A Study on the Impact of Transport Accessibility on the Economic Participation of People with Visual Impairments

Transport accessibility is a factor affecting not only everyday mobility of people with visual impairments, but also their access to education, employment, consumption and other socio-economic opportunities. Theoretically, the paper examines the effect of transport accessibility on their economic participation. Barriers in road environments, public transport and transport information raise travel costs in terms of time, money and safety, and restrict independent mobility and access to opportunities. Better transport accessibility can help to lower these costs, make independent travel possible and expand the range of accessible opportunities." It might enhance access to education and contribute to human capital accumulation, expand the spatial scope of employment opportunities and reduce commuting barriers, as well as access to consumption and other socio-economic activities. But transport is not the sole determinant of economic participation; its effects are mediated by educational attainment, vocational skills, employment conditions and social support. Accessible transport should therefore combine infrastructure, service delivery and opportunity access, with coordinated policies in education and employment to promote economic participation and social inclusion.