Department of Bioengineering, J.B. Speed School of Engineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2020 Aug;15(6):629-636. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2019.1604824. Epub 2020 May 4.
Wheelchair users (WCUs) often rely on ramps for access to transit buses. Previous studies indicate WCUs have difficulty using ramps for bus ingress/egress and many transportation-related incidents occur on ramps. However, experiences of WCU ramp usage during ingress/egress have not been fully described. Cross-sectional, internet-based survey of WCUs who ride transit buses was conducted. The participants were queried on frequency of bus usage, difficulty and incidents involving ramps, and factors contributing to difficulty and incidents. Wheelchair characteristics, primary condition, and whether participants received travel training were also captured. Chi-square was used to describe relationships between wheelchair type and frequency of difficulties and incidents, and odd ratios were used to determine likelihood of the incidents. The majority (55.7%) of 384 participants reported using public transportation ≥ 1 per week. Seventy-eight percent of WCUs had ≥ 1 ramp incident over the past 3 years, with an increased likelihood of incidents occurring during ingress (OR = 1.53; CI 1.21-1.86). Of those who had an incident, 22% were injured or had damage to their wheelchair. Over 60% of those who had an incident identified steep ramp slope as being the contributing factor. Steep ramp slope, exterior ramp thresholds and wet surfaces were the most common contributing factors to difficulty using ramps. This is the first large-scale US study enabling WCUs to describe their experiences using transit bus ramps. Despite ADA guidelines, steep ramps remain the primary factor contributing to incidents and difficulty when using ramps to access transit buses.Implications for rehabilitationThe discrepancy between ADA maximum allowable ramp slopes for the built environment and transit buses may require an increased level of effort that is a barrier to transportation accessibility for some wheelchair users.Wheelchair users who access transit buses should be made aware of, and trained, to navigate ramp configurations found in the environment.We suggest rehabilitation therapists provide skills training specific to navigating transit bus ramp slopes that may be steeper and narrower than building ramps.
轮椅使用者（WCUs）通常依靠坡道进入过境巴士。先前的研究表明，WCUs 在使用坡道进出巴士时存在困难，并且许多与交通相关的事件都发生在坡道上。然而，WCU 在进出坡道时使用坡道的经验尚未得到充分描述。对乘坐过境巴士的 WCUs 进行了基于互联网的横断面调查。询问了参与者使用公共汽车的频率、使用坡道的困难和事故以及导致困难和事故的因素。还记录了轮椅的特点、主要情况以及参与者是否接受过旅行培训。使用卡方检验描述了轮椅类型与困难和事故频率之间的关系，使用比值比确定了事故发生的可能性。在 384 名参与者中，大多数（55.7%）每周至少使用一次公共交通工具。78%的 WCUs 在过去 3 年中至少发生过一次坡道事故，在进入时发生事故的可能性增加（OR = 1.53；CI 1.21-1.86）。在发生事故的人中，有 22%的人受伤或轮椅受损。超过 60%的发生事故的人认为坡道坡度是造成事故的原因。陡峭的坡道坡度、外部坡道门槛和湿表面是使用坡道时最常见的困难原因。这是美国首次进行的大规模研究，使 WCUs 能够描述他们使用过境巴士坡道的经验。尽管 ADA 指南规定，但陡峭的坡道仍然是导致使用坡道进入过境巴士时发生事故和困难的主要因素。对康复的影响ADA 为建筑环境规定的最大允许坡度与过境巴士之间的差异可能需要轮椅使用者增加一些额外的努力，这可能会成为他们获得交通便利的障碍。使用过境巴士的轮椅使用者应该了解并接受培训，以掌握在环境中找到的坡道配置。我们建议康复治疗师提供专门用于导航过境巴士坡道坡度的技能培训，这些坡度可能比建筑物的坡度更陡、更窄。
