Higher Education Practices to Prepare Future
Transportation Professionals Regarding Disability,
Accessibility, and Mobility Management

April 2022

The National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM; nc4mm.org) is a national
technical assistance center created to facilitate communities in adopting mobility
management strategies. NCMM is funded through a cooperative agreement with theFederal Transit Administration (FTA) and is operated through a consortium of threenational organizations – the American Public Transportation Association, the Community
Transportation Association of America, and Easterseals, Inc.
This information brief was prepared by NCMM staff, and is disseminated in theinterest of information exchange. Neither the NCMM nor the FTA assumes liability for
its content or use. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of
the authors and should not be construed as representing the opinions or policy of any
agency of the federal government.
Comments or questions about this document can be addressed to
info@nc4mm.org or 866-846-6400.

Thank you to those higher education faculty and professionals who provided us with feedback
either through our online questionnaire or one-on-one discussions. We appreciate your time andinterest in speaking to us about this important topic of equipping future transportation
professionals with content about disability, accessibility, and mobility management.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Kimberly Burton, Ohio State University
Celeste Chavis, Morgan State University
Mahtot Gebresselassie, Carnegie Mellon University
Patricia Greenfield, International Transportation Learning Center
Katharine M. Hunter-Zaworski, Oregon State University
Bradley Lane, University of Kansas
Amber McNair, Ohio State University
Joel Mendez, University of Kansas
Andrea Lubin and colleagues, Rutgers University
Sandra Rosenbloom, U of Texas
P.S. Sriraj, University of Illinois, Chicago

NCMM is continuing our work to develop support materials for higher education faculty. If you
want to contribute to our work or for questions about this Information Brief please contact Dr. Judy
Shanley, Easterseals - jshanley@easterseals.com.

Introduction“More importantly, however, recent studies show that organizations with the most diverse workforces
realize better decision-making and more efficiency, innovation, and profitability than do their lessdiverse peers” (Ivey, Powers, & Clark, 2019).
Various industries, including the mobility and transportation sector, are becoming increasingly
diverse. Customers who use transportation services represent every community, including
individuals with disabilities. In fact, one in four individuals will experience a disability during their
lifetime and a large portion of these individuals will have mobility challenges. There is increased
recognition that riders with disabilities should be able to access a range of transportation service
and should not be limited to specialized transportation or paratransit services. For many individuals
with disabilities, inclusive mobility and transportation services is the preferred mode of travel.
With increasing numbers of riders with disabilities throughout systems, it becomes important
for those professionals who design and deliver transportation service be cognizant of thevarying needs of riders, especially those with disabilities who utilize inclusive transportation
options. Additionally, the employees of the service must reflect the demographic landscape of
those using the service. Therefore, it is important for transportation professionals to have theknowledge and content expertise to design, implement, and operate transportation services thatare responsive to diverse rider needs. This can be achieved, in part, by ensuring that the higher
education programs that prepare these future transportation professionals are addressing
disability and mobility management related topics.
Professional development and training once professionals are in the industry is equally important,but strategies to integrate disability-related content in personnel preparation programs – before an
individual even enters the field – can ensure that these individuals are informed andknowledgeable at the early stages of their career.
We also were curious if higher education officials wereactively recruiting individuals with disabilities into theirprograms. Our thinking is that disability-related content
and knowledge for individuals entering the profession,
could contribute to mobility and transportation practices
that were more closely aligned with the needs of riders
with disabilities. We conducted a literature review ofstudies and reports that addressed the recruitment andretention of individuals with disabilities in transportation
sectors.

Former APTA Chair Nuria
Fernandez identified workforce
readiness as one of her key
initiatives, and APTA has developed
the Transit Workforce Readiness
Guide as a resource for the transit
industry. APTA Transit Workforce
Readiness Guide (2021).

