An Evaluation of the Safety Perceptions of Transportation Network Companies as a Mobility Option for the Visually Impaired Community.

For blind individuals, access to safe and reliable transportation can be a challenge. Limited mobility options can culminate in a reduced quality of life and difficulty accessing housing and employment. Transportation network companies (TNCs) have emerged as a new mode of travel that has the potential to increase access to transportation for this segment of the population. The opportunities and challenges for TNC use by this population have not been widely studied. Through qualitative and quantitative methods, this study focused on gaining a better understanding of blind individuals' safety perceptions of TNCs relative to other travel modes. The findings suggest that a significant proportion of blind individuals may use TNCs, and direct TNC experience strongly influences their safety perceptions of this travel mode. While TNCs present an opportunity for blind riders to become more engaged in myriad activities, these companies can still make improvements in many areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]