Pandemic Underscores Difficulties Accessing Transportation for People with Disabilities

Six months ago I conducted interviews for my dissertation research on the travel behavior and attitudes towards transportation of people with disabilities. Back then, I was mostly curious about whether and how these individuals—diverse in age, gender, disability, and other demographic characteristics—were using ride-hail services like Uber and Lyft. On March 20th, I emailed my interview respondents from the fall, asking if they would be interested in participating in a follow-up phone interview. I wanted to know how they were coping in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and stay-at-home response measures.