However, relevant findings are scarce. Few pieces of literature address the diversity of thetransportation industry specific to individuals with disabilities. Yet, industry leaders affirm theimportance of transit workforce readiness to respond to the unique and varying needs of our society.
In its recent Transit Workforce Readiness Guide, the American Public Transportation Association
affirmed, to ensure that these benefits reach all members of society, and to ensure that the transit
workforce reflects the demographics of its surrounding community, many agencies have enlisted thehelp of a range of partners that provide services to underrepresented communities, people with4

disabilities, veterans, women, the underemployed, single parents, and many other disadvantaged
populations.
The National Center for Mobility Management set out to learn what future transportation
planners are learning in their college preparation programs. We believe that if future
professionals have knowledge about disability issues, and the needs of individuals withdisabilities, they can use this knowledge to facilitate the accessibility of the transportation
systems they are designing and implementing. We hoped to learn about the strategies thathigher education personnel are using to recruit students with disabilities into their planning
programs. Our belief is that if the transportation workforce reflects the diversity of the general
population of riders, the design and delivery of services will be more responsive to the travelingneeds of riders with disabilities.
Method and Response
We developed a questionnaire (Appendix A) targeted at higher education faculty and programadministrators associated with transportation planning programs, to gather information about 1) the
content that is embedded in college curriculum around disability, accessibility, the ADA, andmobility management topics; and 2) the strategies that colleges use to recruit and retain students
with disabilities into their programs. We used varying dissemination channels to obtain feedback
from the field including the NCMM Newsletter, the University Transportation Center Listserv, theInternational Transportation Learning Center Newsletter, and the American Public Transportation
Association Connect forums. We reached out to leaders in the industry, including theTransportation Research Board to identify others who could inform this work.
Response to the online questionnaire was low. Despite repeated attempts to reach the field
through recognized dissemination channels, the response to the online
questionnaire provided little information that could help
“Just for your information, I heard
us answer the two questions at the heart of this work.
back from our adjunct faculty who
Consequently, we changed our data collection method
teaches the introductoryand instead, conducted short interviews with identified
transportation course and hefaculty from a range of higher education programs. We
responded that “this is not
hoped to get a geographically diverse set of respondents
something that I cover at all in myfrom both engineering and planning departments within
introductory class.”” University
universities. Overall, the content in this information brief
Transportation Researcher.
based was developed based on five completed written
questionnaires and discussions with over 10 higher
education faculty and a transportation professional
affiliated with the International Transportation Learning
Center.
What we Learned
We intentionally spoke to faculty that represented both engineering and planning departments
within universities. Our expectation was that engineering students would be exposed to content
related to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and its requirements pertinent to ADA
Transition Planning and public rights of way architectural barriers.
5

