Our research suggested that a major cause of the lack of transportation in rural communities is the lack of resources for transportation. We observed several communities that provided resources to consumers for transportation and developed a voucher model from those examples. The voucher model puts resources for transportation into the hands of individual consumers and trusts them to use their knowledge and skills and vouchers to organize their own transportation. This model is consistent with independent living philosophy and has been shown to create a foundation for organized transportation in communities that previously lacked such transportation. Our partner, APRIL, conducted a national evaluation of the voucher model and provides a toolkit for implementing the program on its website: APRIL Accessible Rural Transportation.
- Project dates: 1994 – 1999
- Funded by: National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research Grant No. H133B20002, H133B70017
- Principal staff: Tom Seekins, Ph.D., Brad Bernier, Kitty Herron
- Related projects:
Links to Publications Available on UMScholarWorks:
- Inequities in Rural Transportation
- Making Transportation Work for People with Disabilities in Rural America: The Supported Volunteer Rural Transportation Voucher Program
- Rural Transportation
- Rural Transportation: Using Vouchers to Improve Access
- Supported Volunteer Rural Transportation Project