Developing a Training Program for a Personal Navigation Intervention for Individuals with Disabilities

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to identify, develop, and assess the feasibility of a complex intervention to support independent public transportation for individuals with cognitive disabilities in a midsized urban setting. Methods: We used the Medical Research Council framework to develop and evaluate a complex intervention. The complex intervention was an education and training program that supported personal navigation for individuals with disabilities (PNID) and was part of the Smart Columbus Mobility Assistance for People with Cognitive Disabilities (MAPCD) project. The identification, development, and feasibility of the PNID education and training program was iterative and included seven stages, which started with engaging with external stakeholders and ended with describing future directions for the implementation of the complex intervention. Results: The result was an evidence-based, theory-informed, and stakeholder supported education and training program to support public transportation for individuals with cognitive disabilities. The intervention was based on frameworks, models, and theories including a sociotechnical architecture model. The sociotechnical architecture was operationalized using the WayFinder system, a personal transportation assistant that consists of both a smartphone application and a web-based portal. The education and training program consisted of five activities. Conclusions: The PNID education and training program and MAPCD project provide a framework for the identification, development, implementation, and evaluation of sociotechnical architectures that support independent public transportation for individuals with disabilities in midsize urban settings.