Disabilities
26%
22%
23%
40%
25%
31%
39%
26%
24%
39%
Bus
10%
7%
10%
19%
6%
Rideshare
10%
8%
6%
24%
6%
Paratransit
12%
9%
14%
20%
6%
Ride from friend Ride from staff
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COVID-19 Impact on Transportation Access When asked if the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the options for transportation in their community, 38% of survey participants responded “yes” to this question. See Box 13 for estimates of Ohioans with disabilities who experienced changes in transportation options during the pandemic. In terms of current transportation problems related to the pandemic, most survey participants (47%) indicated that they did not have problems with transportation directly because of the pandemic. Among those who indicated that they had transportation problems related to the pandemic, the main issue for 23% of survey participants was feeling unsafe to travel due to the pandemic. See Appendix D (Figure XIII) for the full results from survey participants. See Box 14 for estimates of Ohioans with disabilities experiencing transportation problems because of the pandemic. For those who reported “other” transportation problems, the most frequent responses included: •
Inadequate routes or vehicles
•
No transportation available or less providers (providers have gone out of business, not enough Uber and Lyft drivers, etc.)
•
Increased health and safety concerns (afraid to travel, too high risk for COVID-19 to travel, have to wear mask to travel but cannot, drivers don’t understand inability to mask)
•
Increased reliance on family for transportation (dependent on family for transportation, family and friends not willing to give rides due to COVID-19)
•
Costs have increased and are too expensive
•
Increased ride or wait times (less frequent buses, long wait times, less seating on transportation)
•
Services not reliable
Box 13. Estimates of Ohioans with Disabilities Experiencing Changes in Transportation Options during the Pandemic •
At least 38% of Ohio adults with disabilities are estimated to have experienced changes in the transportation options in their community due to the pandemic (Figure 18).
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Figure 18. Responses to “Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the options you have for transportation in your community?”
Survey participants from metropolitan areas were more likely to report experiencing problems in their community due to the pandemic compared to rural, Appalachian, and suburban areas (Table 19). Additionally, those in metropolitan and Appalachian areas were more likely to feel unsafe to travel during the pandemic in comparison to those from rural and suburban areas (Table 19). Deaf and hard of hearing participants and participants with mobility disabilities were most likely to feel unsafe to travel during COVID-19 compared to blind participants and participants with low vision/visual impairments and participants with IDD (Table 20).
Table 19. Reported Problems with Transportation Related to the COVID19 Pandemic by County Type Reported Problem No problems with transportation in my community because of the COVID-19 pandemic Feel unsafe to travel due to COVID-19 pandemic
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
47%
41%
56%
52%
54%
23%
27%
15%
15%
24%
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Box 14. Estimates of Ohioans with Disabilities Experiencing Transportation Problems because of the Pandemic It is estimated that 51% of Ohioans with disabilities have not experienced any transportation problems in their communities due to the pandemic. Among those who have experienced transportation problems due to the pandemic, the top problems cited were: •
Feel unsafe to travel due to the pandemic (23%)
•
Other responses (19%) (see page 40 for examples)
•
Transportation providers do not follow COVID-19 public health safety guidelines (such as wearing a mask) (9%)
•
Transportation options are not available near COVID-19 vaccination locations (5%)
•
Transportation options are not available near COVID-19 testing locations (4%)
Table 20. Reported Problems with Transportation Related to the COVID19 Pandemic by Disability Type Reported Problem Feel unsafe to travel due to COVID-19 pandemic
All Survey Participants
Participants with IDD
Participants with Mobility Disabilities
Participants with Vision Disabilities
Participants with Hearing Disabilities
23%
22%
28%
26%
32%
Furthermore, survey participants reported several transportation problems they had directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The top five themes of responses along with representative quotes from participants included: •
•
Provider shortage or shutdown •
“There are many providers who have gone out of business as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are some providers who have abruptly stopped providing service, usually due to not having enough drivers.”
•
“Less companies operating, the companies that are operating in the area don't have enough drivers so they can't take on new clients, clients who are not in wheelchairs are more likely to receive services than those who need wheelchairs because they are ‘easier’ clients and require less time/assistance from drivers.”
Cannot find a ride to where they need or want to go •
“They're [sic] no transportation methods in rural areas, not before covid [sic], & not Now!” Transportation Accessibility for Ohioans with Disabilities: 2021 Report
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• •
•
•
“Times are limited. Harder to make appointments.”
Lack of accessibility or supports •
“It's all harder to access now, for example, lots of buses have these dividers and barriers installed and screwed into seats that it makes it either impossible or inconvenient for the driver to fold up the seat for wheelchair users. It seems like no thought about us when they were designing it.”
•
“Can’t ride without someone else. Don’t have anyone else to go with. Don’t know where things are.”
COVID-19 has limited ride options •
“Less frequent fixed-route buses; some drivers not as helpful.”
•
“No or minimal ride share.”
Services are not reliable •
“Not having a ride to places, running late to work because transportation was not on time.”
•
“Can't rely on buses being on time.”
Current Experiences While Using Transportation during COVID-19: Scheduling At least 63% of survey participants reported one or more problems related to scheduling transportation during the pandemic. The main problem cited by 33% of survey participants was not being able to find transportation on short notice. See Appendix D (Figure XIV) for the full results from survey participants. See Box 15 for estimates of Ohioans with disabilities experiencing scheduling problems during the pandemic. For those who reported “other” scheduling problems, the most frequent responses included: •
No routes or ride pick-up near home or transportation service in community
•
Staffing shortage
•
Scheduling process is not accessible and not available in other languages
•
Have to rely on family for transportation
•
Drivers are no-shows
•
Transportation is not on-time
•
Transportation travel time is too long for the short distance
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•
Providers saying cannot work a person with a disability into their schedule
•
Can only schedule transportation through senior service, so ride may be cancelled if a senior needs a ride
•
Cannot schedule Uber or Lyft due to visual impairment
•
Required to schedule roundtrip which is hard to estimate times
Box 15. Estimates of Ohioans with Disabilities Experiencing Scheduling Problems during the Pandemic It is estimated that at least 61% of Ohio adults with disabilities have experienced one or more problems related to scheduling during the pandemic. These problems included: •
Cannot find transportation on short notice (within 24 hours) (28%)
•
Cannot change transportation plan on short notice (24%)
•
It is difficult to schedule or plan transportation (23%)
•
Transportation is not available at the times needed (23%)
•
The wait times (21%)
•
Transportation does not come on time (15%)
•
Other responses (11%) (see list above for examples)
•
Do not know how to schedule or plan transportation (10%)
Survey participants from rural and suburban counties were more likely than metropolitan and Appalachian counties to report not being able to find transportation on short notice (Table 21). Participants from metropolitan and suburban counties were more likely to report problems with long wait times (Table 21).
Table 21. Reported Problems with Scheduling Transportation during the Pandemic by County Type Reported Problem Cannot find transportation on short notice (within 24 hours) The wait times
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
33%
31%
36%
37%
31%
24%
30%
22%
14%
15%
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Current Experiences While Using Transportation during COVID-19: Accessibility At least 55% of survey participants reported experiencing problems related to accessibility during the pandemic. The main problem reported by 20% of survey participants was that transportation was too expensive. See Appendix D (Figure XV) for the full results from survey participants. See Box 16 for estimates of Ohioans with disabilities experiencing transportation accessibility problems during the pandemic. For those who reported “other” accessibility problems, the most frequent responses included: •
Not enough accessible rides available
•
No routes or ride pick-up near home
•
Cannot rely on rides to happen as scheduled
•
Finding transportation is difficult
•
Apps to schedule rides are not accessible
•
Public transit is not accessible and need to rely on more expensive options
•
There are no sidewalks near the bus stop
•
Wheelchair accessible vans are too expensive for personal trips, whereas medical appointments are free
•
Not eligible for free rides
•
Transportation rides fill up quickly
•
Drivers do not understand disability
•
Refuse to transport service animals
Survey participants from rural counties were most likely to report not having access to transportation providers or accessible vehicles compared to other areas of the state as well as having more issues with vehicles breaking down frequently (Table 22). Survey participants from metropolitan areas were more likely to report that transportation is too expensive in comparison to other areas of the state (Table 22). Finally, those in suburban counties were more likely to report not having bus stops near their home in comparison to the rest of the state (Table 22).
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Box 16. Estimates of Ohioans with Disabilities Experiencing Transportation Accessibility Problems during the Pandemic. It is estimated that at least 67% of Ohio adults with disabilities experienced problems related to accessibility during the pandemic. These problems include: •
Transportation is too expensive (17%)
•
There are no stops near my home (15%)
•
There are no stops near where I want to go (13%)
•
There are no transportation providers (12%)
•
Other responses (11%) (see list above for examples)
•
There is no place to sit at bus stops (9%)
•
Routes have been removed in my area (9%)
•
Vehicles are not accessible (8%)
•
There are no stops near my job (6%)
•
Car or van breaks down a lot (6%)
•
There is not enough space to use mobility devices (5%)
Table 22. Reported Problems with Transportation Accessibility during the Pandemic by County Type Reported Problem There are no transportation providers Vehicles are not accessible Transportation is too expensive There are no stops near my home
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
19%
17%
19%
26%
17%
12%
12%
6%
18%
11%
20%
24%
16%
17%
14%
15%
15%
22%
8%
16%
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Current Experiences While Using Transportation during COVID-19: Ride Share At least 45% of survey participants have used or attempted to use ride sharing transportation such as Uber and Lyft. However, only 9% of survey participants reported that these services were “always” accessible to them. See Appendix D (Figure XVI) for the full results from survey participants. Survey participants from rural, suburban, and Appalachian counties were most likely to report that these services were “never” accessible to them in comparison to those from metropolitan areas (Table 23). Additionally, participants with mobility disabilities and IDD were most likely to report that these services were “never” accessible to them in comparison to participants with other disability types (Table 24). See Box 17 for the estimates of ride share accessibility for Ohioans with disabilities.
