Transportation use patterns of U.S. children and teenagers with disabilities

Little is known about the differences in disabled and nondisabled children's travel patterns, means of transportation, and problems in getting needed transportation.

Data from the 2002 Transportation Availability and Use Survey for Persons with Disabilities (NTAUSPD) were used to make comparisons between children (≤17 years) with disabilities and children without disabilities. Disability was defined as meeting the criteria of at least one of three disability measures: responding yes to any of the national disability questions from the 2000 U.S. Census, meeting provisions in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), or receiving special education. Using χ(2) analysis, comparisons were made across the following variables: sex, age, race, number of days leaving home, residency, household income, and availability of transportation. Children with and without disabilities were also compared in terms of their modes of transportation and destinations. Both children with and without disabilities were included in logistic regression models that considered sociodemographics, disability severity, and types of disability and their associations with the problem of getting needed transportation. Disability severity and types of disability were considered as explanatory variables in separate models because of collinearity.

Overall, 6.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.9-10.6) of children with disabilities and 4.2% (95% CI, 2.6-6.7) of children without disabilities reported having trouble getting needed transportation. While they did not differ in their mode of transportation for medical visits, local travel, and long-distance travel, children with disabilities used a bus for school travel more frequently than did children without disabilities (P < .05). The availability of various modes of transportation (personal vehicle, bus, paratransit, train, and taxi) was similar when comparisons were made between the two groups of children. Disability severity was associated with the problem of getting needed transportation in the univariable model. However, when disability severity was considered in a multivariable model, only age (odds ratio [OR], 8.59; 95% CI, 2.35-31.31) and income (OR, 6.08; 95% CI, 1.71-21.61) were statistically significant. In a separate model, the presence of mobility difficulties (OR, 6.78; 95% CI, 1.44-31.93) was statistically significant, as were age and income, while controlling for sex, race, residency, and other types of disability.

Bus transportation was used by over a third of children without disabilities and close to half of children with disabilities for school travel. Multivariable logistic models showed significant associations with the problem of getting needed transportation and the age of the child, household income, and mobility difficulties.