Many neurodivergent people find public transport inaccessible. When someone can’t use public transport to get around, it can limit their independence and ability to take part in everyday activities and use essential services. This can harm someone’s wellbeing, mental and physical health, and quality of life. We want to understand more about the challenges neurodivergent people face when using public transport, and what changes can be made to make public transport more inclusive for neurodivergent people.
This project is supported by the Motability Foundation.
Explaining the need
Public transport should be accessible to everyone, but many neurodivergent people experience challenges when using transport, so avoid using it. For others, using public transport is unavoidable, but it can come at a personal cost such as feeling anxious or cognitive fatigue. If someone can't use public transport in a way that works for them, this can impact their access to healthcare appointments or attend school or work. It can even affect someone’s basic living needs, such as their ability to buy groceries. Public transport is an essential means to access social and recreational activities. If public transport isn’t accessible, this can lead to isolation and harm someone’s mental health and wellbeing.
Possible barriers to autistic and neurodivergent people using public transport may include:
- Sensory environments. Many neurodivergent people have sensory differences and maybe more (or less) sensitive to sensory input. The sensory environment of public transport is less accessible for some people.
- Uncertainty. Many autistic people experience anxiety around uncertainty. When public transport services are disrupted, this can be a stressful experience. We need to learn more to help people navigate transport disruption better.
- Communication. Some neurodivergent people may experience barriers to accessing information about services, purchasing tickets, or how best to seek advice about services.
- Public attitudes and knowledge. A lack of knowledge about autism by service provider representatives can negatively impact the experience of using public transport for autistic people, particularly when someone needs support.
The research process
Through this study, we plan to:
- Understand the current evidence on public transport and neurodivergence
- Identify barriers and challenges neurodivergent people face when using public transport and the gaps between community needs and service provision
- Evaluate the impact of inaccessible public transport on the wellbeing of neurodivergent people
- Make recommendations about how public transport services can be more inclusive of autistic and fellow neurodivergent people
We'll do this by:
- Reviewing existing academic and transport industry research into neurodivergence and public transport use
- Hosting a community consultation to learn from neurodivergent people about the barriers and challenges to accessing and using public transport
- Running a large-scale community-wide survey about their public transport use
- Creating evidence-based guidance for transport providers about how to make their services inclusive and accessible
- Producing a white paper on public transport and neurodivergence that sets out recommendations for future work
How it’s making more of a difference
By learning about neurodivergent people’s experiences of public transport, we can know more about the gaps between people’s needs and the current service provision.
We can then make recommendations to help transport services be more inclusive and accessible for neurodivergent people. We can also identify where more research is needed to identify, develop and test supports that may remove the barriers neurodivergent people experience when using public transport.
References
[1] Devajyoti, D et al., 2016. ‘Travel Patterns, Needs, and Barriers of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Report from a Survey’.
[2] Lever, A. G. & Geurts, H. M. (2016) Lever, A. G. & Geurts, H. M. (2016) Psychiatric Co-occurring Symptoms and Disorders in Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.