Box 17. Estimates of Ride Share Accessibility for Ohioans with Disabilities during the Pandemic Approximately 45% of Ohio adults with disabilities have used or attempted to use ride sharing transportation such as Uber and Lyft. In terms of accessibility of these services, an estimated 32% feel that they can only “sometimes” or can “never” find a ride share service that is accessible to them compared to 13% that feel these services are “always” accessible to them.
Table 23. Participant Responses to the Statement “I felt that ride share services such as Uber and Lyft were accessible” during the pandemic by County Type Frequency of Accessibility of Ride Share Services Always
All Survey Participants
Participants from Suburban Counties 4%
Participants from Rural Counties
9%
Participants from Metropolitan Counties 8%
10%
Participants from Appalachian Counties 14%
Sometimes
16%
22%
14%
6%
9%
Never
20%
15%
26%
32%
23%
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Table 24. Participant Responses to the Statement “I felt that ride share services such as Uber and Lyft were accessible” during the pandemic by Disability Type Frequency of Accessibility of Ride Share Services Always
All Survey Participants
Participants with IDD
Participants with Mobility Disabilities
Participants with Vision Disabilities
Participants with Hearing Disabilities
9%
7%
7%
9%
5%
Sometimes
16%
12%
12%
32%
17%
Never
20%
22%
29%
11%
12%
Current Experiences While Using Transportation during COVID-19: Transportation Providers and Communication
Only 18% of survey participants felt that transportation providers were “always” able to serve people with all types of disabilities during the pandemic. See Appendix D (Figure XVII) for the full results from survey participants. Participants from rural, Appalachian, and suburban counties were slightly more likely to report that they felt that transportation providers were “never” able to serve people with all types of disabilities during the pandemic in comparison to participants from metropolitan counties (Table 25). See Box 18 for the estimates on perceptions of transportation providers being able serve people with all disability types for Ohioans with disabilities.
Table 25. Participant Responses to the Statement “transportation providers were able to serve people with all types of disabilities” during the pandemic by County Type Frequency of Perceptions of Transportation Providers Being Able to Serve all types of Disability Always
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
18%
14%
18%
20%
28%
Sometimes
34%
38%
37%
29%
26%
Never
12%
10%
13%
15%
14%
Box 18. Estimates on Perceptions of Transportation Providers being able to Serve People with all Disability Types for Ohioans with Disabilities during the Pandemic •
Only 26% of Ohio adults with disabilities were estimated to believe that transportation providers are currently “always” able to serve people with all types of disabilities during the pandemic (Figure 19).
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Figure 19. Survey Estimates to “During the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel that transportation providers are currently able to serve people with all types of disabilities in my community”
Additionally, only 17% of survey participants felt there was “always” excellent communication between transportation providers and riders during the pandemic. See Appendix D (Figure XVIII) for the full results from survey participants. Participants from Appalachian counties were slightly more likely to report that there is “never” excellent communication between transportation providers and riders in comparison to rural, suburban, and metropolitan counties (Table 26). See Box 19 for estimates of Ohioans with disabilities communication experiences with transportation providers.
Table 26. Participant Responses to the Statement “I felt that there was excellent communication between transportation providers and riders” during the pandemic by County Type Frequency of Excellent Communication with Transportation Providers Always
All Survey Participants
Participants from Metropolitan Counties
Participants from Suburban Counties
Participants from Rural Counties
Participants from Appalachian Counties
17%
14%
16%
19%
27%
Sometimes
39%
43%
45%
33%
24%
Never
11%
10%
9%
12%
15%
Box 19. Estimates of Ohioans with Disabilities Communication Experiences with Transportation Providers during the Pandemic •
Only 22% of Ohio adults with disabilities were estimated to feel that there is “always” excellent communication between transportation providers and riders during the pandemic (Figure 20).
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Figure 20. Survey Estimates to “During the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel that there is excellent communication between transportation providers and riders”
Additional Comments on Experiences with Transportation in Ohio Survey participants were asked to share any additional comments they had about transportation in Ohio. The top five themes that emerged with representative quotes from participants were: •
•
There are not enough transportation options in Ohio •
“If transportation keeps getting worse, people who work at jobs in the community especially on weekends or at night, will not be able to keep their jobs.”
•
“Bus transportation in my area would greatly improve my independence and give me mobility to go to areas of shopping and entertainment at an affordable rate. Uber/Lyft is nice in a pinch but still expensive. My family lives out of town and I only have a few friends/neighbors to bother for rides.”
Transportation rides are not reliable •
“All of the companies that provide transportation for people like me with developmental disabilities are terrible. They are almost never there when scheduled, either early or late, sometimes making me wait hours.”
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•
•
•
•
“Have stopped using paratransit services for time sensitive appointments such as employment and doctors office because of either being late or the wait times being extreme.”
Transportation policies need to be improved •
“Medical transportation requires the doctor a patient sees most often per year to somehow determine how many trips the patient will need. If the patient has an extensive medical team which includes different specialists, doctors would not be able to predict who a patient would visit, how many appointments, or trips would be needed in any given block of time.”
•
“I would like to visit doctors in Trumbull County but some commissioners don't want public transit, and said that it is not a priority for them. They don't care about transportation for disabled individuals, the poor, and the general public.”
Appropriate transportation is not available near home •
“I have NO power wheelchair accessibility options available to me except one provider who is dangerous and unreliable to take me to medical appointments or adult services. I have NO options for community outings except my parent's van that is 10+ years old. My parents travel a lot and for 3 months of the year (2-4 weeks at a time) when they are out of town, I am unable to go anywhere except medical appointments or Adult Services. At least with COVID they cannot travel. There needs to be options for those in power wheelchairs to go on outings. My caregivers and their agency do not have vehicles for me to ride in my power wheelchair. I can barely find caregivers and have been unable to find an agency with vans. They did not exist. There needs to be a way for me to have accessible transportation that does not rely on my parents. My dad is in his 70s and my mom 60s. I do not know how I will get out once they die.”
•
“The transportation in Ohio is horrible for someone like me with a disability currently I don't have insurance that provides it (medicare [sic]) and the ubers/ lyfts [sic] are very expensive and not always available. some times [sic] I need to take walker etc and sometimes lyfts [sic] refuse me with it when they are available in my area - the paratransit is expensive and you have to order days in advance - that is too much with my condition I need same day service and because I cannot walk far need like an uber/lyft [sic] type of service that gives me a ride from my house to my desired location. please help us get around and improve the current situation - it is so difficult if you do not have family to help you here which I don't unfortunately.”
Current transportation method is currently meeting needs •
“I am lucky to have staff that can get me to where I need to go.”
•
“In Lake County we have LakeTran that in my opinion is the best transit system there is. Everyone is so accommodating to everyone and especially people in wheelchairs. Very easy to schedule a ride also.”
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Survey Results Transportation Provider Perspectives Transportation Provider Perspectives Knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act Nearly all transportation provider participants (96%) strongly agreed or agreed that they understand their responsibilities as a transportation provider under the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act. Additionally, 90% of survey participants also strongly agreed or agreed that all operators and staff in their organization understand their responsibilities as a transportation provider under the ADA Act. Survey participants from organizations who only serve people with disabilities were less likely to strongly agree or agree that all staff in their organization understand their responsibilities under the ADA (87%) compared to participants from organizations that serve both people with and without disabilities (93%). No differences were observed by service region.
Executive Summary
Training and Certification A majority of transportation provider participants (92%) strongly agreed or agreed that their organization provides adequate training to its employees on how to serve people with all types of disabilities. Participants from organizations that serve only people with disabilities were slightly more likely to feel that their organization provides adequate training to serve people with disabilities (93%) compared to participants from organizations that serve both people with and without disabilities (91%). Participants who provided services statewide were most likely to strongly agree or agree that their organization provides adequate training to serve people with disabilities in comparison to participants from other service areas (Table 27). Participants who provide services in Appalachian counties were most likely to strongly disagree or disagree that their organization provides adequate training to serve people with disabilities in comparison to participants from other service areas (Table 27). Approximately 81% of survey participants indicated that their organization has one or more certifications related to serving people with disabilities compared to 6% that do not and 13% that do not know. Participants from organizations that serve only people with disabilities were more likely to report that their organization has at least one certification related to serving people with disabilities (90%) compared to participants from organizations that serve both people with and without disabilities (71%). No differences were observed by service region.
