July 30 - Aug. 3, 2000
Reno, Nev.

 

Providing Safe Transportation
for Wheelchair Users

By Peter J. Grandolfo Chicago Public Schools Bureau of Student Transportation E-mail: pgrandolfo@csc.cps.k12.il.us

Author's note: Much of the information for this paper was published in June 1999 in OT Practice.  Snell, M. A. (1999). Guidelines For Safely Transporting Wheelchair Users, 4(5) 35-38.

As the IEP team develops a student’s Individual Education Program (IEP), in addition to considering educational goals and objectives, the team should also consider “related services” to support these objectives.  One of the most important related services to be considered for a student with a physical disability in need of special education is transportation.  If it is determined that the student will need transportation service, routing and safe transportation on a specially equipped vehicle become vital components of the student's success equation.  In each situation, the transportation needs of the student must be assessed on an individual basis.

Webmaster Note: This paper was originally presented in August 2000 at the STN Expo 2000 Conference by Peter J. Grandolfo of the Chicago Public Schools, Bureau of Student Transportation. The author can be reached at 773/553-2860, or by e-mail at: pgrandolfo@csc.cps.k12.il.us. This file is part 2of a two part file. Click on Wheelchair Users here or below to link to part 1. Much of the information for this paper was published in June 1999 in OT Practice. Snell, M. A. (1999). Guidelines For Safely Transporting Wheelchair Users, 4(5) 35-38.

Whenever possible and as appropriate, the IEP team should include a member of the transportation department on the IEP team.  One of the main benefits of including a transportation specialist on the team is so that the team can evaluate the child’s needs in relation to a number of variables.  Among these are:  the student’s disability and physical needs, school location, equipment and vehicle needs, personnel needs, pick up and drop off locations, and time schedule.  These should all be taken into consideration as the team makes its final decisions regarding provision of transportation service.

There are a number of specialized equipment needs and routing concerns that become critical ingredients in the student's success formula.  Factors to consider during the IEP process:

1.      Educational program location...the least restrictive environment (LRE) that will insure the most appropriate placement and delivery of services.  Primary consideration should be given to providing a safe and wholesome educational environment.  Whenever possible, educational programs should be located as close to the student’s home as possible.

2.      Specialized vehicle considerations...when necessary, the IEP team should select the vehicle type that is the safest and most appropriate for the student.  Factors to consider might include vehicle size, seating or tie-down arrangements and accessibility, as well as supplementary seating systems for infants and toddlers if needed.

3.      Travel times...Many states suggest that every effort should be made to limit a student's actual travel time on the bus to no more than sixty minutes in each direction.  When the IEP team selects a program location outside the student's home district, consideration should be given to the student travel time and when possible, kept to a minimum.

4.      Pick up and drop off locations...in most cases, pick up and drop off will be at the student’s home.  Except in the most unusual cases, transportation service will be curb-to-curb.  Parents, adult family members, or another responsible person designated by the parent(s) should accompany the student to and from the school bus each day in a timely manner.  A bus aide, if present, or the bus driver should secure the wheelchair with appropriate tie-downs and occupant restraint (lap/shoulder belt system).

5.      Transportation in the least restrict environment (LRE)…consideration should always be given to transporting students with special needs, including students with physical disabilities, on the same bus routes with their nondisabled peers.  In every case, the bus team, including driver and any attendant must receive appropriate training.

6.      Discipline on the school bus for students with disabilities should be no different than that afforded nondisabled students as dictated by school district policy, state and Federal regulations.  Drivers of students with special needs should be afforded appropriate training and information-sharing by school officials for the safest and most productive transportation possible.  Federal regulations afford the sharing of confidential student information with transportation personnel when appropriate.

7.      It is highly suggested that students with special needs be dropped off only at a designated location when a responsible adult is there to accept the student or when other agreed upon arrangements have been made by the IEP team or school officials.  These arrangements should be indicated in the student’s IEP

8.      Care for undeliverable students.  What to do when there is no one available to accept the student at a drop off location?  District policy may recommend that the student be kept on the bus until a responsible adult can be located or alternate drop off identified.  Should there be no communication with a parent or other responsible adult, an appropriate “holding site” should be afforded the child until a parent or guardian can be located.

9.      With the development of national wheelchair standard for a transportable wheelchair, consideration should be given to whether it is safer to transport a student in his/her wheelchair or the regular seat on the school bus.  This should be a team decision as appropriate.

10.  School bus evacuations...procedures for evacuating a medically fragile student from a school bus should be done with the assistance of the OT/PT staff.  Such drills should include necessary training and “best practices” guidelines for a safe evacuation plan.

Transporting
Wheelchair Users

While most crashes and injuries related to transporting wheelchair users are preventable, every effort must be made to minimize the dangers of any injury.  Injury occurs when the wheelchair user hits something, something hits the person, or the person is ejected from the vehicle. At an impact speed of 30 miles per hour, the front of a vehicle comes to a complete stop within one tenth of a second, but unrestrained occupants and objects (e.g., purses, books, crutches, etc.) continue to move like projectiles toward the point of the crash impact at 30 miles per hour.

To calculate the pounds of forward force generated in a sudden stop or crash situation, multiply the weight of the object in pounds times the speed in miles per hour using Newton's Law of Motion (force = mass x acceleration or deceleration). For example: 

·        A 75-lb. child in a 35-lb. wheelchair with a 5-lb. insert = 115 lb. 115 lb. X 30 mph = 3,450 lb. of force. These forces are even greater for a person traveling in a power wheelchair:

·        A 75-lb. child in a 200-lb. power wheelchair with a 5-lb. insert = 280 lb. 280 pounds x 30 mph = 8,400 lb. of force.

As illustrated by Newton's Law of Motion, restraint systems, whether they are vehicle seat belts or children's car seats, are essential to protect the occupant in the event of a crash.

It is necessary to consider and understand the basic principles of crash protection (e.g., vehicle seat belts, infant or child supplemental restraint systems) before preparing children and adults for transportation in their wheelchairs. The manufacture and use of vehicle seat belts and child restraint systems are legislated and standardized. ANSI-RESNA (American National Standards Institute - Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) has recently developed standards for both tie-down devices and wheelchairs.

There are two aspects to the safe transport of persons in a wheelchair: the wheelchair with its seating system and the vehicle tie-down system.  Both are equally important, and one never compensates for a lack of the other. All of these systems then function together as one system.

A crash protection system could be a child's car seat, the vehicle's seat belt, or the wheelchair tie-down system in a van. Before the best safety decisions can be made, the following principles and requirements need to be emphasized.  These guidelines were the cooperative development of several physical therapists and occupational therapists working together with specialists in pupil transportation.