Improving the provision of transport for youth with disabilities in Cape Town

Abstract

This study explores ways in which transport in Cape Town can better serve youth with disabilities, encouraging their participation in arts activities and facilitating their integration into society. In South Africa, youth with disabilities face institutional barriers left in the aftermath of Apartheid, and are often confined to historically-disadvantaged areas and deprived of societal benefits. Access to affordable transport is essential, especially for disadvantaged persons, and interaction through the arts is a creative way of providing these youth with the necessary tools to empower themselves and pursue life opportunities. This paper begins by offering a summary of the existing state of transport for persons with disabilities. After providing a literature review of topics related to transport for disadvantaged persons with disabilities, it presents a brief description of Cape Town’s public transport system and its historic shortcomings. A summary of the research methodology follows, along with the study’s key findings and policy implications. This paper concludes that increased emphasis should also be placed on providing youth with disabilities with reliable transport and opportunities to learn from cultural activities.