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Table 27. Transportation Provider Responses to the statement “My organization provides adequate training to its employees on how to serve people with all types of disabilities” by service region Level of Agreement Strongly Agree or Agree Neutral Strongly Disagree or Disagree
All Survey Participants
Metropolitan Service Area
Suburban Service Area
Rural Service Area
Appalachian Service Area
Statewide Service Area
92%
91%
91%
91%
84%
96%
4%
7%
4%
3%
3%
2%
3%
0%
4%
3%
8%
1%
Regulation and Reimbursement
Only 38% of transportation provider participants strongly agreed or agreed that current regulations and reimbursement structures allow them to provide excellent services to Ohioans with disabilities (Figure 21). However, participants from organizations that serve both people with and without disabilities were more likely to strongly agree or agree that current regulations and reimbursement structures allow them to provide excellent service to Ohioans with disabilities (49%) compared to participants from organizations that only serve people with disabilities (28%). Participants who provide services in suburban and rural counties were also most likely to strongly agree or agree that current regulations and reimbursement structures allow them to provide excellent service to Ohioans with disabilities (Table 28). Whereas, participants who provide services statewide were most likely to disagree or strongly disagree to this statement (Table 28). Among the 37% of total participants who disagreed or strongly disagreed with this statement, a majority cited funding as being the main issue to allowing them to provide excellent services. Specifically, these participants reported that lack of funding, insufficient funding, unreliable funding, insufficient pay/reimbursement rates, and prohibitive overhead costs as being the main areas of concern.
Figure 21. Transportation Provider Responses to “I feel that current regulations and reimbursement structures allow me to provide excellent services to riders with disabilities”
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Table 28. Transportation Provider Responses to the statement “I feel that current regulations and reimbursement structures allow me to provide excellent services to riders with disabilities” by service region Level of Agreement
All Survey Participants
Metropolitan Service Area
Suburban Service Area
Rural Service Area
Appalachian Service Area
Statewide Service Area
Strongly Agree or Agree
38%
43%
52%
47%
38%
27%
Neutral
24%
19%
30%
38%
32%
17%
Strongly Disagree or Disagree
37%
36%
13%
16%
27%
55%
COVID-19 Impact on Transportation Services
When asked how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their transportation services, five main themes emerged from participant responses. See these five themes below with representative quotes from survey participants related to these themes. •
•
•
Reduction in capacity •
“COVID-19 has limited the number of passengers we can serve at any given time due to social distancing. It has also increased the loading and unloading times of passengers due to the medical screening questionnaire that has been required. We have had to reduce our hours of operation as a result in the loss of staff.”
•
“We had to significantly decrease capacity to ensure COVID health guidelines and lost business/revenue. Also lost multiple drivers and staffing is currently a major struggle.”
Changes to demand for services •
“It has DRASTICALLY limited the amount of individuals we can transport due to social distancing mandate. What used to allow for 10+ passengers on the vehicle is now 2. It has cost much more to provide services. It has made Operators work more hours to serve the same amount of riders, keeping them from their families. It has been a nightmare for public transportation providers.”
•
“We went from 190 passengers to 53 and lost half of our work force.”
Challenges in following COVID-19 public health safety guidelines •
“Then the limited seating on the vehicle to maintain 6 ft distance between people, combined with the wearing of face masks further limited the amount of people that could ride. The masks are hard for drivers and the people we serve, that wear glasses.”
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• •
•
“Keeping safe distance requires more vehicles and employees.”
Loss in revenue •
“Limited the number of riders creating a major financial situation.”
•
“Costs of personal protection equipment, barriers and sanitizing, fuel insurance have increased substantially in the last year along with the cost.”
Staffing shortages •
“Due to the Pandemic we have lost close to half of our employees and staffing.”
•
“It is hard to support those who need public transportation because people do not want to work. Very hard to find drivers right now. Challenging to keep all services going.”
Perspectives on Service to Ohioans with Disabilities Approximately 58% of transportation provider participants strongly agreed or agreed that they were able to provide the level of services to Ohioans with disabilities that they want to provide (Figure 22). Again, participants from organizations that serve both people with and without disabilities were more likely to strongly agree or agree that they were able to provide the level of services to Ohioans with disabilities that they want to provide (65%) compared to participants from organizations that only serve people with disabilities (51%). Participants who provide services in suburban and metropolitan counties were most likely to strongly agree or agree that they were able to provide the level of services to Ohioans with disabilities that they want to provide (Table 29). Whereas participants who provide services statewide and in Appalachian counties were most likely to disagree or strongly disagree with this statement (Table 29). Among the 25% of total participants who disagreed or strongly disagreed with this statement, the top two main issues that these participants reported as preventing them from providing the level of service to Ohioans with disabilities that they want to provide were funding and driver shortages. Several of these participants who disagreed with this statement expressed interest in expanding their current services to better meet the needs of Ohioans with disabilities, such as offering evening and weekend services.
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Figure 22. Transportation Provider Responses to “I am able to provide the level of service to Ohioans with disabilities that I want to provide”
Table 29. Transportation Provider Responses to the statement “I am able to provide the level of service to Ohioans with disabilities that I want to provide” by service region Level of Agreement
All Survey Participants
Metropolitan Service Area
Suburban Service Area
Rural Service Area
Appalachian Service Area
Statewide Service Area
Strongly Agree or Agree
58%
66%
70%
56%
60%
50%
Neutral
16%
16%
22%
22%
11%
15%
Strongly Disagree or Disagree
25%
19%
9%
22%
27%
33%
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Only 9% of survey participants strongly agreed or agreed that serving Ohioans with disabilities creates significant difficulties for their organization (Figure 23). Participants from organizations that only serve people with disabilities were more likely to agree that serving Ohioans with disabilities creates significant difficulties for their organization (12%) than participants from organizations that serve both people with and without disabilities (6%). Additionally, participants who provide services in Appalachian counties were most likely to agree that serving Ohioans with disabilities creates significant difficulties for their organization (Table 30). Whereas participants who provide services in suburban counties were most likely to disagree with this statement (Table 30). Among those 9% who agreed that serving Ohioans with disabilities creates significant difficulties for their organization, there were variety of unique reasons. The most common, was reimbursement/pay rates being insufficient or lack of funding. Other reasons from a few participants included length of trips not being cost effective, worker shortage, not enough demand, and vehicle maintenance costs.
Figure 23. Transportation Provider Responses to “Serving Ohioans with disabilities creates significant difficulties for my organization”
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Table 30. Transportation Provider Responses to the statement “Serving Ohioans with disabilities creates significant difficulties for my organization” by service region Level of Agreement
All Survey Participants
Metropolitan Service Area
Suburban Service Area
Rural Service Area
Appalachian Service Area
Statewide Service Area
Strongly Agree or Agree
9%
7%
9%
6%
16%
9%
Neutral
20%
24%
13%
19%
11%
23%
Strongly Disagree or Disagree
71%
69%
78%
75%
73%
67%
In terms of riders with different types of supports, the most challenging for transportation providers to accommodate were riders who use a wheelchair and riders who have a service animal, followed by riders who have a personal assistant. •
For riders who use a wheelchair, 16% of transportation provider participants reported they could not accommodate wheelchairs at all and 22% found these types of riders to be difficult to accommodate.
•
For riders who have a service animal, 11% of transportation provider participants reported they could not accommodate service animals at all and 33% found these types of riders to be difficult to accommodate.
•
For riders with a personal assistant, 5% of transportation provider participants reported they could not accommodate personal assistants at all and 19% found these types of riders to be difficult to accommodate.
Riders with disabilities who do not use a wheelchair were found to be the easiest for transportation providers to accommodate (91%) with only 2% reporting they cannot accommodate at all and 6% finding these types of riders to be difficult to accommodate. By organization type, participants who only served people with disabilities were more likely to report they could not accommodate riders with a wheelchair (24%), riders with a service animal (15%), and riders with a personal assistant (9%) in comparison to participants who served both people with and without disabilities (7%, 7%, and 1% respectively).
By service region, participants who provide services in metropolitan counties were most likely to report they could not accommodate riders with a wheelchair, riders with a service animal, and riders with a personal assistant in comparison to other service areas (Table 31).
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Table 31. Transportation Provider Responses indicating “cannot accommodate at all” for various types of riders by service region Frequency reporting “cannot accommodate at all” A rider who uses a wheelchair A rider with a service animal A rider with a personal assistant
All Survey Participants
Metropolitan Service Area
Suburban Service Area
Rural Service Area
Appalachian Service Area
Statewide Service Area
16%
22%
13%
9%
8%
17%
11%
17%
4%
9%
5%
12%
5%
12%
4%
3%
5%
1%
Participants were asked what has been the greatest challenge to serving riders with disabilities. The top three themes that emerged from participant responses to this question along with representative quotes from participants were: •
•
•
Issues accommodating wheelchairs •
“One challenge is when an individuals' wheelchair is not being maintained we are not able to transport the individual safely.”
•
“Sometimes we need more drivers and more vehicles. 3 out of 4 of our vehicles can only accommodate 1 wheelchair at a time. The other vehicle can hold 2 wheelchairs, but then not any ambulatory passengers at the same time.”
Driver shortage •
“It has been difficult to hire people period.”
•
“Finding qualified employees”
Ride Coordination •
“There is such a big service area with varied time constraints. I would have to be on the road from 5:30 in the morning until after 11 p.m. and travel many miles. It affects my one vehicle but I know it affects those orgs who have a fleet. The various distance and time just impedes the availability of transportation.”
