Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026
Development of a Virtual Reality Assessment of Everyday Living Skills
Published on: April 23, 2014
Assessing paratransit eligibility under the Americans With Disabilities Act in the rehabilitation setting
Jeanne Griffin1, David A Priddy
1Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 6501 N. Sheridan, Peoria, IL 61614, USA. jeg@ipmr.org
Objective:
To assess the usefulness of a rehabilitation-based assessment program designed to determine the eligibility, according to Americans With Disabilities Act criteria, of applicants for paratransit bus services.
Design:
Retrospective summary statistics on 500 consecutive paratransit evaluations.
Setting:
Outpatient physical medicine and rehabilitation center.
Participants:
Applicants for a community paratransit bus service.
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures:
Clinical assessment of each applicants functional physical and cognitive ability to ride a fixed-route or paratransit bus system.
Results:
Of the 500 applicants for specialized paratransit services, 38 (8%) were found to be ineligible, based on rehabilitation professionals evaluations of their physical and cognitive abilities.
Conclusions:
Mass transit organizations must adjust to the rapidly growing demand for paratransit services. Rehabilitation-based assessment programs, because of the expertise they provide in assessing functional abilities, are uniquely qualified to provide objective determinations of paratransit eligibility.
