Open Collections

Olatona, Olatioluwase

University of British Columbia

Background: Around 1.3 billion people worldwide have a disability. Transportation plays a vital role in getting to desired locations daily. However, many individuals with disabilities struggle to find reliable and accessible transportation to meet their needs. Accessibility in the transportation space has become a growing topic of interest within the academic literature, specifically regarding the usage of taxis and Transportation Network Companies such as Uber or Lyft. Within Canada, there is little to no research surrounding the lived experiences of people with disabilities using taxis and Transportation Network Companies. Purpose: This study examined existing literature on the uses, barriers, and facilitators that affect people with disabilities (mobility, sensory, and/or cognitive) who use taxis and Transportation Network Companies. It also explored the lived experiences of Canadians with disabilities (mobility and sensory) who use taxis and Transportation Network Companies. Both studies were completed using a social relational model of disability. Methods: A systematic review was conducted by searching five databases, after which articles were screened by title and abstract and followed by a full text review. A qualitative study was conducted concurrently. People from across Canada with sensory or mobility disabilities completed a demographic survey before participating in an online interview about their experiences with taxis and Transportation Network Companies. Results: The systematic review yielded 15 studies after the screening process. The results extracted data from the systematic review yielded similar results to those from the seventeen participants interviewed for the empirical study. Many of the barriers and facilitators found in the literature related to the use of taxis and Transportation Network Companies by people with disabilities were also experienced within the Canadian context. The usage of these services depended on variables such as cost, convenience, technology accessibility, safety, and overall accessibility needs. Conclusions: Taxis and Transportation Network Companies have made strides in accommodating customers with disabilities who use their services, but more can be done to better support their needs. By acknowledging suggestions for improvement and further addressing the barriers and facilitators associated with using taxis and Transportation Network Companies, people with disabilities can access more reliable, safe, and cost-effective systems.

Text

2024-11-27

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/89734

Rehabilitation Sciences

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/