Is There an Empty Seat for Me? Multiple Perspectives on Transportation of Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Independent use of public transportation is an important living skill for young adults with intellectual disabilities. Although public transportation can provide an affordable means of mobility in many urban settings, using it requires complex cognitive, social, and functional skills before, during, and after travel. METHOD: This qualitative study explored the transportation experiences of young adults with intellectual disabilities living in Istanbul, Turkiye. We conducted 16 individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities between the ages of 21 and 28 and interviewed their parents separately. We also interviewed three paratransit vehicle drivers to incorporate different perspectives. RESULTS: Five themes came into focus: desire of independence, safety, accompaniment, barriers for transportation, and systematic instruction. CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the need to move beyond viewing transportation solely as a matter of physical accessibility and to consider the cognitive, social, and instructional dimensions that shape everyday mobility experiences.