TRANSPORTATION AND CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

DATA, CHALLENGES, AND WORKING TOGETHER…Thursday, September 10, 2009

No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service or enterprise referred to in this presentation is intended or should be inferred. Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Education.

Judy L. Shanley, Ph.D.Education Program Specialist

US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

Co-Chair, Education and Technical Assistance Workgroup, United We Ride

Beliefs Activity

I believe that establishing a coordinated transportation service plan with schools is like….

Buying a 30 year old

automobile that has potential

Using a bus schedule in mid-town

Manhattan in New York

Expecting that automobile

manufacturers will design an

automobile that gets 200 miles per hour

Talking transportation with 30 of my

closest mobility manager

colleagues

Data…the Need…

Prevalence of Students with Disabilities Ages 3-21 – 6,718,203 Ages 18-21 – 335,311

National Longitudinal Transition Study2 (2007) Parent/Youth Survey 67% of students held paid job.

Sources: Table 1-1. Children and students served under IDEA, Part B, by age group and state: Fall 2007

Providing Support

Approximately 5% of students expressed needing support for transportation following school (NLTS2 Data Brief, April 2005 • Vol. 4, Issue 1).

Approximately 11% of students with disabilities were provided transportation services (http://www.nlts2.org/reports/2004_05/index.html, May 2004.

How in- or out-of secondary school youth got to his or

her current or most recent job

Transportation Mode

Percentage

Walks or rides a bike 9.5%

Drives him/herself 63.5%

Ride from family member, friend, or coworker or carpools

15.9%

Public transportation 7.6%

Service agency provides transportation

1.5%

Other 1.9%

Carl’s Story …Working with the

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation…

The Needs of Children & Youth in Schools… Q: What types of transportation services for students

with an IEP are eligible under IDEA?

A: Students with an IEP are eligible to receive transportation services in order to participate in school related activities. Section 300.34 (c ) (16) (iii) <http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cregs%2C300%2CA%2C300%252E34%2Cc%2C16%2Ciii%2C> of IDEA outlines that transportation services should include specialized equipment (such as special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps), if required to provide special transportation for a child with a disability.

Transportation as a Related Service

Services to increase access and mobility• Transportation because of a disability• Assistive technology services or devices,

such as help getting or using any kind ofequipment that helps people with a disability, such as a tape recorder or reading machine

• Audiology services for hearing problems• Orientation and mobility services

The Needs of Children & Youth in Schools…

Q: Are students with an IEP are eligible for any other transportation-related services under IDEA?

A. Students with an IEP are also eligible to receive orientation and mobility skills and/or travel training. Related service Travel to and from school and between

schools; Travel in and around school buildings, and

within the community.

Stephanie’s Story…

School – Community Partnerships

Challenge…

However, IDEA does not require students to be transported in separate and isolated vehicles from

their peers. School districts are encouraged to integrate students to the extent possible on both

small and larger buses that circulate through neighborhoods.

What is your experience with inclusive

transportation for children and youth with

disabilities?

Challenge…..

Qualified Orientation and Mobility Professionals to Work in Schools

Defined as ‘services provided to blind or visually impaired students by qualified personnel to enable those students to attain systematic orientation to and safe movement within their environments in school, home, and community’ [Section 300.24(b)(6)(i)].”

What is your experience with working with school orientation and mobility

specialists?

Connect with Orientation & Mobility Specialists in Schools

Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals - http://www.acvrep.org/

Project Action ESPA held an April 2008 grant

competition for school districts Six school districts from four states

received grant funding Form teams with key stakeholders,

convene meetings, and identify challenges and potential solutions.

www.projectaction.org

School Challenges & Solutions

Challenge One: Obtain informationabout transportation resources.

Solutions: Establish a coordinated process to obtain information about transportation services and communicate information about these resources to students, families, and school personnel.

School Challenges & Solutions

Challenge Two: Train students to use public transportation.

Solutions: Obtain, adapt or create acurriculum to familiarize students withcommunity transportation services. Identifyor establish a travel training service toteach students how to travel independently.

School Challenges & Solutions

Challenge Three: Limited public

transportation service on nights andweekends.

Solutions: Host an ongoing dialogue with key stakeholders to identify strategies for expanding service hours.

School Challenges & Solutions

Challenge Four: Absence of student and school transportation issues in the local coordinated transportation plan.

Solutions: Commitment from personnel to participate in local or regional coordinated transportation planning activities, allowing them to provide and receive information, and become active members in the planning process.

School Challenges & Solutions Challenge Five: Lack of information about the

family of transportation services, eligibility criteria and funding streams

Solutions: Learn about the family of transportation services, identify existing service providers, consider new service providers, identify existing funding sources, support and participate in local partnerships to provide transportation for students for trips that occur outside the regular school day.

Working Together…

What suggestions to you have for OSEP to address these challenges?

What can you do when you get back to your communities? Can you apply anything you learned

about the change process? What tools can you use?

LEVERAGING EDUCATION RESOURCES

Access education funding opportunities www.ed.gov http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/

agency-summary&agency_code=91 Collaborate with State and local

education agencies and organizations http://www.nichcy.org/Pages/

StateSpecificInfo.aspx?State=WI&PrintMode=true

Resources

Department of Education www.ed.gov

United We Ride www.unitedweride.gov

National Resource Center http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/

webarticles/anmviewer.asp?a=73&z=39 Project Action

www.projectaction.org

Resources

US Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy http://www.dol.gov/odep/

Thank you – I look forward to future opportunities to work with WI Mobility Managers

Judy Shanley, judy.shanley@ed.gov; 202-245-6538