Safe Transportation of Children With Disabilities and Medical Conditions in Motor Vehicles: Experiences and Perspectives of Australian Health Professionals and Organisations

Abstract

Providing safe and accessible transportation for children with disabilities and medical conditions can be challenging and complex, as they are particularly vulnerable during road vehicle transportation. Health professionals and organisations play a vital role in supporting families and other involved individuals to ensure their child is transported safely. To obtain a better understanding of the experiences and perspectives of health professionals and organisations involved in the safe transportation of children with disabilities and medical conditions, a large-scale national survey was undertaken in Australia. A total of 295 responses were obtained from 234 health professionals and 61 organisations. Responses were analysed to explore the experiences, difficulties, and demands related to supporting the provision of safe transportation for these children. Although these key stakeholders believed safe transportation to be an important right, health professionals faced many challenges and had low confidence in their abilities to address the barriers associated with it. The findings suggest that health professionals may benefit from additional training, support, and resources. Organisations need access to evidence-based information to address this transportation topic in their strategies and plans. Without adequate support for health professionals to improve their knowledge and capability in this area, and organisational commitment in their strategies and plans that include the transport needs of children with disabilities and medical conditions, these children and their families will remain at a disproportionate risk of injury and fatality on the roads.