6. Exploring Transportation Options
This activity aims to help students explore various transportation options.
Discuss
Transportation is an important part of independent living. Whether you need to get to school, work, the grocery store, or social events, having a reliable way to travel helps you stay independent and involved in your community. There are many types of transportation, including public buses, trains, rideshare services, biking, walking, and even specialized transportation services for people with disabilities. Understanding the different options available and choosing the best one for your needs is an essential skill for managing daily life successfully.
Transportation planning involves thinking ahead about how you will get from place to place safely and efficiently. For individuals with disabilities, this may include considering accessibility features, costs, schedules, and backup plans in case of unexpected changes. Some students may need to apply for paratransit services, learn how to read a bus schedule, or practice using navigation apps. By developing strong transportation planning skills, students can gain more freedom and confidence in getting where they need to go, supporting their goals for education, employment, and social activities.
Resource
Transportation Options can help explore what transportation you know about and what transportation you want to learn more about. For transportation you want to learn more about, who is someone you could talk with to help you learn more?
Click and Explore
Some local public transportation organizations may have travel training available. This is something you would need to look up according to the public transportation in your area.
Mobility Managers | Ohio Department of Transportation – this is a project to increase access to mobility options for Ohioans by increasing their awareness of transportation options. At the bottom of this webpage is a contact list for Mobility Managers in Ohio. You can reach out to them if you are needing to share ideas for your area or learn more about what is available to you.
Interactive Opportunity
Invite a Mobility Manager or local transportation agency to talk about transportation challenges and options. Work with students to prepare questions and express their own transportation concerns or experiences.
Extending the Conversation
Having reliable transportation is very important. It means you can get to where you need to go on time and without a lot of stress. Without reliable transportation, it can make getting to work, school, or even running errands difficult. Let’s take a moment to consider what transportation could look like for a job. Think of a local business or job opportunity you would be interested in. Consider where this opportunity is located.
- How would you get there?
- Does your transportation to work look different if you’re coming from home vs. school?
- How would you get there if you use public transportation?
- What would be your backup plan in case there’s issues with your first option?