Assisting Passengers with Disabilities: A Guide for Drivers

The limitations imposed by a physical disability don't need to stop a disabled person from getting around. Indeed, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 was passed in part to improve mobility and public access for the disabled. A person in a wheelchair or who is unable to walk can be more independent when he has access to transportation. It may require some extra physical effort and perhaps the installation of extra technology.

Instructions

• 1

  Position the vehicle as close to the individual as possible to minimize the distance for boarding.

• 2

  Help the person out of the wheelchair (if he uses one). It may require an assistant or another person to help lift him if he's unable to stand by himself.

• 3

  Support the passenger into the vehicle. Let her lean on you for leverage and support her own weight by placing your arm around her back and underneath her other arm.

• 4

  Fold the wheelchair (if any) and place it in the back of the vehicle or other space.

• 5

  Install a mechanical wheelchair lift. Many public transportation services use such lifts in their buses and vans. These lifts lower to the ground and lift the wheelchair-bound passenger into the vehicle without forcing him to get out of the wheelchair.

• 6

  Use designated handicapped parking spaces in public lots and parking areas. Federal law (and many state laws) requires businesses that sell goods and services to the public to provide these spaces.