This article describes an adapted photovoice study that explored the facilitators and barriers to accessing paratransit services among people with disabilities. This 18-month study involved adults with disabilities developing photovoice stories about their paratransit experiences in Eastern Canada. The photovoice stories represent an in-depth examination of the familial, social, geographical, and environmental factors and their complex association with paratransit services. Distributing the photovoice stories through social media also served as a practical application of health promotion as the process allowed for a broader audience reach to bear witness to the experiences of participants from the disability community. Discussion includes recommendations for developing and sustaining responsive paratransit services with the assertion that persons with disabilities are at the forefront in making informed changes and improvements in ensuring transportation is accessible for everyone.
BalbaleS. N.LonesK. A.HillJ. N.LaVelaS. L. (2017). Examining participation among persons with spinal cord injuries and disorders using photovoice. The Qualitative Report, 22, 1830-1847.
2.
BalcazarF. E.KeysC. B.KaplanD. L.Suarez-BalcazarY. (2006). Participatory action research and people with disabilities: Principles and challenges. Canadian Journal of Rehabilitation, 12, 105-112.
3.
BascomG.ChristensenK. (2017). The impacts of limited transportation access on persons with disabilities’ social participation. Journal of Transport & Health, 7, 227-234. doi:10.1016/j.jth.2017.10.002
4.
BergstadC. J.GambleA.GarlingT.HagmanO.PolkM.EttemaD.. . . OlssonL. F. (2011). Subjective well-being related to satisfaction with daily travel. Transportation, 38, 1-15. doi:10.1007/s11116-010-9283-z
5.
BezyakJ. L.SabellaS. A.GattisR. H. (2017). Public transportation: An investigation of barriers for people with disabilities. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 28, 52-60. doi:10.1177/1044207317702070
6.
BurnsK. K.GordonG. L. (2010). Analyzing the impact of disability legislation in Canada and the United States. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 20, 205-218. doi:10.1177/1044207309344562
ChappellA. L.GoodleyD.LawthomR. (2001). Making connections: The relevance of the social model of disability for people with learning disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 29, 45-50.
10.
DassahE.AlderseyH. M.NormanK. E. (2017). Photovoice and persons with physical disabilities: A scoping review of the literature. Qualitative Health Research, 27, 1412-1422. doi:10.1177/1049732316687731
11.
DaviesD. K.StockS. E.HollowayS.WehmeyerM. L. (2010). Evaluating a GPS-based transportation device to support independent bus travel by people with intellectual disability. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 48, 454-463. doi:10.1352/1934-9556-48.6.454
12.
DekaD. (2014). An exploration of the environmental and rider characteristics associated with disability paratransit trip delay. Journal of Transport Geography, 38, 75-87. doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2014.05.016
13.
DelboscA.CurrieG. (2011). The spatial context of transport disadvantage, social exclusion and well-being. Journal of Transport Geography, 19, 1130-1137. doi:10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2011.04.005
14.
DoraC. (1999). A difficult route to health: Implications of transport polices. BMJ, 318, 2686-1689.
15.
GuilleminM.DrewS. (2010). Questions of process in participant-generated visual methodologies. Visual Studies, 25(2), 175-188
16.
HammelJ.MagasiS.HeinemannA.GrayD. B.StarkS.KisalaP.. . . HahnE. A. (2015). Environmental barriers and supports to everyday participation: A qualitative insider perspective for people with disabilities. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 96, 578-588. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2014.12.008
17.
ImrieR. (2000). Disability and discourses of mobility and movement. Environment and Planning, 32, 1641-1656. doi:10.1068/a331
18.
International Collaboration for Participatory Health Research. (2013, May). Position Paper 1: What is participatory health research?Berlin, Germany: Author.
19.
JurkowskiJ.Paul-WardA. (2007). Photovoice with vulnerable populations: Addressing disparities in health promotion among people with intellectual disabilities. Health Promotion Practice, 8, 358-365. doi:10.1177/1524839906292181
20.
LabbyB. (2019, March11). Disabled Calgarians ask why Calgary transit access doesn’t “treat us with respect.”CBC News. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/calgary
21.
