Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:

Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the issue of transportation coordination for human services programs. The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) within the Department of Education is responsible for administering several vital Federal programs dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with disabilities from birth through adulthood. Our programs range from early intervention services for infants and toddlers and special education services for preschool and school-aged children to employment and independent living programs for adults with disabilities.

Transportation for individuals with disabilities is important across the life spectrum. Without transportation services, including specialized services tailored to their individual needs, children with certain disabilities would not have access to crucial medical care and would not be able to participate in school and the community. Without adequate means of transportation, many adults with disabilities would never be able to achieve meaningful, integrated employment in today’s workforce or to fully participate in their communities as involved, active citizens. For many individuals with disabilities, reliable, appropriate, accessible, and timely transportation is not just a luxury; it is a vital link to education, employment, independent living, health care, and community integration.

Some of the programs that we administer within OSERS allow for the provision of limited transportation services consistent with the goals and purposes of the program. For example, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that transportation and other related services be provided, if necessary, to assist children with disabilities to benefit from special education. Students with disabilities are regularly provided transportation services by school districts and other transportation entities within communities. Also, under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, transportation services are an allowable expense in order to allow vocational rehabilitation consumers to access the rehabilitation and training services listed in their individualized plan for employment. It is also possible for State vocational rehabilitation agencies to assist individuals with the purchase and modification of vehicles that are necessary for the individual to return, or to maintain, work.

The provision of transportation services under programs administered by OSERS varies from contract-for-services arrangements to referral, assistance, and training for individuals with disabilities on the use of public transportation. Through efforts such as referral and training, our programs help individuals learn how to access existing transportation resources in their communities or how to obtain necessary special transportation services. In some instances, these services mean the difference between leading a life with few options for personal and professional growth and leading a life of meaningful and significant integration within the community.

For children with disabilities, transportation is often a key factor in ensuring that a free appropriate public education (FAPE) is provided to them. The IDEA is based on the premise that children with disabilities should be able to participate fully in the education experience along with their non-disabled peers. Transportation is critical to that participation for many children with disabilities. School districts may use any one or a combination of methods to provide services to children with disabilities. These methods include using the district’s existing school transportation program, contracting for special transportation services, or using the public transportation systems. A child with a disability receives transportation as a related service only if the individualized education program (IEP) team determines that it is necessary and transportation is included in the child’s IEP. These services must be designed to meet that child’s needs. Regardless of the means of providing transportation services, we know that, without those services, many children with disabilities would not be able to participate in either the educational or social experiences of school.

Because of the nature and variety of the programs we administer within OSERS, it is difficult to determine with specificity the costs of transportation services. As I mentioned, in many instances school districts include the costs of transportation for students with disabilities within the general costs for transportation for all students and do not report these costs separately to the Federal government. However, we do have transportation cost data for special education from a national study of transportation costs for school year 1999-2000 that was conducted by an OSERS’ contractor as part of the Special Education Expenditure Project (SEEP). The SEEP project found that, in school year 1999-2000, school districts spent nearly $3.7 billion on special transportation services, or an average of $4,418 per special education student that received these services. This represents about 28 percent of the total spending on transportation ($13.1 billion) for all students in the U.S. That study showed that special transportation is almost ten times as expensive as regular transportation.

For other programs, such as the Vocational Rehabilitation program, States provide some data on transportation costs. For example, in 2001, State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies reported spending $69.4 million on transportation to assist VR customers. Transportation is a supportive service provided to allow VR customers to access and participate in various rehabilitation employment and training services.

Many children with disabilities and their families, and many adults with disabilities, need and receive services through multiple programs funded by the Federal government. It is not uncommon, for example, for a child with a disability to not only receive special education services, but also Medicaid services, SSI payments, community mental health services, or other services sponsored in part by the Federal government. In some instances, to receive those services means obtaining needed transportation from a variety of sources. In some instances, there may be strong collaboration at the local or State level to ensure that transportation services are coordinated or even provided through a central source. However, we know that, in many cases, it is difficult or impossible to provide centralized or coordinated transportation services. For example, coordination for transportation services for both children and adults with disabilities in rural settings is likely more difficult than in urban settings, where transportation providers are more available. We are also aware that transportation services for different program purposes may vary or have different requirements, thus making coordination of services difficult if not impossible. For example, laws and regulations governing the transportation of children in school buses are often different from rules and regulations governing general transportation. Therefore, the parent of a child with a disability who uses multiple transportation service providers for different purposes may be compelled to deal with differing policies and procedures. The difficulty in maneuvering across differing systems can become a barrier to effective and efficient transportation for individuals with disabilities.

Nonetheless, given the importance that transportation plays in the lives of millions of individuals with disabilities, both children and adults, it is important that those of us who are responsible for providing those services cooperate and collaborate in ways that will ensure that needed transportation services are provided in the safest, most reliable, appropriate, and timely manner, and that those services are accessible to the individuals who need them. Although coordination and collaboration for the provision of transportation services for individuals with disabilities is most effectively done at the local level where the needs exist, it is clearly important that we at the Federal level ensure that our programs recognize this important need and that we, too, collaborate to ensure that we facilitate transportation needs as permitted by the statutes we implement.

We at the Department of Education look forward to achieving those goals by working with our Federal partners in any way we can.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to testify today and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.