•
“Paratransit: Scheduling trips at times requested (i.e. everyone wants peak time trips), providing trips in the more rural area (trips take a long time which reduces availability), passenger's disability limits their ability to get out of their house or house is not disabled friendly.”
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In terms of coordination, only 18% of transportation provider participants felt that there is “always” excellent coordination across relevant agencies to provide transportation services to Ohioans with disabilities. A majority of participants (62%) felt that there was excellent coordination some of the time and 5% felt there was never excellent coordination. Participants that served both people with and without disabilities were more likely to feel there is “always” excellent coordination across the relevant agencies (21%) compared to participants who only served people with disabilities (15%). Among the 5% of participants who reported there was never excellent coordination across relevant agencies reasons included problems with ride coordination, not having enough good providers, needing more support from county boards of developmental disabilities, and needing better communication between agencies. Nearly 44% felt that their organization was “always” able to serve people with all types of disabilities and 45% felt that they could serve people with all disability types some of the time (Figure 24). Participants that served both people with and without disabilities were more likely to report “always” being able to serve all disability types in their community (47%) compared to participants that only served people with disabilities (42%). Participants who provided services in suburban, rural, and Appalachian counties were most likely to report “always” being able to serve all disability types in their communities compared to participants who serve metropolitan counties and statewide service areas (Table 32).
Figure 24. Transportation Provider Responses to “I feel that my organization is currently able to serve people with all types of disabilities in my service area”
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Table 32. Transportation Provider Responses to the statement “I feel that my organization is able to serve people with all types of disabilities in my service area” by service region Frequency of Perceptions of Being Able to Serve all types of Disability
All Survey Participants
Metropolitan Service Area
Suburban Service Area
Rural Service Area
Appalachian Service Area
Statewide Service Area
Always
44%
41%
52%
50%
49%
38%
Sometimes
45%
48%
35%
41%
35%
51%
Never
2%
0%
0%
0%
0%
5%
Additionally, the majority of participants (71%) felt that there was “always” excellent communication between their organization and riders with disabilities. The remaining participants felt that there was “sometimes” excellent communication between providers and riders (27%) or that this “did not apply” to them (2%). Participants that only served people with disabilities were more likely to feel there was “always” excellent communication between their organization and riders with disabilities (78%) compared to participants that served both people with and without disabilities (64%). Participants that provided services in Metropolitan counties were most likely to feel there was “always” excellent communication compared to participants who served other types of counties (Table 33).
Table 33. Transportation Provider Responses to the statement “I feel that there is excellent communication between my organization and riders with disabilities” by service region Frequency of Excellent Communication with Riders with Disabilities Always
All Survey Participants
Metropolitan Service Area
Suburban Service Area
Rural Service Area
Appalachian Service Area
Statewide Service Area
71%
81%
74%
66%
70%
65%
Sometimes
27%
17%
22%
34%
27%
33%
Never
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
A majority of participants reported that there were either services that they would like to offer people with disabilities that they currently did not offer (25%) or existing services that they would like to improve (42%). Participants from organizations that only served people with disabilities were more likely to report wanting to expand services for people with disabilities (30%) than participants from organizations that served both people with and without disabilities (18%). And participants from organizations that served both people with and without disabilities were more likely to
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report wanting to improve existing services for people with disabilities (49%) than participants from organizations that only served people with disabilities (35%). Among the participants who expressed wanting to add or improve services for people with disabilities, the top three areas for improvement cited were expanding services on evenings and weekends, obtaining more or larger vehicles, and specifically being able to accommodate wheelchairs in vehicles. Finally, participants were asked aside from increased funding, what was the most important change that could be made to help them provide services to Ohioans with disabilities. Despite being asked to list other changes besides funding, the most frequent response was improvements to funding structures. Below are the top five themes that emerged from participant responses to this question along with representative quotes from participants: •
•
•
•
•
Funding •
“Long term funding commitments to allow for planning and growth of service. If rates can be changed or grants only for one year how do you expand services and take the risk?”
•
“Increase funding solves a lot. The people we serve aren't the issue. It’s always the funding.”
Improvements to ride coordination •
“Greater regional organization for coordinated multi-agency cooperation.”
•
“Coordination with other transportation providers may help with some efficiencies.”
Rules and regulations •
“Revise outdated rules and streamline documentation”
•
“Taking away the layers of governing-remove ODOT regulations, we are already governed by OOD”
Communications •
“A new way of communicating transportation needs. The current way doesn't work at all.”
•
“Training to all that NMT is public transportation. The concept of NMT must wait, must return outside of route time is not ok. We take time to explain we are public transportation and not personal chauffeurs.”
Increased staffing •
“We need to be able to hire and retain drivers so that we have enough buses on the road to provide regular service in the county.”
•
“More staff, making services that are available easier to access.”
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Discussion
Comparison of Results from Ohioans with Disabilities and Ohio Transportation Providers Based on the results of this survey, it is clear that transportation accessibility for Ohioans with disabilities remains a challenge from both the perspectives of Ohioans with disabilities and Ohio transportation providers. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing issues and further limited transportation access and options for Ohioans with disabilities. After the onset of the pandemic, slight differences in the top transportation methods for Ohioans with disabilities were observed with less utilization of public transit as a result of health and safety concerns. Additionally, COVID-19 has impacted transportation in Ohio for people with disabilities and transportation providers in terms of access, availability, scheduling, funding, capacity, and staffing shortages.
Executive Summary
Although there are still clear challenges related to transportation accessibility for Ohioans with disabilities, there appears to be a disconnect between the perceptions of Ohioans with disabilities and Ohio transportation providers. Specifically, when asked if transportation providers are able to serve people with all types of disability in the community, 44% of transportation providers felt that they were “always” able to serve all types of disability in the community. However, only an estimated 33% of Ohioans with disabilities felt the same before the pandemic and this percentage dropped to 26% after the pandemic. Additionally, when asked if there is excellent communication between riders with disabilities and transportation providers, 71% of transportation providers felt there was excellent communication between riders and providers. However, only an estimated 29% of Ohioans with disabilities felt the same, which again worsened with the pandemic, with only 22% feeling that communication was excellent between riders and providers. Based on the responses from participants with disabilities, it appears that some transportation providers may be overestimating their ability to serve the full diversity of disability in their community and may be unaware of the extent of communication challenges that riders with disabilities are experiencing. Furthermore, although transportation provider organizations that served only people with disabilities were more likely to provide adequate training to its employees on disability and to have certifications related to providing services to people with disabilities, these types of organizations were more likely to report experiencing challenges in serving people with disabilities compared to organizations that serve all members of the community. Specifically, organizations that served only people with disabilities were more likely to report challenges with regulation and reimbursement,
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providing the level of service they want to provide, coordination, and being able to accommodate the diversity of riders with disabilities in the community compared to organizations that serve all members of the community. One hypothesis for this difference may be because organizations that serve both people with and without disabilities are generally larger organizations with more resources. For example, in our sample of transportations providers, on average, participants from organizations that served only people with disabilities had smaller fleet sizes. Specifically, 65% of participants from organizations that served only people with disabilities had 10 vehicles or less in their fleet and only 35% had fleets with 11 vehicles or more. Whereas, participants from organizations that serve both people with and without disabilities had larger fleets overall with 58% having 11 or more vehicles. Targeted interventions to help improve the capacity of transportation organizations that only serve people with disabilities to expand their services may be needed.
Comparison of Results to 2017 Transportation Report Findings Safe and Affordable Transportation Options In the 2017 report “Transportation Challenges for Ohioans with Disabilities,” finding safe transportation was identified as a main concern. However, finding safe transportation prior to the pandemic was not identified as one of the main transportation concerns in this 2021 sample of Ohioans with disabilities. In fact, it is estimated that 50% of Ohioans with disabilities were always able to find safe transportation to get to where they needed or wanted to go prior to the pandemic with only an estimated 2% citing that they were never able to find safe transportation. While feelings of being able to find safe transportation may have improved since the previous report, new safety concerns have emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many participants reported feeling unsafe to travel due to the pandemic and specifically cited health and safety concerns with transportation and some transportation providers not following COVID-19 public health safety guidelines. Another main finding from the 2017 report was that finding affordable transportation was very difficult for Ohioans with disabilities. Findings of the 2021 survey show that the affordability of transportation is still a concern for Ohioans with disabilities. Specifically, among participants with disabilities who use public or hired transportation, 49% of participants reported that they only “sometimes” or “never” had enough money to pay for transportation to get to where they needed or wanted to go. Similarly, 53% of participants with disabilities who use public or hired transportation reported that they only “sometimes” or “never” could get transportation at an affordable or discounted rate.
Operation Times and Locations Also similar to the 2017 report, it appears that a large percentage of Ohioans with disabilities continue to find that transportation options do not operate at the times nor the locations needed in their communities, thereby restricting access to employment, medical appointments, and social activities. It is estimated that 48% of Ohioans with disabilities can only “sometimes” or can “never” find transportation options in their
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community at the times and locations needed, with Ohioans with disabilities from rural and Appalachian counties having the most difficulty. The 2021 findings also found similar trends to 2017 in terms of few transportation providers offering service on weekends, particularly Sundays. However, since 2017, there may be a slight trend in fewer organizations offering no service on weekends and more organizations offering regular service on weekends. For example, in the sample of 232 transportation providers in 2017, 37% of participants reported offering no services on Saturdays and 49% reported offering no services on Sundays.2 However in the 2021 sample of 233 different transportation providers, 27% of participants reported offering no services on Saturdays and 37% reported offering no services on Sundays. Although these surveys were not conducted on the same individuals and cannot be directly compared, it does appear that there may be a positive trend in more transportation providers offering services to people with disabilities on the weekends.
