Exploring stakeholders' response to travel needs of commuters with disability in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly

Abstract

Access to public transport increases vulnerable people's social mobility, facilitates economic integration and improves general well‐being. This is possible given the low vehicular acquisition and low cost required to enjoy public transport services. Unfortunately, the discourse on the responsiveness of public transport services to the disability community in the Global South has been viewed from users' perspectives, leaving out key stakeholders whose actions impact persons with disability (PWDs') mobility needs. This study seeks to fill the gap by exploring stakeholders' responses to the travel needs of commuters with disability in the Accra Metropolitan Assembly. Employing an exploratory research design, this study purposively engaged five national stakeholders on transport and disability issues. All interviews and transcripts were transcribed using MaxQDA. The qualitative data analysis was iterative as the study adopted a thematic analytical approach to explore participants' opinions. From the data, all stakeholders did not have a disability‐inclined transport agenda or policy despite making various attempts to meet the travel needs of PWDs. Some attempts include the reliance on one's discretion as seen in the case of transport operators, while other stakeholders appeared to offer little support due to financial and administrative bottlenecks. Transport‐oriented stakeholders cared little about PWD while disability‐oriented stakeholders cared little about transport issues. This study recommends a consultative action framework to guide all stakeholders in ensuring the delivery of barrier‐free transport services to the disability community.

Towards inclusive transport: The responsiveness of intercity bus services to the needs of people with disabilities in Tamale, Ghana

“…Notably, relying on conductor callouts by visually impaired PWDs to know their destinations is not unique to Tamale but is common in Ghana and other African cities (Frye, 2013; Odame, 2022; Odame et al., 2020). Though popular, it poses difficulties for PWDs when conductors fail or forget to mention the names of destinations, causing them to miss their destinations.…”

“…This is particularly distressing for intercity trips where PWDs visit new cities with new environments and where different languages are spoken in Ghana, making it difficult for them to navigate the unfamiliar terrain. Whilst Odame (2022) identified PWDs' reliance on local knowledge to determine one's location based on some landmarks or counting runabouts or speedbumps for intracity trips in Accra, this was not a coping strategy for PWDs in Tamale for intercity trips because such trips involved taking unfamiliar routes. As a result, intercity transportation operators must deploy assistive technologies to provide accessible travel information for PWDs to use during intercity trips.…”

“…(Male Respondent 7, Difficulty in Walking/Climbing Stairs and Wheel Chair User, August 2021)The results of the interviews and focus group discussions revealed that, whilst transportation operators regard physically lifting mobility‐impaired PWDs who have difficulty walking or climbing stairs into buses as acts of goodwill and assistance to them, wheelchair users interviewed were generally dissatisfied with public attitudes towards them during such processes, describing them as embarrassing and dehumanising. Odame (2022) and Wayland et al. (2022) have demonstrated how public attention generated during such assistance contributes to PWDs' low self‐esteem and perpetuates negative stereotypes of PWDs as dependent individuals unable to perform boarding tasks and enjoy travel autonomy.…”

“…In terms of transportation, the accessibility and use of public transit by people with disabilities are primarily dependent on the implementation of efficient and appropriate transportation systems through the application of universal design standards and the enforcement of regulatory and legal regimes for protecting people with disabilities (Odame et al., 2023). Existing studies (Abraham et al., 2021; Odame, 2022; Odame et al., 2020; Owusu‐Ansah et al., 2019) on disability and access to public transport services in Ghana have, however, found these necessary conditions lacking.…”

“…Transport terminals were characterised by raised kerbs, the absence of ramps/ stairways, broken and unpaved pavements and open drains, which impeded PWDs' mobility. Likewise, in Cape Coast and Accra, noncompliance with provisions in the Disability Act among transport operators, such as the absence of priority seating and parking for PWDs, ramps and other assistive devices, as well as poor operators' knowledge of the needs of commuters with disability and poor attitudes from abled commuters were identified as crucial accessibility barriers PWDs face in daily mobility (Abraham et al., 2021; Odame, 2022; Odame et al., 2020, 2023). Consequently, PWDs have been identified to encounter transportation difficulties arising out of both transport system designs and socio‐cultural factors, restricting them to specific opportunities within their neighbourhoods, making it difficult for them to reach their full potential and live independent lives outside of their communities.…”