Bus stops are a key link in the journey of a bus rider. For people with disabilities, inaccessible bus stops often represent the weak link in the system and can effectively prevent the use of fixed-route bus service. Physical, cognitive, and psychological barriers associated with bus stops can severely hamper bus ridership by the disability community, thus limiting their mobility and potentially leading to increased paratransit costs.

This toolkit is primarily targeted towards staff at transit agencies and public works departments who are responsible for bus stop design and placement. The toolkit is intended to be a convenient resource that can be used to enhance the accessibility of specific bus stops, or help in the development of a strategic plan to achieve system-wide accessibility. Disability community representatives should also find in these pages material that can be used to advocate for accessibility improvements and barrier removal. We encourage you to selectively draw on the sections that are most relevant to your situation. Your feedback on the toolkit will be most appreciated, and can be submitted either via a telephone call to Easter Seals Project ACTION, or via a short survey. Please let us know if there are critical topics that should be included in future versions of the toolkit.