Serving the Diversity of Disability within the Community In terms of serving the diversity of people with disabilities in the community, many Ohioans with disabilities continued to report problems with transportation providers “never” being able to or only “sometimes” being able to serve people with all types of disabilities, which has worsened with the pandemic. Again, Ohioans with disabilities from rural and Appalachian counties encountered the most challenges with transportation providers being able to serve the diversity of disability in their community.
Scheduling Additionally, as with the 2017 report, most participants with disabilities continue to find it challenging to schedule transportation that has worsened with the COVID-19 pandemic with at least 61% of Ohioans with disabilities experiencing at least one problem related to scheduling during the pandemic.
Flexibility in Travel Destinations The final main finding from the 2017 report was that Ohioans with disabilities could not make spontaneous or flexible travel decisions. Similar to the 2017 finding, only an estimated 33% of Ohioans with disabilities can make spontaneous or flexible travel decisions. Again, Ohioans with disabilities from rural and Appalachian counties were most limited in their transportation options and were more likely to report never being able to make spontaneous transportation plans.
2017 Report Recommendations The 2017 survey respondents felt the following things were needed to improve transportation for Ohioans with disabilities: •
Improvements to regulation and reimbursement for transportation in Ohio.2
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•
Better communication between riders with disabilities and transportation providers.2
•
Better coordination across agencies involved in Ohio transportation.2
•
Finally, more on-demand accessible transportation, such as Uber and Lyft.2
Based on the findings from the 2021 survey, it does not appear that any of the 2017 recommendations have been effectively implemented. A majority of transportation providers continue to report that regulation and reimbursement for transportation prevent them from providing excellent service to Ohioans with disabilities. Specifically, funding continues to be cited as the main barrier to providing excellent services to Ohioans with disabilities. Additionally, from the perspective of participants with disabilities, communication between riders with disabilities and transportation providers continues to need improvement and has worsened with the pandemic. Participants with disabilities also reported continued issues with the number of transportation options they have in their community and the reliability of rides. In terms of coordination, only 18% of transportation providers indicated that there is “always” excellent coordination across relevant agencies to provide transportation services to Ohioans with disabilities, indicating that better coordination is still needed. Finally, improvements to the accessibility of ride share services is still needed as only 8% of participants with disabilities felt that these services are “always” accessible. One potential area of exploration is reducing costs for these services. Another potential area of exploration is finding ways to improve accessibility for Ohioans with mobility disabilities, such as bringing to the Ohio market existing accessible ride share services from major providers (e.g. Uber WAV, Uber Assist, Lyft Access Rides, Lyft Assisted Rides), which offer wheelchair accessible vehicles and trained drivers to assist people with disabilities. Of note, it appears that some participants from Appalachian counties experienced improved accessibility to ride share services during the pandemic in comparison to their experience prior to the pandemic. Specifically, only 2% of participants from Appalachian counties reported that ride share services such as Uber and Lyft were “always” accessible prior to the pandemic. However, when asked about their ride share experiences during the pandemic, the percentage of participants from Appalachian counties reporting that these services were “always” accessible increased to 14% (a 12% increase). Thus, another potential area of exploration may be to understand how Appalachian counties may have changed or improved the accessibility of their ride share services during the pandemic that might benefit people with disabilities across the state.
Additional Comparison to 2017 Findings In addition to the main findings and follow-up on implementations of the recommendations from the 2017 report, there were several other comparisons of note observed between the 2017 and 2021 findings. First, Ohioans with disabilities continue to rely on private transportation (rides from family members, friends, and staff) and cite accessibility challenges to other forms of transportation and those transportation options being less preferable or realistic. In terms of changing perspectives from transportation providers since 2017, it appears that transportation providers may feel like they are less able to provide the level of service that they want to provide to Ohioans with disabilities than in 2017. In the
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sample of 232 transportation providers in 2017, 66% of participants strongly agreed or agreed that they were able to provide the level of services to people with disabilities that they want to provide.2 However in the 2021 sample of 233 different transportation providers, only 58% strongly agreed or agreed to the same statement. Although these surveys were not conducted on the same individuals and cannot be directly compared, it does appear that there is a downward trend in transportation providers feeling that they can provide the level of service that they want to people with disabilities. Conversely, it appears that Ohio transportation providers may have an increasing interest in wanting to offer people with disabilities more services than they currently offer or improving existing services. Among the sample of transportation providers in 2017, 52% indicated wanting to expand services or improve existing services,2 whereas in the sample from 2021, 67% reported that they wanted to expand or improve services. Which again may suggest a changing trend from 2017. Similar to 2017, transportation providers continue to want to expand services (such as offering evening and weekend services) and obtain more or larger vehicles, and specifically increasing their ability to accommodate wheelchairs in vehicles. In terms of challenges that riders with disabilities pose to transportation providers, as in 2017, transportation providers continue to find accommodating riders with a wheelchair to be the biggest challenge. Additionally, funding continues to be the priority concern to be able to address the identified issues that prevents transportation providers from meeting the needs of riders with disabilities. Finally, other encouraging trends among transportation providers were observed in terms of improving knowledge of the ADA and training and certification. In the 2017 sample of transportation providers, 88% of participants strongly agreed or agreed that they understand their responsibilities as a transportation provider under the ADA.2 Whereas, in the 2021 sample, nearly all participants (96%) strongly agreed or agreed to the same statement. Additionally, there may be some small improvements in organizations providing adequate training to its employees on serving people with disabilities. In 2017, 88% felt their organization provided adequate training,2 and in 2021 this number may be trending upward with 92% feeling that their organization provides adequate training on disability. Finally, the amount of organizations with certifications related to serving people with disabilities in Ohio may be increasing. In 2017, 73% of participants reported having a certification2 and in the 2021 sample this number was 81%.
Conclusions This follow-up study to the 2017 report “Transportation Challenges for Ohioans with Disabilities” reached a diverse range of people with disabilities and transportation providers across all regions of Ohio. Through a survey weighting methodology, estimates were produced for the disability module survey responses that are more representative of the transportation experiences of all Ohioans with disabilities. Based on the findings from this survey, the four key questions stated in the introduction section of this report were answered. First, in terms of the current status of transportation accessibility for Ohioans with disabilities, it was found that transportation accessibility for Ohioans with disabilities continues to be a challenge from both the perspective of participants with disabilities and transportation providers.
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Second, survey participants identified the same or similar transportation challenges as the participants from the 2017 report. Finding affordable transportation that operates at the times and the locations needed in their communities, with transportation providers that can serve and accommodate the diversity of people with disabilities in the community, without long wait times, and the ability to make spontaneous or flexible travel decisions all continue to be concerns or challenges for Ohioans with disabilities. Third, it does not appear that any of the 2017 recommendations were effectively implemented. Transportation providers continue to cite regulation and reimbursement for transportation in Ohio as major issues as well as the need for better coordination across agencies involved with transportation. In addition, participants with disabilities continue to indicate that better communication is needed between riders with disabilities and transportation providers as well as that on-demand ride share services are not accessible for the diversity of disability in the community. Finally, this survey identified several new transportation challenges that were not identified in the 2017 report. Most of these new identified challenges were a direct result of the COVID-19 impact on transportation. For riders with disabilities, new safety concerns with transportation have emerged, particularly around health and safety, which has resulted in less utilization of the various transportation options in Ohio. Also for riders with disabilities, the pandemic has negatively impacted the accessibility, availability, and scheduling of transportation in Ohio. Additionally for Ohio transportation providers, the pandemic has had a negative impact resulting in loss of revenue, rising costs, staffing shortages, and reduced overall capacity. This survey also highlighted regional differences by county type and differences by disability and provider types that may be useful in targeted interventions to improve transportation accessibility for all. Specifically, a theme emerged where, in general, all challenges that were identified regarding transportation across Ohio were magnified for participants from rural and Appalachian counties. Additionally, it was observed that some transportation providers may be overestimating their ability to serve the full diversity of disability in their community and are unaware of the extent of communication challenges that riders with disabilities are experiencing, which suggests the need for additional training specific to these topics. In conclusion, transportation in Ohio continues to be a challenge for Ohioans with disabilities and new challenges have emerged as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both participants with disabilities and transportation providers highlighted several main themes that would greatly improve transportation for Ohioans with disabilities. From the perspectives of transportation providers, improved funding, better ride coordination, decreased rules and regulations, better communication, and increased staffing are all needed to improve services for Ohioans with disabilities. From the perspective of Ohioans with disabilities, ensuring that there are more accessible transportation options in Ohio, transportation services are reliable, policies are improved to prioritize transportation access in the community, and appropriate transportation is available near individuals’ homes are all needed to improve transportation in Ohio. Additionally, some participants with disabilities cited that their transportation options are able to meet their needs. Future studies may want to look into the specific areas that are working well and how these examples can be scaled across the state to meet the needs of all Ohioans with disabilities. Furthermore, as Ohio considers making improvements or expansions to transportation options as a result of federal or state infrastructure legislation, those involved need to ensure these transportation services are universally designed so that all Ohioans can benefit, including Ohioans with disabilities.
