See the "Universal Design" chapter of our Online TDM Encyclopedia 
(http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm69.htm) which includes various references to 
organizations and publications related to mobility and accessibility for 
people with disabilities. There has been considerable work on this issue in 
the U.S., through the Access Board (www.access-board.gov) and the USDOT 
Accessibility Website (www.dot.gov/accessibility).

Also see "Access Exchange International" (www.globalride-sf.org), a 
non-profit organization that promotes cost-effective access to public 
transportation for disabled persons in developing countries and the "World 
Institute on Disability" (www.wid.org), which provides resources for people 
with disabilities.


Best wishes,
-Todd Litman


At 07:51 AM 7/1/2004 +0200, Eric HEYRMAN wrote:
>Good morning,
>
>I am currently working on the public transport policies and people with 
>disability, studied under the angle of social sciences.
>
>Would you know researchers who work on the subject of the accessibility of 
>transport for people with disability with the tools of public policy 
>analysis (ie political science, political sociology, policy making, 
>decision making, mobilization sociology, collective action sociology, new 
>social movement...) or law, and in a more anecdotic way, with the tools of 
>sociology of the organizations (or organizations theory) ?
>
>Does it already exist achieved studies (dissertations, theses, articles, 
>reports, books, ...) in these academic disciplines : for instance achieved 
>works on :
>- implementation of national or international legislation at the local 
>level (link between primary rules and secondary rules);
>- effectivity (then effectiveness) of law,
>- how the national legislation enacted on this subject is apprehended by 
>the local actors (how the local actors took note of the legislative and 
>lawful device?)?
>- negociation/conflict between local authorities, transport service 
>providers and disability organisations to obtain an accessible transport 
>network;
>- role and influence of access groups
>- system of action subjacent with the decision process
>- the mode of management and coordination of the different actions (urban 
>public transport, rail regional transports, air, taxis...) : Which is the 
>mode of "government": centralization of the institutional device on an 
>only person? delegation ? multipolarity ?
>- Various local actors are they interdependent? Does that induce the need 
>for a co-operation or a coordination (concept of regulation)? Are 
>commissions and a certain institutionalization of negotiation necessary to 
>perpetuate these relations? Is the contractualisation a relevant tool? How 
>does the State organize these relations? Which is its role ?
>- Is the participation of the users a characteristic of the regulation of 
>this public action ? Is the traditional mode of representation in its place ?
>- the reasons explaining why the quite precise legislation on 
>accessibility of transport is bad implementing at the local level (which 
>are the normative, technical, economic, political, institutional and 
>cognitive determinants of local choices in accessibility?).
>- How in a context of constraints, a few actors build and make accepting 
>an interpretation of the problems, then formulate an action (public 
>policy), and how they will make emerge and legitimate a public choice 
>concerning the people in situation of handicap and their access of transport?
>
>Moreover, does it exist studies which used these tools on a close object 
>(for example accessibility of housing or tourism...)?
>
>Thanks very much for your help.
>
>Sincerely yours,
>Eric Heyrman
>
>PS : Please forward this message to relevant people.
>
>¯¯¯
>Institut National de REcherche sur les Transports et leur Sécurité (INRETS)
>Laboratoire Ergonomie et Sciences COgnitives pour les Transports (LESCOT)
>Eric HEYRMAN
>Ingénieur des travaux publics de l'Etat
>25, avenue François Mitterrand
>Case n°24
>69675 BRON Cedex
>France
>Tel : 33 (0)4 72 14 24 67
>Fax : 33 (0)4 72 14 24 37
>


Sincerely,
Todd Litman, Director
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
"Efficiency - Equity - Clarity"
1250 Rudlin Street
Victoria, BC, V8V 3R7, Canada
Phone & Fax: 250-360-1560
Email: [log in to unmask]
Website: http://www.vtpi.org