When driving is no longer possible, getting to where one wants and needs to go requires navigating a complex patchwork of public and private transportation systems. As described in AFB's white paper on Improving Transportation Systems for People with Vision Loss2, for people with a visual impairment, there are unique challenges such as safely moving through unfamiliar environments. Even in the best of times, lack of transportation can be a major barrier to receiving medical services, maintaining social networks, and obtaining and retaining employment. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant reductions in transportation availability and safety, and the consequences could be dire with regard to access to healthcare or food.
Limited Options for Non-Drivers
Access to reliable, affordable, and efficient transportation remained a challenge to people who are visually impaired, confirming the concerns expressed in the Flatten Inaccessibility study. In particular, traveling to and from testing and vaccination sites, drive-up and waiting policies, safety concerns, and obtaining and retaining employment were key issues that respondents described.
In Flatten Inaccessibility, 81% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, "I am concerned that because I do not drive, I will not be able to get myself or a family member to a hospital or healthcare facility if they have severe COVID-19 symptoms," and 79% agreed or strongly disagreed with the statement, "I am concerned that because I do not drive, I will have difficulty getting groceries or other key essentials."
The pandemic caused nationwide logistical problems with transportation, resulting in significant challenges for people with visual impairments. Public transportation routes, often the most cost-effective and reliable means of travel for non-drivers, were reduced or halted, and changes in schedules were difficult to find online. Private rideshare services became less available and more expensive. This resulted in immediate consequences, as described by a participant in the Journey Forward study.
"Restricted bus services and reduced number of Uber/Lyft drivers made transportation to and from work a greater challenge." —Study participant
Social systems, such as families and neighbors, were often relied on for driver support, though this often resulted in the anxiety of being exposed or exposing someone to the virus. During the pandemic, 279 participants (59%) traveled to get a COVID-19 test and 343 participants traveled to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. About 40% reported getting a ride from someone they lived with and about 30% went in a car with someone they asked to give them a ride. Others rode a bike, walked, or took public transportation, rideshare, taxi, or non-emergency medical transportation.
When asked about seeking healthcare services without a vehicle (for example, by walking or taking the bus), almost half of the 185 respondents reported that they were asked to wait outside the facility until the medical provider was ready to see them. In some cases, exceptions were made, but too many participants were left outside in unsafe conditions, in which they felt uncomfortable and fearful.
"It was very difficult. Having albinism [and] having to wait in the sun in the desert in 109 degrees is a problem! Frustrated and very concerned." —Study participant
"There was no designated safe place or assistance on where to go if you did not have a vehicle, so we just sat on the pavement a few feet down from the door. One place told us we could not sit there and would have to wait in a car. I told them we were walkers and then we got told we cannot sit in front of the building. My daughter took me to a parking spot where we sat on the ground." —Study participant
Survey participants described a variety of concerns about the availability and safety of transportation during the pandemic, outlined in Table 1.
Table 1: During the COVID-19 pandemic, have you experienced any of the following related to your use of transportation? Select all that apply. (n=432)
| 203 | I was concerned for my safety and chose not to travel. |
| 131 | There were longer wait times to get a rideshare vehicle or taxi. |
| 126 | Bus or train service in my community was restricted. |
| 114 | I could not monitor if other riders were following COVID-19 safety precautions. |
| 111 | Prices for taxis and/or rideshare services, such as Uber or Lyft, increased in my community. |
| 89 | Bus or train service in my community was canceled. |
| 89 | Riders were required to board the bus from the back. |
| 77 | Availability of paratransit rides was restricted in my community. |
| 68 | People outside of my home who previously offered me rides stopped offering rides due to COVID-19 safety concerns. |
| 67 | I no longer accepted rides from others outside my home because I had concerns for my safety. |
| 52 | Volunteer or paid drivers/services I had used prior to the COVID-19 pandemic were no longer available. |
| 35 | I was not allowed to speak to the driver when riding public transportation. |
| 33 | Paratransit (door-to-door service for disabled or older people) was no longer available in my community. |
| 44 | Other, please describe. |
| 10 | I prefer not to answer. |
"I use several forms of transportation, train, bus, rideshare, door-to-door services. The train and bus had many cancelations and ride restrictions. Several route times were canceled, and other ride times were restricted to 50% capacity. The Greyhound bus had canceled my ticket twice due to overbooking past 50%. Ride shares became scarce and limited to the time of day I was traveling. The wait time changed from 5–10 minutes to 25–40 minutes for one ride. The door-to-door services restricted locations to where they would pick me up and take me home." —Study participant
"Being a blind person was especially hard on me during the pandemic because of the heightened risk of exposure to COVID-19. When and if I traveled, I relied on my family for transportation because they are the only people I trust when it comes to safety during the pandemic. Whenever I needed to use rideshare services, I always went with my mother because of the need for assistance following social distancing measures and monitoring if others are wearing masks. When I would ride the bus, my mother had to assist with receiving and giving the cash to the driver so that I don't touch anything. I made sure not to touch doorknobs, railings on the bus, and if I did, [I] immediately disinfect my hands. Waiting for the buses took a long time, and the prices of ridesharing services increased depending on the peak hours." —Study participant
Safety Concerns
People generally felt unsafe while traveling through public spaces due to worry over whether they were maintaining social distancing and because they could not see if the people around them were following safety protocols. When asked if they had concerns about maintaining social distancing, 71% of 451 respondents reported that they did. In particular, this concern presented itself in indoor public spaces such as grocery stores or doctor's offices (n=232), when with a family member, friend, or someone they hire to give them a ride who does not live in their home (n=140), and when in outdoor public spaces such as a park (n=121). Actions they took to mitigate safety issues are described in Table 2.
Table 2: Select all of the following you did to address your concerns about maintaining social distance and/or monitoring if others were wearing masks. (n=318)
| 173 | I washed my hands more frequently. |
| 172 | I relied on a sighted person at the location to provide information. |
| 137 | I used additional PPE such as gloves or a stronger mask. |
| 70 | I used a visual interpreting service such as Aira or Be My Eyes. |
| 36 | I did not do anything. |
| 31 | Other, please describe. |
| 2 | I prefer not to answer. |
"Before the pandemic I was able to take buses and trains and walk everywhere independently. I was able to go to grocery stores on my own and do many errands. During the pandemic, I did not feel safe doing any of these things on my own, so my partner drove me to every appointment and purchased all the groceries, etc. I did not feel safe because of the high number of cases and not being able to see who is distancing or who is wearing masks or trusting others to take things seriously. Public transit also had restricted routes and rideshare was much more expensive. If I did go somewhere on my own, I would not be able to distance safely or not get the same customer service assistance. Because I need more things to be hands-on, more people were more nervous about working with me, and I was nervous about working with them. Staff shortages also meant it would be harder to get the support I needed." —Study participant
Non-drivers clearly had difficulty accessing transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, they felt unsafe moving through public spaces. This resulted in difficulties in accessing basic needs, such as healthcare, medical supplies, food, and voting.
2. Bleach, K., Fairchild, N., Rogers, P., & Rosenblum, L. P. (2020). Improving Transportation Systems for People with Vision Loss. American Foundation for the Blind. www.afb.org/ImprovingTransportation
