One of the responsibilities of school-based therapists is to support the safety needs of our students, including how they get to and from school. Our knowledge and expertise as Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Practitioners can be an essential resource to our school teams. Under IDEIA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), safe transportation that meets the needs of our students is considered a related service of their IEP or 504 plan.1-3
This includes…
➢ Travel to and from school and between schools
➢ Travel in and around school buildings
➢ Specialized equipment (such as special or adapted buses, lifts, and ramps), if required to provide special transportation for a child with a disability.
In the state of Ohio, section 8 of the IEP outlines a student’s transportation needs. The IEP team, which includes the student, parents or caregivers, representatives from transportation services, instructional and support staff, school nurses, related service providers, and other professionals (e.g., durable medical equipment providers, physicians), should work together to assess and create a student-specific plan to address any barriers or needs, and to provide practical solutions in accordance with best practices. This should include what is considered the least restrictive environment (LRE) for the student when making decisions about the best type of vehicle, any specialized medical equipment, any behavioral needs of the student, or other safety or medical accommodations 3 (ie- temperature control, sitting away from windows to prevent head butting).
No one wants to think about our students being involved in a motor-vehicle accident on their way to or from school. However, it’s an important consideration when making transportation decisions. Crash test research tells us that wheelchair users are safest during travel if they can transfer to and sit in a vehicle seat and use the vehicle seatbelt system, or a child safety seat that complies with federal safety standards. For example, for our younger student population, this may mean being placed in a specialized car seat on the bus or van rather than in their wheelchair. So what about our students who can not transfer and must travel to and from
school in their wheelchair?
One important thing to know that is not widely advertised, is that not all wheelchairs meet federal crash-test safety standards. That’s right… It is not mandated that wheelchair manufacturers comply with these regulations. Wheelchairs are not designed for high speed safety. However, there is a voluntary crash-test wheelchair compliance known as WC19. Wheelchairs that comply with WC19 meet the ANSI/RESNA (American National Safety Institute/Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) guidelines that were established by research safety and rehabilitation experts.4
So what can we do as therapists to support our wheelchair bound students? The “Ride Safe” brochure, published by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, provides therapists and school teams with step by step instructions on what to look for and how to comply with these guidelines.4-5
1. Use the Right Equipment!
a. Whenever possible, use a WC19 compliant wheelchair. To find out if your
student’s wheelchair meets the WC19 guidelines, look it up in the University of
Michigan “Wheelchair Compliance 2025” spreadsheet.
Access it here using this link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KtcNIEA5OQJCS5z3OD1adWEIaFLN1XO3ZcTc6Dl_kaE/edit?gid=1917752765#gid=1917752765
b. Use Wheelchair Tiedown and Occupant Restraint System (WTORS) that have
also been crash tested and labeled as complying with ANSI/RESNA WC18. See
the Ride Safe Brochure for further details.
Access it here using this link:
https://wc-transportation-safety.umtri.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/517/2021/11/RideSafeBrochure2018_English.pdf
2. Follow the Ride Safe Brochure guidelines for how to…
a. Secure the wheelchair
b. Protect the wheelchair rider
3. Work with your student’s IEP team to…
a. Assess and document your student’s needs
b. Monitor and respond to changes to maintain safety, comply with LRE, and
promote autonomy/self-determination.
4. Share these resources with your school district special services and transportation department teams.
Keep in mind that if you are the therapist completing a wheelchair evaluation for a student, or collaborating with an outpatient provider on what features are needed for a custom wheelchair, it’s important to consider their transportation needs and safety. Also, remember to work within your scope of practice… You are not expected to know everything. But knowing what resources are available, and who to consult with to help guide these decisions and support your school team can be a game changer! Check out the references below for more information to help guide your practice.
– Katie Heilman, MPT
References:
1. Rule 3301-51-10 | Transportation of children with disabilities.: Ohio Administrative Code / 3301 / Chapter 3301-51. Education of Students with Special Needs. Published
December 1, 2023. Accessed September 29, 2025.
https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-3301-51-10
2. Transportation of Preschoolers and Children with Disabilities Manual Steering
Committee, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Special Needs Require Special Care II – A Guide for the Transportation of Preschoolers and Children with Disabilities for North Carolina Public Schools. June 2008. Retrieved from:
http://www.ncbussafety.org/EC/Manual/EC_Transp_Manual2008.pdf Accessed
9/29/2025.
3. FACT SHEET School Transportation for Children With Special Needs: An Overview and Resources for School-Based Physical Therapists. APTA Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy; 2022. Accessed September 29, 2025. https://pediatricapta.org/includes/fact-sheets/pdfs/FactSheet_SchoolTransportationforChildrenwithSpecialNeeds_2022.pdf
4. University of Michigan, Transportation Research Institute. Wheelchair Transportation Safety. Published March 2022. Accessed September 29, 2025.
https://wc-transportation-safety.umtri.umich.edu/
5. Ride Safe. University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute; 2018. Accessed September 29, 2025.
https://wc-transportation-safety.umtri.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/517/2021/11/RideSafeBrochure2018_English.pdf
6. Ohio Department of Health. Child Passenger Safety. Accessed September 30, 2025.
https://odh.ohio.gov/know-our-programs/child-injury-prevention/child-passenger-safety