Planning for inclusive active transportation: A systematic literature review of disability integration and interventions

Despite being considered an effective way to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHGs) in the transport sector, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation, the transition to active transportation modes continues to present challenges, especially for vulnerable social groups and individuals with disabilities (PWD). A growing body of literature has explored different aspects of active travel interventions. However, there is a lack of research that evaluates the effectiveness of interventions aimed at enhancing access for PWD to active transport through a systematic literature review. Unlike previous reviews that primarily describe travel barriers and facilitators for PWD, this study provides a systematic review of disability integration and the effectiveness of interventions for active transportation accessibility. We review 26 studies retrieved from the Web of Science. The results show that research on active transport interventions for PWD is growing but remains fragmented, with a strong bias toward visual impairments, limited geographic scope, and small, inconsistent study designs. While interventions such as navigation aids and infrastructure modifications demonstrate promise, evidence of real-world effectiveness is scarce, underscoring the need for broader and more rigorous evaluation. The findings reveal that to ensure equitable transport and urban transformation, future research must incorporate a broader range of disabilities, use uniform classification systems, evaluate real-world effectiveness, and expand geographical scope beyond developed countries. • Systematic review of active transport interventions for people with disabilities. • Research shows strong bias toward visual impairments in intervention design. • Geographic focus limited to developed countries, neglecting Global South. • Interventions show promise but lack real-world testing. • Call for broader disability inclusion and standardized evaluation methods.