Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0020, USA.
Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2117, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Mar 10;18(6):2840. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18062840.
Multiple field studies provide qualitative accounts of usability barriers experienced by users of wheeled mobility devices on public transit. This study aimed to examine these usability barriers from the theoretical perspective of Environmental Docility by quantifying the relationship between functional capabilities of wheeled mobility device users and ingress-egress performance on accessible fixed-route transit vehicles in an urban setting. Twenty-eight wheeled mobility users each completed three trips on a predetermined route through the local public transit system. Ingress and egress times, user-reported usability ratings and open-ended comments were analyzed. Regression analyses indicated significant interactions between age and minimum parallel-park length on ingress and egress times. Specifically, lower functional capability reflected in older age and less maneuvering ability predicted decreased performance (longer ingress-egress times), indicating less adaptability to environmental demands and agreement with the Environmental Docility Hypothesis. Usability ratings and comments revealed difficulty with negotiating access ramps and turning maneuvers in the vehicle interior and in proximity to other passengers. Despite compliance with accessibility standards, current design of transit vehicles present substantial usability barriers for wheeled mobility users. Environmental Docility provides a theoretical basis to identifying modifiable factors related to person and environment for improving usability of public transit for people aging and/or with mobility impairments.
多项现场研究提供了有关轮式移动设备在公共交通上使用的可用性障碍的定性描述。本研究旨在从环境顺应性的理论角度检查这些可用性障碍，通过量化轮式移动设备使用者的功能能力与城市环境中无障碍固定路线运输车辆的进出性能之间的关系来实现这一目标。二十八名轮式移动使用者每人在当地公共交通系统的预定路线上完成了三次旅行。对进入和退出时间、用户报告的可用性评级和开放式评论进行了分析。回归分析表明，年龄和最小平行泊车长度之间在进入和退出时间上存在显著的相互作用。具体来说，功能能力较低，表现在年龄较大和操纵能力较弱，预示着性能下降（进入退出时间延长），这表明对环境需求的适应性较差，与环境顺应性假设一致。可用性评级和评论揭示了在车辆内部和靠近其他乘客时，在进出通道和转弯操作方面存在困难。尽管符合无障碍标准，但过境车辆的当前设计为轮式移动用户带来了实质性的可用性障碍。环境顺应性为确定与人和环境相关的可修改因素提供了理论基础，以提高老龄化和/或行动不便的人对公共交通的可用性。