We did find some higher education programs that addressed engineering standards and design
features established by the United States Access Board.
Easterseals has been involved in a national study to examine ADA Transition Plan practices acrossstates. We learned that there are differing understandings of disabilities contingent upon whether aprofessional involved in the ADA Transition Plan work represents a human services or civil rights oran engineering perspective. ADA Transition Coordinators suggested that people doing the workneed to have knowledge and skills in both aspects of the process – the aspect that emphasizes thephilosophical, sociocultural, and economic impacts of accessible communities and the aspect of
the ADA Transition Plan process that emphasizes the technical and engineering dimensions andstandards of barrier removal. If practicing professionals in the field are suggesting this alignment ofknowledge and skills, perhaps, higher education programs should be preparing students in thesame way. One university program combines its
planning and engineering departments, so
One faculty member we talked to offered,
students have an opportunity for cross content“there is a gap between engineering andlearning. The interactions between the twoplanning programs. There are siloes thattransportation professional disciplines creates
prevent a systematic approach – we peg
people in specialties – and they don’tvenues for information sharing and collaborative
understand the entire system”. University
learning.
Transportation Program Faculty.
Several of the faculty explained that the national
licensure and credentialing bodies, such as
Engineer in Training (EIT) certification program driven by the Accreditation Body of Engineering(ABET), are very specific regarding the course content that can be offered. Therefore, it is difficult
to find time to adapt the curriculum to fit in content regarding disability and mobility management.
Other faculty shared that they have specific courses devoted to social equity and justice, such as
the Urban Planning Program at the University of Kansas. The range of coursework in this program
enables instructors to integrate content about disability in several of their courses. Throughcoursework, faculty address historical trends
in disability and transportation, implications“We discussed mobility and accessibility a lot inof disability on transportation services,class, but just for the "mobility and accessibility”
Federal policies that relate to the provision
for the public, not for people with disabilities.
of transportation services, mobility
About 2-3 years ago, my research interests
diverted into aging transportation, and found it
management, Federal coordination efforts,
was meaningful to introduce more ADAparatransit, innovative mobility services,concepts and mobility management into mycommunity engagement and content aboutclass. Therefore, I tried to highlight more ADA
human services organization and accessible
requirements into transportation facility designtransportation. KU faculty also shared that(e.g., pedestrian sidewalks, intersection withthey work with local human services, suchcurb ramps), and invited several mobility
as food distribution organizations andmanagers into my class to introduce mobility
management practices in their communities”.
community gardens, on accessibility topics
University Transportation Program Faculty.
and integrate bike and pedestrian topics intheir program which may also is a way toaddress disability and accessibility topics.
We did find faculty who were passionate about addressing disability topics in their courses andidentified creative ways to introduce students to these topics. For instance, one graduate student
6

who responded to the online questionnaire indicated she had to go outside of her department tofind course content. Resources such as the Center for Neurotechnology (CNT) at the University ofWashington a set of promising practices to engage people with disabilities in Center activities
could be valuable (Appendix B)
We also asked faculty questions regarding how they
“Disability and accessibility are
were teaching future transportation professionals about
covered in our department's
topics related to coordination, mobility management, andpedestrian planning class as well as
the national effort related to the Coordinating Council ona transportation equity course.
Access and Mobility. Only a handful of higher education
However, neither class dedicates anprofessionals indicated that they talk about coordination
entire classroom period to disability.
in their planning programs, with a focus on the
I had to seek out courses related toimportance of considering partners to support the ability
disability and transportation in theof riders to access community services such as healthsocial work department at ourcare. In one conversation with a program administrator
university”.
and faculty from the University of Illinois Chicago, they
University Transportation Program
noted how they will bring in external speakers to address
Faculty.
coordination topics, and, in fact, invited NCMM to provide
an overview of Federal coordination work to a graduate class.
Potential Strategies
We asked faculty for their suggestions regarding how disability, accessibility, and mobility
management topics could be integrated in higher education courses of study and synthesizedthese recommendations in the following strategies. The NCMM author of this information brief, Dr.
Judy Shanley, has professional experience in implementing career development programs, andthat knowledge was also integrated into the following strategies.
□□

Invite guest speakers to your classes representing all sectors of the disability world,
including advocacy organizations, mobility“We have a student who is a citymanagers, governmental human services agencies,
planner that is examining last-mileand individual with disabilities themselves.
solution challenges for individuals
with disabilities. We encourage
Provide practical assignments to students
projects that focus on diversity”.
whereby students visit community based human
University Transportation Programservices organizations and have conversations
Faculty.
with personnel and participants from theseOne faculty emphasized the valueof practical experience and stated,“I send my students to the Ohio
Department of Transportation's
Active Transportation Academy toprepare for the Transportation
Studio. They offer free e- learning
courses, and the topics touch on
access to all users of thetransportation network, including
users with disabilities”. University
Transportation Program Faculty.

organizations.

Collaborate across transportation engineering andtransportation planning programs, ensuring there isopportunity for students to interact and learn about thetechnical aspects of accessibility standards that may beoffered through an engineering program, along with content
that focuses on the sociocultural, economic, and humanservices implication of accessibility.
7□Require students to do assignments that enable them to explore the various plans thatstates are required to complete, such as the Human Services Transportation CoordinatedPlan, the State Transportation Plan, the Active Living Plans.