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References
References 1. Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council. (2015). Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council Five-Year State Plan 2017-2021 for Developmental Disabilities. Available at https://ddc.ohio.gov/Portals/0/2017-2021-state-plan-final.pdf.
Executive Summary
2. The Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center. (2017).Transportation Challenges for Ohioans with Disabilities. Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council. Available at https://ddc.ohio.gov/Resource-Library/ Publications/Transportation-Challenges-for-Ohioans-with-Disabilities. 3. World Health Organization. International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). Geneva: 2001, WHO. Available at https://www.who.int/ classifications/international-classification-of-functioning-disability-and-health. 4. Williams AS, Moore SM. Universal design of research: inclusion of persons with disabilities in mainstream biomedical studies. Sci Transl Med. 2011;3 (82):82cm12. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3002133. 5. Markesich J. (2008). Surveying Persons with Disabilities: A Source Guide, Version II. Available at https://www.researchgate.net publication/254430424_Surveying_Persons_with_Disabilities_A_Source_Guide_Ve rsion_II. 6. Havercamp SM, Krahn GL, Larson SA, Fujiura G, Goode TD, Kornblau BL; National Health Surveillance for IDD Workgroup. Identifying People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in National Population Surveys. Intellect Dev Disabil. 2019 Oct;57(5):376-389. doi: 10.1352/1934-9556-57.5.376. PMID: 31568737. 7. United States Department of Health and Human Services (2011). HHS Implementation Guidance on Data Collection Standards for Race, Ethnicity, Sex, Primary Language, and Disability Status. Available at https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/ hhs-implementation-guidance-data-collection-standards-race-ethnicity-sex-primary -language-disability-0.
8. The Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey. (2019). 2019 OMAS Survey. Available at http://grc.osu.edu/OMAS/2019Survey.
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9. LGBT Demographic Data Interactive. (January 2019). Los Angeles, CA: The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law. Available at https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/ visualization/lgbt-stats/?topic=LGBT#density. 10. United States Census Bureau. (2019). Quick Facts Ohio. Available at https:// www.census.gov/quickfacts/OH.
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Appendices Appendix A: Survey for Ohio Adults with Disabilities
This is a survey about transportation access for people with disabilities in Ohio. The survey is funded by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (Ohio DD Council). The Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center (GRC) is helping the Ohio DD Council to conduct this survey. Survey responses will be used to help make transportation better for Ohioans with disabilities. We want to hear about your experiences with transportation in Ohio. You may choose to have someone else assist you with completing this survey. The survey is anonymous. This means we will not be able to find out who you are from your responses. The survey is voluntary. You can choose to not complete the survey or to skip any of the questions in the survey and nothing bad will happen to you. Your choices about this survey will not affect any relationships with GRC or the Ohio DD Council or affect any of the services you receive. The survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Ann Robinson at Ann.Robinson@osumc.edu or at 614-366-9851.
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1)
Please check the box that best describes you: I have a disability I am responding on behalf of someone with a disability None of these choices describe me
First, we want to know about your disability so we can understand how transportation in Ohio impacts different groups of people with disabilities like you. The first 8 questions are related to disability, impairments, and mobility supports. 2)
Do you have an intellectual or developmental disability? Examples of intellectual and/or developmental disabilities include autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, and so on. Yes No Don’t Know
3)
Are you deaf, or do you have serious difficulty hearing? Yes No Don’t Know
4)
Are you blind, or do you have serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses? | 73
Yes No Don’t Know 5)
Do you have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs? Yes No Don’t Know
6)
Do you have difficulty dressing or bathing? Yes No Don’t Know
7)
Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions? Yes No Don’t Know
8)
Because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, do you have difficulty doing errands alone, such as visiting a doctor's office or shopping? Yes No Don’t Know
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9)
Do you use any of the following mobility supports to get around? (Select all items that apply to you) None Support cane or crutches Walker or rollator Manual wheelchair Motorized wheelchair or scooter White cane Service animal Orthoses (ankle foot orthoses (AFO), foot orthoses (KAFO), etc.) Prosthesis Other: _______________________________________________ Don't know
10) Do you own a car, van, or other vehicle? Yes No Don’t Know 11) Do you use any of the following devices to schedule rides (such as Uber, Lyft, paratransit, ride from staff, etc.) to get where you need or want to go? (Select all items that apply to you) Cell phone: smartphone (with touchscreen) Cell phone: basic phone with raised buttons (such as flip phone) | 75
Landline or home phone iPad or tablet Computer Other: _______________________________________________ I do not travel via Uber, Lyft, paratransit, ride from staff, etc. These types of transportation are not available in my area Instructions: The next questions are about your transportation experiences BEFORE the COVID-19 Pandemic 12) Please select all the ways you got to the places you needed or wanted to go before the COVID-19 pandemic. (Select all items that apply to you) Commemorative I drove myself I rode my bike I walked or rolled (wheelchair/scooter) I got a ride from family I got a ride from a friend I got a ride from staff I took the bus I used a paratransit service I used a direct ride paratransit or other transportation service for ___ people with disabilities (such as COTA Mainstream on-demand __ _ __ service) I used a taxi I used Uber, Lyft, or other ride sharing service I used a local train | 76
I used another way: ______________________________________ 13) Please select the main or preferred way you got to the places you needed or wanted to go before the COVID-19 pandemic. (Select one) I drove myself I rode my bike I walked or rolled (wheelchair/scooter) I got a ride from family I got a ride from a friend I got a ride from staff I took the bus I used a paratransit service I used a direct ride paratransit or other transportation service for ___ people with disabilities (such as COTA Mainstream on-demand __ _ __ service) I used a taxi I used Uber, Lyft, or other ride sharing service I used a local train I used another way: ______________________________________ 14) Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I could find safe transportation to get to where I needed or wanted to go. Always Sometimes Never | 77
Don't know Does not apply to me 15) Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I had enough money to pay for transportation to get to where I needed or wanted to go. Always Sometimes Never Don't know Does not apply to me 16) Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I could get transportation at an affordable or discounted rate. Always Sometimes Never Don't know Does not apply to me 17) Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I could use transportation options to go where I wanted, when I wanted to go there. Always Sometimes Never Don't know Does not apply to me 18) Before the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation options in my community operated at the times and locations that I needed. Always Sometimes | 78
Never Don't know Does not apply to me 19) Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was easy to schedule transportation. Always Sometimes Never Don't know Does not apply to me 20) Before the COVID-19 pandemic, my transportation arrived on time to pick me up. Always Sometimes Never Don't know Does not apply to me 21) Before the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation providers were able to serve people with all types of disabilities. Always Sometimes Never Don't know Does not apply to me 22) Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt that there was excellent communication between transportation providers and riders. Always | 79
Sometimes Never Don't know Does not apply to me 23) Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt that ride share services such as Uber and Lyft were accessible. Always Sometimes Never Don't know Does not apply to me Instructions: The next questions are about your CURRENT transportation experiences DURING the COVID-19 Pandemic.
24) Please select all the ways you get to the places you need or want to go right now during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Select all items that apply to you) I drive myself I ride my bike I walk or roll (wheelchair/scooter) I get a ride from family I get a ride from a friend I get a ride from staff I take the bus I use a paratransit service | 80
I use a direct ride paratransit or other transportation service for _ ___ people with disabilities (such as COTA Mainstream on-demand __ _ __ service) I use a taxi I use Uber, Lyft, or other ride sharing service I use a train I use another way: ______________________________________
25) Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the options you have for transportation in your community? Yes No Don’t Know If you answered “Yes,” please describe how the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way you get around:
26) What current problems do you have with transportation that are related to the COVID-19 pandemic? (Select all items that apply to you) No problems with transportation in my community because of the COVID-19 pandemic Feel unsafe to travel due to COVID-19 pandemic
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Transportation providers do not follow COVID-19 public health safety guidelines (such as wearing a mask) Transportation options are not available near COVID-19 testing locations Transportation options are not near COVID-19 vaccination locations Other: _________________________________________________ 27) What current problems do you have with transportation that are related to scheduling? (Select all items that apply to you) No problems with scheduling transportation in my community It is difficult to schedule or plan transportation Do not know how to schedule or plan transportation Cannot find transportation on short notice (within 24 hours) Cannot change my transportation plans on short notice without impacting my ride Transportation is not available at the times I need Transportation does not come on time The wait times Other: __________________________________________________ 28) What current problems do you have with transportation that are related to accessibility? (Select all items that apply to you) No problems with accessibility of transportation in my community There are no transportation providers | 82
Vehicles are not accessible Car or van breaks down a lot Transportation is too expensive There is no place to sit at bus stops There is not enough space to use my mobility device Routes have been removed in my area There are no stops near my home There are no stops near my job There are no stops near where I want to go Other: __________________________________________________
29) During the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel that I can find a ride share service vehicle in my area, such as Uber and Lyft, that is accessible to me. Always Sometimes Never Don't know Does not apply 30) During the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel that transportation providers are currently able to serve people with all types of disabilities in my community. Always Sometimes Never Don't know
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Does not apply to me 31) During the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel that there is excellent communication between transportation providers and riders. Always Sometimes Never Don't know Does not apply to me The final questions in this survey are so we can make sure we reach a diverse group of survey participants. This will mean that the survey findings represent the diversity of Ohioans with disabilities. 32) How old were you on your last birthday? __________________________ 33) In which Ohio County do you live? Please write the county name: _______________________________ I do not live in Ohio Don't know 34) What is the highest level of school you completed, or the highest degree received? Less than first grade First through 8th grade Some high school, but no diploma Vocational, trade, or high school graduate or GED | 84
Some college, but not degree Associate degree (1-2 year occupational, technical or academic program) Four year college graduate/bachelor’s degree Advanced degree (including master’s, professional degree, or doctorate) 35) Are you of Hispanic or Latino origin? Yes No 36) Which one or more of the following would you say is your race? (Select all that apply) White Black or African American Asian Native American, American Indian, or Alaskan Native Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander Other: _________________________________________________
37) What is your gender (gender identity)? Male Female Other
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If you answered “other,” please write below other ways you would describe your gender identity: _________________________ 38) What describes your sexual orientation? (Select all that apply) Straight (attracted to someone of the opposite sex) Gay or Lesbian (attracted to someone of the same sex) Bisexual Queer Asexual Other Prefer not to say If you answered “other,” please write below other ways you would describe your sexual orientation: _________________________ 39) Do you live in a: House or apartment alone House or apartment with significant other House or apartment with family House or apartment with roommate(s) Group home Nursing home Developmental center
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Foster home Other: _________________________________________________ 40) What is your work status? Work full-time Work part-time Work as a volunteer I do not work Other: ____________________________________________
_________________ 41) If you have additional comments about your experience with transportation in Ohio, please write them below:
Thank you for completing the survey! If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Ann Robinson at Ann.Robinson@osumc.edu or at 614366-9851. This project is conducted by the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center, supported, in part by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, under grant number 18PP05SC21 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.D. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.
