Survey Topics

The survey gathered information in the following subject areas:

• frequency of travel outside the home, including trip purpose, mode of transportation, frequency of use of different modes, need for assistance, and satisfaction with transportation services;
• availability of paratransit (curb-to-curb service) and respondent use of paratransit;
• personal motor vehicle ownership, use, and safety issues, including vehicles modified for use by people with disabilities; and
• experiences when using various modes of travel, including difficulties with public and private transportation.

Survey respondents were asked to self-identify disability according to several definitions, specifically:

• the Census 2000 definition, which applies when one or more of the following conditions is met: sensory (blindness, deafness, or severe vision or hearing impairment), physical (substantial limitations in walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying), or long-lasting difficulties (6 months or more) in activities affecting learning, remembering, or concentrating ( mental ); dressing, bathing, or getting around inside the home ( self-care ); going outside the home alone to shop or visit a doctor's office ( going outside the home ); and, working at a job or business ( employment ).
• the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) definition, which considers disability as a "physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities;" and
• if a child in the household received "special education services."

To provide comparability between the BTS survey and the decennial census, unless otherwise noted, disability data presented in this report are from respondents who self-identified their disabilities using the Census 2000 disability definition.