Obstacles and facilitators to access to paratransit for people with disabilities: A scoping review

Introduction

Paratransit represents an essential mobility solution for people with disabilities as it enables them to participate in society. However, problems have arisen affecting access to paratransit services, leading to frustration, stress and insecurity among some users. These findings suggest that paratransit services face certain issues. The purpose of this study is to explore the obstacles and facilitators to access to paratransit for people with disabilities.

Method

A scoping review was conducted. Medline, Embase, Web of Science, PsychINFO and Transport Database were consulted in November 2023. Two reviewers independently examined the studies identified by the database searches, then extracted data from the articles retained. The identified obstacles and facilitators were associated with the five dimensions of access: availability, accessibility, affordability, usability and acceptability.

Results

At the end of the selection process, 19 articles were retained. The facilitators most often mentioned included employee politeness and assistance and service reliability, particularly in terms of punctuality and safety. On the other hand, long wait times and delays were among the most common obstacles, along with inflexibility and cumbersome administrative processes.

Conclusion

This study identifies several obstacles and facilitators to access to paratransit by people with disabilities. However, it provides few concrete solutions for optimizing services. Thought must be given to defining possible avenues for improvement.