Is ADA Effective? A Travel and Transportation Assessment

This research seeks to address this disconnect via semi-structured interviews of twenty-eight PWD stakeholders and nine government officials whose work intersects with the supply of infrastructure regulated under the ADA. One objective is to understand how attributes of transportation infrastructure impact the daily mobility of PWDs. A second is to understand how the programming and management of transportation assets impact navigation for PWDs.

Through a thematic and content analysis of interview data, we reveal the challenges faced by PWDs through hard infrastructure issues and the programming/management of transportation facilities, which act together to diminish the quality of mobility options for PWDs. When working to create a transportation network that is universally accessible, it is critical for planners and engineers to work with PWDs when attempting to consider the design needs of individuals with different types of disabilities.