Impact of Transportation on the Quality of Life of Physically Challenged Working Women and Students—A Case of Bangalore
摘要
A unique marginalized section of society, women with a disability, although limited by their challenges, have the right to equally access the service of the city that gives them a sense of autonomy and improves their overall Quality of Life. However, from the literature review, it was found that there is a scarcity of studies done on understanding the factors that affect the mode choices of women with disability. This study fills in that gap and aims to understand the experiences and challenges that affect the mode choice of women with disabilities while carrying out trips for various purposes and how they differ from their male counterparts. Through a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) methodology, questions were asked to women with disability to understand their experience and expectations from the transportation system in Bangalore, India. Sentiment analysis was carried out to understand the emotions and sentiments of two women groups while commuting in Bangalore. Working women with walking disabilities expressed that poor road infrastructure, unsafe travel experiences, lack of disabled-friendly public transport, and lack of disabled-friendly parking facilities are hurdles in commuting while women with visual impairments expressed challenges in navigation and challenges in using public transport as major barriers in travelling. The key finding of the study was that due to these challenges, women with disabilities are forced to curtail their commute or shift to non-sustainable modes of transportation, which have major implications on their education, economic condition as well as social well-being, affecting their overall Quality of Life. The study concludes with policy recommendations that can encourage and empower this section of women and provide easy access to transportation.