‘By us, for us’; Co-designing disability inclusion training for bus drivers

Abstract

Introduction

Passengers with disabilities report being driven past, denied bus access, inappropriately assisted, and rudely addressed by bus drivers. Bus drivers report their behaviour in encounters with passengers with disabilities is impacted by their limited understanding of their passengers' needs. This study aimed to create a bus driver training program targeting how bus drivers engage with passengers with disabilities.

Methods

Drawing from co-design and inclusive research approaches, a team of seven researchers, transport advocates with lived experience of disability, and bus drivers, collaborated for 30 h over approximately twelve months to co-design a bus driver training program and evaluate the design process. Participant evaluations of the co-design process and resulting training program were completed.

Results

Team evaluations indicated the co-design process was inclusive and collaborative, with key challenges including resource constraints and a hard-to-navigate university payment system. A 90-min online training program, and one-hundred-and-eighty-minute face-to-face training program, were developed using a slide-deck and role-play activities to support drivers when interacting with passengers with disabilities. Named the Better Transport Inclusivity for all Passengers (Better Trip) Training Program, the prototype is ready for small-scale implementation, revisions, and wider rollout.

Conclusions

The Better Trip Training Program offers bus companies and the wider transport community the opportunity to increase their inclusion of people with disabilities. The co-design process ensured people with disabilities and bus drivers' needs were reflected in the final product. Further research is required to test and refine the newly developed training program.