□

Include images of people with disabilities in promotional and curricular materials.

□

Implement simulation assignments for students, whereby they experience the functional
implications of having a disability, such as using a wheelchair. Disability advocacy
organizations have differing views of this strategy to educate those individuals without
disabilities, and faculty and students should keep this in mind. An exercise like this isintended to educate and create experiences for participants in ways that do not makelight or minimize the implications of a disability.

□

Develop modules focused on disability and accessibility that can be easily integrated
into course curriculum by faculty.

□

Educate faculty about these topics by having a workshop or a professional developmenttraining session nationally targeted at faculty.

□

Help students learn about universal design with a focus on social equity and justiceissues; help students understand what universal access means, and the mobility
challenges that individuals with disabilities face.

“Teaching universal design istough…the best thing I can do as afaculty member is to raise
consciousness of students – so they
think about the implications of
having a disability”. University
Transportation Program Faculty.

“I invited the local CanadianParaplegic Association into one of
my lectures to have them share
information about their work andabout accessibility issues”.
University Transportation
Program Faculty.

□
Identify “best practices” and opportunities to highlightthese practices.
□
Address bike and pedestrian topics in programs thatcan create an opportunity to address disability andaccessibility topics.
□
Collaborate with faculty colleagues indepartments of disability studies, education, and social
services programs.
□
Invite local human services and non-profit organizations
into your classes to share information about their work.
□
Create a welcoming environment for all students,
where all students can feel supported.
□
Ensure that faculty and higher education staff
reflect diversity, particularly individuals withdisabilities.

□
Use multi-disciplinary teams, especially in orientation
programs for new students, which provide expertise and an opportunity to introduce
accessibility.

8

Recommendations for the Industry□

Work with credentialing organizations and accreditors, such as the Engineer in Training(EIT) certification organization and the Accreditation Body of Engineering (ABET), to
identify opportunities to include disability related content into higher education
program standards.

□

Identify a national organization that can offer a workshop or seminar to faculty on topics
related to disability, accessibility, and mobility management.

□

Collaborate with the University Transportation Center programs to integrate this focus
into their scope of work and program activities.

□

Assist the field to identify recruitment strategies targeted at enrolling students withdisabilities in higher education programs.

□

Support the industry in thinking about disability in the broadest sense.

□

Encourage national and prominent organizations such as the Federal Transit
Administration, the American Public Transportation Association, and the Community
Transportation Association, to include images and examples of industry professionals
with disabilities in informational and promotional materials and ensure that theleadership of these organizations represents people with disabilities.

□

Include incentives in national grant programs and through funders for applicants toaddress the needs of individuals with disabilities.

□

Collect data on the prevalence of professionals with disabilities as employees intransportation sectors and encourage data collection by higher education programs
regarding enrollment data for students with disabilities.

Recruitment and Retention of Students with Disabilities into Transportation Planning Programs
Through the online questionnaire and in our interviews, faculty were asked about specificrecruitment activities related to encouraging students with disabilities to participate in their higher
education programs. Specifically, participants were asked whether they used any of the following
recruitment strategies:•••

Collaboration with high school programs and youth transition programs to actively recruit
students with disabilities.
Relationships with community human services and disability organizations to identify apotential pool of applicants.
Resources from professional associations such as American Public Transportation
Association (APTA) or the Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA).

