Analyzing Mobility Gaps Between People with and without Disabilities using Oaxaca-Blinder Decomposition Method

Some population groups have lower propensity to be mobile than others. The reasons for this divergence in tendencies are difficult to assess namely since some of these groups have vulnerability features and are typically less observed and analyzed in regular surveys. The aim of this research is to compare the mobility of people with and without disabilities. Data from the 2019 Origin-Destination survey for Montreal City (Canada) allows to calculate four mobility indicators. 54% of the people with disabilities are immobile during a typical weekday compared to 17% for the other group. To understand the source of the mobility gap, two estimations with Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method are used. It has been found that a portion of this gap is explained by different characteristics of the two groups (proportion of older adults, workers, and people with driver license). The gap is also explained by disparities between people with similar characteristics. Women and older adults with disabilities are less mobile than women and older adults without disabilities. The analysis of people with and without disabilities satisfaction suggests that the perception of PT is a factor associated with the mobility gap between the two groups, but further research will be necessary.