Fueling Outcomes: Transportation and Quality of Life of People with IDD

Posted on March 4, 2026

By Carli Friedman, CQL Director of Research

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) face many barriers when it comes to transportation. Unmet transportation needs can hinder community integration, education, employment, and healthcare, among others. For these reasons, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between transportation and people with IDD’s quality of life. To do so, I analyzed Personal Outcome Measures^® interviews from 2,928 people with IDD.

While doing so, I found people with IDD who received transportation services had a significantly better quality of life, with an average of 39% outcomes present, compared to 33% for people with IDD without transportation services, while demographic factors were controlled. In addition, regardless of their demographics, people with IDD with transportation services were more likely than those without transportation services to: be safe; be free from abuse and neglect; have the best possible health; exercise their rights; be treated fairly; be respected; use their environments; interact with other members of the community; be connected to natural support networks; decide when to share personal information; choose personal goals; and realize personal goals. For example, people with IDD with transportation were 1.97 times more likely to exercise their rights than people with IDD without transportation.

Transportation and Individual Quality of Life Outcomes

“People with IDD face many barriers when it comes to transportation, including a lack of availability, affordability, and accessibility. However, as suggested by our study, access to transportation can be transformative, significantly improving people with IDD’s quality of life. People with IDD who received transportation services were not only more likely to be safe and healthy in our study, but they were also more likely to interact with community members, realize their goals, and exercise their rights, among other outcomes. As such, we need to address transportation barriers to ensure people with IDD are driving where they go, both via transportation itself, and in their lives more broadly” (Friedman, 2026).

This article is a summary of the following journal manuscript: Friedman, C. (2026). The road to quality of life: Transportation and outcomes of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-026-10053-z