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Appendix B: Survey for Ohio Transportation Providers
This is a survey about transportation access for people with disabilities in Ohio. Disability is defined as any impairment in body function or structure, activity limitation, and/or participation restriction. Disability categories include physical, mental, intellectual, developmental, and sensory (blindness/deafness) disabilities. The survey is funded by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (Ohio DD Council). The Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center (GRC) is helping the Ohio DD Council to conduct this survey. We want to hear about your experiences as a transportation provider in Ohio (anyone who provides or delivers transportation services in Ohio). The survey is anonymous and voluntary. You can choose not to complete the survey or to skip any of the questions in the survey and nothing bad will happen to you or affect your relationships with GRC or the Ohio DD Council. Results will only be reported in aggregate and individual responses will not be able to be identified. The survey will take approximate 20 minutes to complete. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Ann Robinson at Ann.Robinson@osumc.edu or at 614-366-9851.
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42)
How would you classify your organization?
(Select all that apply) Local Transportation Authority Regional Transportation Authority Taxi service Non-medical transportation provider Ride-share provider (Uber, Lyft) Paratransit provider Homemaker/personal care (HPC) transportation services provider Other: _______________________________________________ 43)
Is your organization public or private? Public Private not-for-profit Private for-profit Other: _______________________________________________
44) Do you only serve people with disabilities or do you serve people without disabilities as well? Only serve people with disabilities Serve both people with and without disabilities Don't know 45) Does your organization currently receive any federal funds for the transportation services you provide? Yes No | 89
Don't know 46) How many vehicles does your organization operate? Include company vehicles and personal vehicles. ____________ 47)
What Ohio county or counties does your organization serve?
____________________________ 48)
What days of the week do you operate? Please select all that apply. Regular Service
Limited Service
No Service
Don’t Know
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
49) What are your organization’s earliest and latest pickup times on a typical weekday? | 90
If the time is not on the hour, please round up to the next hour for the earliest time (5:20AM would be 6AM) and round down for the latest hour (10:40PM would be 10PM). Earliest: ___________ Latest:
__________
50) How many one-way rides does your organization provide in a typical weekday? ____________ 51) About what percentage of these one-way rides include at least one person with a disability? ____________ 52)
What are your earliest and latest pickup times on a typical weekend day?
If the time is not on the hour, please round up to the next hour for the earliest time (5:20AM would be 6AM) and round down for the latest hour (10:40PM would be 10PM). Earliest: ___________ Latest:
__________
53) How many one-way rides does your organization provide in a typical weekend day?
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____________ 54) About what percentage of these one-way rides includes at least one person with a disability? ____________
55) I am able to provide the level of service to Ohioans with disabilities that I want to provide. Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know If you answered “disagree” or “strongly disagree”, please explain why you disagree with this statement:
56) Serving Ohioans with disabilities creates significant difficulties for my organization. Strongly agree | 92
Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know If you answered “agree” or “strongly agree”, please explain why you disagree with this statement:
57) I understand my responsibilities as a transportation provider under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know If you answered “disagree” or “strongly disagree”, please explain why you disagree with this statement:
58) All operators and other staff in my organization understand their responsibilities as a transportation provider under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
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Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know If you answered “disagree” or “strongly disagree”, please explain why you disagree with this statement:
59) My organization provides adequate training to its employees on serving people with all types of disabilities. Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know If you answered “disagree” or “strongly disagree”, please explain why you disagree with this statement:
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60) I feel that current regulations and reimbursement structures allow me to provide excellent services to riders with disabilities. Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know If you answered “disagree” or “strongly disagree”, please explain why you disagree with this statement:
61) My organization has one or more certifications related to serving people with disabilities. Yes No Don’t know 62) I feel that my organization is currently able to serve people with all types of disabilities in my service area. Always Sometimes Never Don’t Know | 95
Does not apply to me If you answered “sometimes” or “never”, please explain why you indicated “sometimes” or “never:”
63) I feel that there is excellent communication between my organization and riders with disabilities. Always Sometimes Never Don’t Know Does not apply to me If you answered “sometimes” or “never”, please explain why you indicated “sometimes” or “never:”
64) I feel there is excellent coordination across relevant agencies to provide transportation services to Ohioans with disabilities.
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Always Sometimes Never Don’t Know Does not apply to me If you answered “sometimes” or “never”, please explain why you indicated “sometimes” or “never:”
Instructions: Mark how easy or difficult is it for your organization to accommodate the following types of riders:
Easy
Somewhat difficult
Cannot Very difficult accommodate at all
A rider with a disability who does not use a wheelchair A rider with a disability who uses a wheelchair A rider with a disability who has a service animal | 97
A rider with a disability who has a personal assistant 65)
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your transportation services?
66) In the course of your work, you may have experienced challenges when trying to provide the type or quality of service you want to provide to riders with a disability. What has been the greatest challenge when it comes to servicing riders with a disability?
67) Are there services you would like to offer to riders with disabilities, but have been unable to provide? Yes No, but we would like to improve existing services No
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If you answered “Yes” or “No, but we would like to improve existing services”, please explain what you would like to offer to riders with disabilities, but have been unable to provide:
68) Aside from increased funding, what is the most important change that could be made to help you provide services to people with disabilities?
Thank you for your participation in this survey! If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Ann Robinson at Ann.Robinson@osumc.edu or at 614-366-9851. This project is conducted by the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center, supported, in part by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, under grant number 18PP05SC21 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.D. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.
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Appendix C: Technical Description of Survey Weighting Methods In total, 707 responses to the survey were collected that met the inclusion criteria of 1) living in Ohio 2) 19 years of age or older and 3) completed 75% or more of the survey. The survey was conducted with a non-probability methodology and therefore was not directly representative of the population of Ohio adults with a disability. Therefore, non-probability weighting methods were applied in order to make the survey more reflective of the population. This was done by utilizing estimates about the Ohio population of adults with a disability from the 2019 Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey (OMAS),8 a randomized probability sample of Ohioans and calibrating the transportation survey to those estimates. Using the OMAS, the following population estimates were calculated: 1. The total number of Ohioans 19 years or older who self-reported a disability as defined selecting “yes” to any of the 6 functional disability questions or the developmental disability question. 2. The total number of Ohioans 19 years or older who are deaf or having serious difficulty hearing 3. The total number of Ohioans 19 years or older who are deaf or having serious difficult seeing 4. The total number of Ohioans 19 years or older who have serious difficult walking or climbing stairs 5. The total number of Ohioans 19 years or older who have difficult dressing or bathing 6. The total number of Ohioans 19 years or older who have serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition 7. The total number of Ohioans 19 years or older who have difficulty doing errands alone because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition 8. The total number of Ohioans 19 or older who have a developmental disability 9. The total number of Ohioans 19 years or older who self-reported a disability by gender 10. The total number of Ohioans 19 years or older who self-reported a disability by age groups 11. The total number of Ohioans 19 years or older who self-reported a disability by education category 12. The total number of Ohioans 19 years or older who self-reported a disability by raceethnicity Using the corresponding demographic questions from our transportation survey, a small amount of missing data for the age category, gender, education category, and race-ethnicity variables was imputed in order to have complete data on the weighting variables. Imputation was completed using a sequential hotdeck approach. To start, each transportation survey observation was assigned a weight of 1. Then using an iterative multiplicative raking algorithm, the weights of the observations were adjusted to match the estimates from the OMAS survey for the particular estimates identified above. Lastly, after checking the weights for large
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outliers, a weight-trimming step was performed to reduce the influence of observations with the largest weights.
