Imagine wanting to meet a friend for coffee, get to a job or volunteer placement you enjoy, or visit a neighborhood park - but your ability to go depends entirely on someone else’s schedule. For many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) as well as older adults navigating driving cessation, transportation can be a major barrier to a self-directed life.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics recently reported, that 40.2% of adults ages 18 - 64 with travel-limiting disabilities and 57.1% of adults age 65 and older with limited mobility made zero trips on the survey day, highlighting how health changes or driving cessation often result in isolated daily routines.[1]
Giving up a driver's license doesn't mean giving up community access, but transitioning to public transit without proper guidance can feel daunting.
Travel training turns mobility into possibility. It helps older adults and individuals with disabilities maintain connection to medical appointments, social networks, and community activities, significantly supporting their goal to age in place safely and independently.
Travel training turns mobility into possibility. It can help a person reach employment, education, health care, recreation, social activities, and other destinations that improve one’s quality of life with greater independence.
Travel instruction, often called travel training, is individualized, hands-on instruction that helps a person build the skills and confidence to use public transportation and navigate the community as independently as possible.[2]
Unlike simply riding along with a caregiver or support professional, travel training breaks a trip into clear, repeatable steps and adapts the instruction to the learner’s goals, communication style, sensory needs, and pace.
A travel-training plan may include:
For people with I/DD and older adults accessible transportation is not only a service issue; it is a foundation for community inclusion.
Hands-on practice remains essential. Technology is most effective when it reinforces skills learned through real-world instruction and is matched to the traveler’s abilities and preferences. The right tool can provide a prompt at the right moment, reduce cognitive load, and offer a backup when a trip changes.
AbleLink WayFinder: Available through AbleLink’s Smart Travel Service, WayFinder allows a support professional or family member to build customized routes with photos, audio, landmarks, and step-by-step prompts. Optional location updates can also support remote monitoring when the traveler chooses that arrangement.[3]
MapHabit: MapHabit uses visual guides made from images, audio, video, and written instructions to break routines into manageable steps. Travel trainers can use this type of visual sequencing to reinforce tasks such as preparing for a trip, finding a stop, or completing a transfer.[4]
General transit apps can be useful when their interfaces and alerts match the traveler’s needs. They should be practiced during training rather than introduced for the first time on an independent trip.
Transit: Transit app’s “GO” mode provides step-by-step audio guidance and alerts when a stop is approaching. The app also displays accessibility information when transit agency data are available.[5]
Moovit: Live Directions offers step-by-step trip guidance, including optional Get Off Alerts before the rider’s stop.[6]
Be My Eyes and Be My AI: Designed primarily for people who are blind or have low vision, Be My Eyes connects users with live volunteers, while Be My AI can describe images and scenes. For travelers with I/DD who also have visual or reading-related access needs, these tools may help identify a sign, entrance, or landmark.[7]
AI descriptions can be incomplete or incorrect. They should not be the sole source of information for crossing streets, entering traffic, or making other safety-critical decisions.
Where supported by the local transit agency, contactless payment can reduce the stress of counting cash or handling a fare card at a busy bus door or gate. Options may include a preloaded transit card, automatic reload, a mobile ticket, or a digital wallet. Availability varies by transit system, so the payment method should be practiced as part of the traveler’s specific route.
A phone or smartwatch can support scheduled check-ins, one-touch calls, SOS features, and location sharing. These tools can offer reassurance without placing a support person beside the traveler throughout the trip - but only when they are used transparently and with the traveler’s informed agreement.
Use the least intrusive support that works.
The traveler should know who can see their location, when sharing begins and ends, how to turn it off, and what will happen if an alert is triggered. Item trackers such as AirTags are designed for belongings, not for tracking people.
No app or device is universally accessible. Before adding a tool to a travel plan, the traveler, trainer, and support team should consider:
When personalized instruction and accessible technology work together, people facing these mobility challenges can gain more control over when, where, and how they travel. The goal is not technology for its own sake. The goal is confidence, choice, and full participation in community life.
CCAM-TAC remains committed to supporting coordination, sharing practical strategies, and advancing mobility solutions that empower every traveler. At CCAM-TAC, our work centers on mobility, community connection, and coordination.
Editor’s note: Product examples are provided for illustration and do not constitute an endorsement. Features, pricing, compatibility, and availability vary by location and may change over time.
Have more mobility news that we should be reading and sharing? Let us know! Reach out to us (info@ccam-tac.org).
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