Knowledge and practice of drivers on the provision of service to persons with visual disability: A survey of public transport drivers in a tertiary inclusion school in West Africa

Abstract

Public transport plays an important role in improving mobility for persons with visual impairment. Commercial drivers are major stakeholders in ensuring that there are efficient and accessible public transport systems on university campuses that have a relatively high number of persons with visual impairment. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 90 taxi drivers who operate their services on the campus of a tertiary inclusion school. The drivers were surveyed on their knowledge and practices in providing services to persons with visual impairment. The findings show that 55 (61.1%) drivers knew how to identify a pedestrian with a visual disability by looking out for the white cane. A total of 77 (85.6%) drivers have also adopted the practice of stopping for pedestrians to cross the road. However, only 20 (22.5%) respondents agreed to reserve the front seat for the passenger with visual impairment. Participants were not knowledgeable on the sections of the disability act relating to the provision of transport services to persons with visual impairment nor the kind of punishment associated with breaching the rules. The study provides recommendations on how to bridge the gap between the demands of the disability act and the practices of commercial drivers.