LevasseurM.GenereuxM.BruneauJ. F.VanasseA.ChabotE.BeaulacC.BedardM. M. (2015). Importance of proximity to resources, social support, transportation and neighborhood security for mobility and social participation in older adults: Results from a scoping study. BMC Public Health, 15, 503. doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1824-0. Retrieved from https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-1824-0
22.
LubinA.FeeleyC. (2016). Transportation issues of adults on the autism spectrum findings from focus group discussions. Transportation Research Record, 2542, 1-8. doi:10.3141/2542-01
23.
MikkonenJ.RaphaelD. (2010). Social determinants of health: The Canadian facts. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: York University School of Health Policy and Management. Retrieved from http://thecanadianfacts.org/the_canadian_facts.pdf
National Council on Disability. (2015). Transportation update: Where we’ve gone and what we’ve learned. Washington, DC: Author.
26.
NicholasD. B.MitchellW.DudleyC.ClarkeM.ZullaR. (2018). An ecosystem approach to employment and autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 4, 264-275. doi:10.1007/s10803-017-3351-6
PáezA.MercadoR. G.FarberS.MorencyC.RoordaM. (2009). Mobility and social exclusion in Canadian communities: An empirical investigation of opportunity access and deprivation from the perspective of vulnerable groups. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Policy Research Directorate, Strategic Policy and Research, Human Resources and Social Development Canada.
29.
RipatJ.BorisoffJ.GrantL.ChanF. (2018). Patterns of community participation across the seasons: A year-long case study of three Canadian wheelchair users. Disability and Rehabilitation, 40, 722-731. doi:10.1080/09638288.2016.1271463
30.
SampleP. L. (1996). Beginnings: Participatory action research and adults with developmental disabilities. Disability & Society, 11, 317-332. doi:10.1080/09687599627633
31.
SandahlC. (2006). Disability arts. In AlbrechtG. L. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of disability (Vol. 1, pp. 405-407). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
32.
ShakespeareT.BickenbachE.PfeifferD.WatsonN. (2006). Models. In AlbrechtG. L. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of disability (Vol. 3, pp. 1101-1107). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
33.
ShumbaT. W.MoodleyI. (2018). Part 1: A review of using photovoice as a disability research method: Implications for eliciting the experiences of persons with disabilities on the Community Based Rehabilitation programme in Namibia. African Journal of Disability, 7, 2226-7220. doi:10.4102/ajod.v7i0.418
34.
SitterK. C. (2012). Participatory video: Toward a method, advocacy and voice (MAV) framework. Intercultural Education, 23, 541-554. doi:10.1080/14675986.2012.746842
35.
SitterK. C. (2015). Participatory video analysis in disability research. Disability & Society, 30, 910-923. doi:10.1080/09687599.2015.1057319
TijmM. M.CornieljeH.EduseiA. K. (2011). “Welcome to my life!” Photovoice: Needs assessment of, and by, persons with physical disabilities in the Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana. Disability, CBR and Inclusive Development, 22, 55-72. doi:10.5463/DCID.v22i1.12
38.
TurnerB. S. (2006). Citizenship and civil rights. In AlbrechtG. L. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of disability (Vol. 1, pp. 264-274). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
39.
VerdonschotM. M.de WitteL. P.ReichrathE.BuntinxW. H.CurfsL. M. (2009), Impact of environmental factors on community participation of persons with an intellectual disability: A systematic review. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 53, 54-64. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2008.01128.x
40.
WangC. (1999). Photovoice: A participatory action research strategy applied to women’s health. Journal of Women’s Health, 8, 185-192. doi:10.1089/jwh.1999.8.185
41.
WangC.BurrisM. (1997). Photovoice: Concept, methodology, and use for participatory needs assessment. Health Education & Behavior, 24, 369-387. doi:10.1177/109019819702400309
42.
Wight-FelskeA. (2003). History of advocacy tool kit. In StienstraD.Wight-FelskeA. (Eds.), Making equality: History of advocacy and persons with disabilities in Canada (pp. 321-338). Concord, Ontario, Canada: Captus Press.
