POSITION PAPER
Transportation for Seniors & Disabled Individuals

Aging Life Care Managers® … coordinating services to optimize health and quality of life.

The Aging Life Care Association® (ALCA) is an organization of practitioners who use a holistic, client-centered approach to caring for older adults or others facing ongoing health or other challenges of aging and/or disabilities. ALCA is committed to maximizing the independence and autonomy of clients and strives to ensure the highest quality and most cost-effective health and human services. Members help clients and their families cope with challenges faced by people with disabilities and older adults through education, advocacy, counseling, and service delivery.

Transportation needs of older adults and persons with disabilities:

For many individuals who incur chronic health problems as they age, and for many individuals who live with disabilities regardless of age, the ability to travel outside the home often becomes significantly hampered. A 2002 study by the Surface Transportation Public Policy Project, Washington DC, showed that over 20% of Americans over 65 do not drive, and a majority of these individuals do not have accessible public transportation. Research* shows that lack of transportation options seriously impacts the ability of individuals to live independently in a safe and social environment, and often leads to isolation, diminished visits to doctors, and difficulty in obtaining food and needed household products. Furthermore lack of alternate transportation options can often influence individuals to keep driving beyond the point when they can safely do so.

ALCA advocates for:

  1. The continued support and expansion of existing public transportation networks as well as the creation of new transportation networks through federal, state and local public funding, in both metropolitan and rural areas.
  2. The expansion of specialized transportation programs for older adults and for those with disabilities.
  3. Providing affordability of transportation options, especially for low-income individuals.
  4. Continuation of sufficient funding of transportation services under the Older Americans Act.
  5. Coordination of transportation services among various agencies and companies that provide transportation services within the same and adjacent geographical areas.
  6. The involvement of older Americans and those with disabilities in the development of transportation plans that meet their needs.
  7. Local policies that promote safe design of road intersections and traffic stops for both drivers and for pedestrians.

* See “Aging in Place, Stuck without Options” (2011) Transportation for America for overview of research in this area. (http://14america.org/resources/seniorsmobilitycrisis2011.)

Position Paper was reviewed and updated by the Public Policy Committee July 13, 2021.
Position Paper was reviewed and approved by the ALCA Board of Directors on July 29, 2021.