9

Few individuals with whom we spoke were aware of“We don’t actively recruit students withany recruitment or outreach strategies specificallydisabilities – we provide supports once
targeting students with disabilities. Several indicatedthey are enrolled, but don’t encourage
they do work with disability resource centers on
applications to our program”. University
their campuses to provide accommodations andTransportation Program Faculty.
supports, such as note takers or extra time on tests,
to enrolled students who identify as having adisability. However, none of faculty suggested that they are involved in any deliberate recruitment
activities, nor did they have knowledge about any university-wide recruitment activities.
As our research made clear, transportation higher education programs do not intentionally reach
recruitment sources to attract students with disabilities into their programs. Collaboration andrelationships with professionals in high schools to support the career development of students withdisabilities could be beneficial to attract qualified students with disabilities in higher education.
Some strategies to enhance recruitment efforts can include:
□
□
□
□
□

Work with disability resource centers on campus and college admissions personnel toensure that recruitment methods include a focus on students with disabilities.
Ensure that college recruitment marketing forums clearly identify the viability oftransportation related careers for students with disabilities.
Articulate the supports that can be available to students with disabilities in your programs.
Consider establishing a volunteer disability mentoring program to support
students with disabilities once they are enrolled.
Explore a summer camp program to introduce high school students to careers in transportation.
o Introducing High School Students to Transportation: Summer Camps and Curriculum.
The Transportation Research and Education Center at Portland State University
program is an example. - Big news: applications open next week for our FREE
transportation summer camp at PSU, open to any Oregon student entering the 9–12
grade. Our residential camp, hosted July 31 - Aug 5, offers an immersive introduction
to transportation careers and the workings of transportation systems in Portland.

□□

Implement career pathways programs using supports from the International
Transportation Learning Center.
Participate in career fairs and recruitment forums that specifically attract students withdisabilities and their families.

SummaryThis NCMM information brief provides a glimpse into the lack of disability diversity or discussion
about disability diversity that exists across the transportation industry. Through a national
survey and interviews with faculty, we learned that there are limitations in what futuretransportation professionals are taught about disability and accessibility. So too is theprofession lacking in recruitment strategies specially targeted at students with disabilities.
These findings provide the impetus for national organizations, such as NCMM, to develop tools
10and guides for higher education faculty to support their ability to do more targeted work in thisarea, impacting what they teach and who they recruit.
Individuals with disabilities are increasingly seeking inclusive and accessible transportation
options. If the transportation workforce is knowledgeable and skilled in considering the needsof diverse ridership, this could positively influence service and attract riders, particularly those
who may not have considered using public transit. Further, as the transit industry faces
workforce challenges, the timing seems right to consider untapped hiring pools that include
potential applicants with disabilities. Our nation’s transportation planning preparation
departments have an important role in shaping the future of the transportation workforce. This
workforce should and must include individuals with disabilities.

11References and Resources
American Public Transportation Association (APTA). (2021). Transit Workforce Readiness Guide.
Washington, DC.
Burgstahler, S. (2019). Promising Practices That Engage People with Disabilities in the CNT.
Access ERC. Washington, DC: National Science Foundation.
DisabilityIN. Disability Equality Index (DEI) Best Practices. (2021). Washington, DC: AAPD.
Retrieved from https://disabilityin.org/what-we-do/disability-equality-index/.
Ivey, S., Powers, M. and Clark, A. (2019). Building a Business Case for Increasing Diversity in theTransportation Workforce. Washington, DC: Transportation Research Board, TRNews 323.
Retrieved https://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trnews/trnews323BusinessCase.pdf.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2018. Critical Issues inTransportation 2019. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
https://doi.org/10.17226/25314.
Transit Workforce Center. In partnership with the FTA, the Transit Workforce Center (TWC) will
support public transit agencies’ workforce development needs for all modes of public
transit across urban, tribal, and rural entities. The overarching mission of this new center is
to assist public transit agencies to recruit, hire, train, and retain the diverse workforce
needed now and in the future.

12Appendix A NCMM Higher Education Online Questionnaire

13

14

15

16

Appendix B - Center for Neurotechnology (CNT) at the University of Washington
Center for Neurotechnology (CNT) at the University of Washington developed a set of promising
practices to engage people with disabilities in Center activities. Although CNT is at an academic
institution, these strategies can be useful to the transportation industry. Retrieved
https://www.washington.edu/doit/sites/default/files/atoms/files/Promising-Practices-ERC.pdf

17