APPENDIX B

Focus Group Guide

Transportation Services for People with Disabilities and Older Adults during a Pandemic and Other Emergencies: Lessons Learned during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Welcome/Introductions

Thank you all for participating in this workshop today. My name is XXXX and I work at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. I will be the moderator for this discussion.

Protocol

Before we get started, let me make a couple of comments about the focus group protocol. First, as you know from your consent forms, we are audio recording the discussion. This is just to assist our analysis. We will not quote nor identify any participant by name in our results. So, please feel free to give your honest opinion. Because of the recorder, I ask that you talk one at a time and please speak loudly enough that we and the recorder can hear you clearly.

You will also recall that we have provided you a brief project description. Most of our time today will focus on the questions we have prepared, rather than reviewing the project, though we may share some examples of actions or policies by transportation organizations to help encourage discussion on transportation services for people with disabilities and older adults and the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

I encourage you to be candid and enjoy the discussion.

Use of Virtual Platforms

Before we start, we want to make sure that everyone knows how to use the virtual platform [or use name of the platform here] and make sure no one is experiencing technical difficulties.

[Here the facilitator will share a PowerPoint slide, which shows features of the virtual platform and go over any questions from participants].

Warm Up

1. OK, let’s take a minute to learn something about each other. Please tell us your name and what part of the country you are from. I’ll start us off.

Discussion Questions

2. Travel options. Let’s discuss your transportation options and habits.
   • How do you typically do your everyday trip-making for different trip purposes, such as for work or shopping?
   • What modes of transport and/or services do you use?
3. Travel option changes. How did your travel options and choices change during the COVID-19 pandemic? Were travel options, normally provided by family, friends, or caregivers impacted, as well?
   1. [probe on service availability/scheduling]
   2. [probe on comfort and safety]
   3. [probe on family/friends/caregiver assistance impacts to goods/services]
   4. [probe on access to appointments and care]
4. Trip-making changes. What types of trips did you continue making despite COVID-19? What trips did you stop making?
   1. [probe on whether these were by choice or necessary]
   2. [probe on mode used for the mentioned trips]
5. Pandemic changes to transportation practices and policies. Were there any changes to practices and policies made by your local transportation provider(s) during the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., fares, eligibility requirements)? Did you have experience with these changes?
   1. [probe on public transit service changes]
   2. [probe on trip scheduling and requirements for paratransit users]
   3. [probe on new services from transportation providers]
      1. [Tie-in any delivery/other new services from their local org.]
6. Communication by transportation providers. How did you learn about these transportation service and policy changes? What specific channels/resources were most helpful?
   1. [probe on communication improvements needed]
   2. [probe on delivery and incidental uses announcements] (Explain incidental)
7. Challenges. Did your transportation providers recognize and address pandemic-related challenges you faced?
   1. [probe on challenges still faced after these changes]

8. Effectiveness and importance. What changes in transportation services during the pandemic were most effective/helpful and mattered most to you?
   1. [probe on ability to travel]
   2. [probe on ability to obtain goods/services]
   3. [probe on safety/comfort]
   4. [probe on non-effective changes (if time allows)]
9. Current trip-making. Has your transportation trip-making returned to pre-pandemic types of considerations?
   1. [probe on when and why the “return” occurred]
   2. [probe on any examples from transportation orgs]
10. Lessons for the future. Having lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, what key advice would you give to the transportation providers in your community so that they are better equipped to effectively serve older adults and people with disabilities in case of a future pandemic or long-term emergency?

Wrap-Up/Closing

I’d like to thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings with me today. I’d like to give everyone a chance to present a last remark on the topic.