Suggested Citation:
Bhuiya, Md Musfiqur Rahman, Jesus M. Barajas, Prashanth S. Venkataram (2026)

How Often Do People With Disabilities Travel by Certain Modes

This study investigates the association between trip frequency across transportation modes and disability types, drawing on a survey of 1,896 individuals with and without disabilities in California. We fit ordinal logistic regression models to examine the relationships between disability types and frequency, including interactions between disability types. While having disability is negatively associated with trip frequency by different modes, these associations significantly vary by disability types. People with psychological disabilities, and both Cognitive/Hearing/Communication (CHC) and psychological disabilities, are likely to drive and carpool less frequently. People with physical disabilities, and those with multiple disabilities involving physical disabilities, are likely to walk less frequently. People who have multiple disabilities are less likely to use any mode of transportation at all. People with psychological and CHC disabilities are less likely to carpool, and people with physical and psychological disabilities are less likely to drive, regardless of whether they have each of these disabilities separately. Overall, multiple disabilities reduce the likelihood of walking frequently compared with their respective single disabilities. We recommended measures to improve mobility across disability types, including enhancing the accessibility of transit stops, providing driver training on the mobility rights of people with disabilities, and ensuring the affordability of adapted vehicles to encourage more frequent use of these modes.