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Appendix D: Raw Survey Responses for Participants with Disabilities Figure I. Please select all the ways you got to the places you needed or wanted to go before the COVID-19 pandemic. 70%
66.1%
60%
50%
40%
34.1% 30.3%
30% 18.2%
20% 12.2% 10%
0%
6.5%
17.3%
17.5%
18.1%
16.0% 8.9%
8.8% 0.6%
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Figure II. Please select the main or preferred way you got to the places you needed or wanted to go before the COVID-19 pandemic. 40% 35.2%
35% 30% 25%
19.2%
20% 15% 10%
8.6%
8.3% 5.9%
5%
3.3% 0.6%
0%
5.5%
6.4%
5.0% 1.6%
3.3% 0.3%
1.1%
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Figure III. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I could find safe transportation to get to where I needed or wanted to go. 50% 45%
42.7%
45.3%
40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10%
6.5% 2.8%
5% 0%
Always
Sometimes
Never
2.3%
0.4% Don't know
Does not apply to me
Missing
Figure IV. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I had enough money to pay for transportation to get to where I needed or wanted to go. 40%
35.8%
35%
30.8%
30% 25%
21.8%
20% 15% 10%
7.2%
5% 0%
2.7% Always
Sometimes
Never
Don't know
1.7% Does not apply to me
Missing
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Figure V. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I could use transportation options to go where I wanted, when I wanted to go there. 50%
44.0%
45% 40% 35% 30% 25%
25.6%
20%
16.7%
15% 8.4%
10%
4.8%
5% 0%
0.6% Always
Sometimes
Never
Don't know
Does not apply to me
Missing
Figure VI. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation options in my community operated at the times and locations that I needed. 45%
40.5%
40% 35% 30% 25%
21.2%
18.5%
20% 15%
11.2% 7.8%
10% 5% 0%
0.9% Always
Sometimes
Never
Don't know
Does not apply to me
Missing
| 105
Figure VII. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was easy to schedule transportation. 45%
41.7%
40% 35% 30% 25%
23.3% 18.5%
20% 15%
10.0%
10%
5.9%
5% 0%
0.4% Always
Sometimes
Never
Don't know
Does not apply to me
Missing
Figure VIII. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, my transportation arrived on time to pick me up. 50%
45.5%
45% 40% 35% 30% 25%
25.9% 21.1%
20% 15% 10%
4.4%
5% 0%
Always
Sometimes
Never
2.3% Don't know
0.9% Does not apply to me
Missing
| 106
Figure IX. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt that ride share services such as Uber and Lyft were accessible. 40%
36.9%
35% 30% 25% 20%
17.3%
19.9%
17.4%
15% 10%
7.9%
5% 0%
0.6% Always
Sometimes
Never
Don't know
Does not apply to me
Missing
Figure X. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation providers were able to serve people with all types of disabilities 35% 30%
31.3% 26.7%
25%
22.5%
20% 14.0%
15% 10% 5.2%
5% 0%
0.3% Always
Sometimes
Never
Don't know
Does not apply to me
Missing
| 107
Figure XI. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt that there was excellent communication between transportation providers and riders. 45%
39.9%
40% 35% 30% 25%
22.2% 17.7%
20% 15%
9.5%
10%
10.2%
5% 0%
0.6% Always
Sometimes
Never
Don't know
Does not apply to me
Missing
| 108
Figure XII. Please select all the ways you got to the places you need or want to go right now during the COVID-19 pandemic. 70%
65.8%
60%
50%
40% 30.8% 30%
25.9%
20%
10%
0%
17.1% 10.3%
9.9% 5.7%
14.0%
11.5%
10.3% 6.6%
4.7% 0.1%
0.3%
| 109
Figure XIII. What current problems do you have with transportation that are related to the COVID-19 pandemic? 50%
47.1%
45% 40% 35% 30% 25%
23.2%
23.1%
20% 15% 8.6%
10%
4.2%
5% 0%
No problems with Feel unsafe to transportation in travel due to my community COVID-19 because of the pandemic COVID-19 pandemic
6.4%
3.7%
Transportation Transportation Transportation providers do not options are not options are not follow COVID-19 available near available near public health COVID-19 testing COVID-19 safety guidelines locations vaccination (such as wearing locations a mask)
Other
Missing
| 110
Figure XIV. What current problems do you have with transportation that are related to scheduling? 35%
32.7% 30.6%
30%
28.7%
27.9%
27.0% 23.9%
25% 19.4%
20%
15% 11.5%
12.2%
10% 6.2% 5%
0%
| 111
Figure XV. What current problems do you have with transportation that are related to accessibility? 45%
40%
38.2%
35%
30%
25%
20%
19.7%
18.5%
15.4% 15% 12.0% 11.9%
11.9% 9.2%
10%
5%
5.0%
6.1%
6.1%
6.8%
4.4%
0%
| 112
Figure XVI. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel that I can find a ride share service vehicle in my area, such as Uber and Lyft, that is accessible to me. 40% 34.4%
35% 30% 25%
20.4%
20%
18.5%
16.1%
15% 10%
8.5%
5% 0%
2.1% Always
Sometimes
Never
Don't know
Does not apply
Missing
Figure XVII. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel that transportation providers are currently able to serve people with all types of disabilities in my community. 40% 34.1%
35% 30%
25.0%
25% 20%
17.5%
15%
11.6%
10.8%
10% 5% 0%
1.0% Always
Sometimes
Never
Don't know
Does not apply
Missing
| 113
Figure XVIII. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel that there is excellent communication between transportation providers and riders. 45% 38.8%
40% 35% 30% 25% 20%
18.7%
16.8%
14.1%
15%
10.8%
10% 5% 0%
0.9% Always
Sometimes
Never
Don't know
Does not apply
Missing
| 114
Appendix E: Infographic Fact Sheets
| 115
What are the main ways Ohioans with disabilities are getting to the places they need or want to go?
How often can Ohioans with disabilities find a ride when and where they need it?
How often do Ohioans with disabilities think it is easy to schedule a ride to where they need or want to go?
How often are Ohio transportation providers able to give rides to people with all types of disabilities?
Questions and answers from a 2021 survey of people with disabilities and people who give rides in Ohio. Q: Can people with disabilities find a ride to get where they need to go?
A: A lot of people with disabilities in Ohio do not feel they can find rides to where they need to go when they want to go there.
Things that make it hard for people with disabilities to find rides are:
Q: Do you think steps have been taken to make it easier for people with disabilities to get a ride in Ohio?
A: No. Both people with disabilities and people who give rides in Ohio think finding a ride is not getting easier.
Things that could make it easier for people with disabilities to find a ride are:
Q: What would make getting a ride in Ohio better?
A: Both people with disabilities and people who give rides in Ohio think there are ways to improve rides for people with disabilities in Ohio.
Things that would improve rides are:
Can’t pay for rides
Need more options
“Funding for transportation, along with providers, is nonexistent for me in the area where I live.”
“I would like to have more transportation options so my family does not have to take me everywhere.”
“Scheduling and affordability are my biggest concerns. I have missed opportunities due to this.” “Need more programs to make accessible vans affordable”
“We need more options and more times available.”
Need more flexibility in scheduling transportation “People with all kinds of disabilities need access to on-demand transportation.” “We need an ability to get a ride with less notice!” “Lyft and Uber were life changing for me providing me with so much independence.”
The transportation options I have do not work for me “I have NO power wheelchair accessibility options available to me except one provider who is dangerous and unreliable to take me to medical appointments or adult services.” “The transportation in Ohio is horrible for someone like me with a disability - currently I don't have insurance that provides it (Medicare) and the Ubers/Lyfts are very expensive and not always available.”
Transportation is unreliable
Can’t find rides
“Busses don’t run in my suburb and para transit is unreliable and adds hours to whatever I am trying to do.”
“I tried to work but it was hard to find rides.”
“I am afraid to rely on transportation due to scheduling, wait times, and accessibility questions.”
“I can't go to church or grocery store or just out because I have no form of transportation and have no way of paying for an accessible van to get me to go to the grocery store or just out for a ride.”
Transportation policies need to be improved “Can only have 10 trips per week with my transportation company through my waiver. I work 5 days a week and that was 10 trips (prior to COVID). Will have to find another way to get to the grocery or doctor appointments if my family can't take me. Also want to go to other places but always need someone to take me.” “Please make transportation a possibility to everyone so that we can be successful in our communities. Consider paying drivers more. Figure out how the waiver can pay for Uber and Lyft.”
Need expanded service
Rural areas lack options
“Public transportation is too limited in the hours it operates and it does not transport to doctor offices out of county.”
“Our rural county has no public transportation.”
“Need more weekend bus services”
“Please address the rural communities for elderly, and address the needs of disabled for transportation in rural communities.”
“We live in a rural area and it’s very difficult to find transportation to drive to our house.”
Can’t find rides
Need more flexibility in scheduling transportation
The transportation options I have do not work for me
Rural areas lack options Can’t pay for rides
Need more options
Transportation is unreliable
Need services expanded
Transportation policies need to be improved
This project is conducted by the Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center, supported, in part by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, under grant number 18PP05SC21 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.