Driving & community mobility
Driving crosses all practice areas, from infants in car seats and newly licensed teens to older adults. As occupational therapy practitioners, it is important that we understand our role in driving and the impact of driving on community mobility. We are here to assist in your driving programs and projects with resources, tools, frameworks, and partner connections to support your clients and the community.
Tell everyone about #ODSAW
Held the first week in December every year, Older Driver Safety Awareness Week (ODSAW) provides resources and tools for older drivers and their families to support the complexities of driving as we age. Keep an eye out for ways to share important messages and information.
Occupational therapy's role in driving & community mobility
Driving and community mobility is defined as "Planning and moving around in the community using public or private transportation, such as driving, walking, bicycling, or accessing and riding in buses, taxi cabs, rideshares, or other transportation systems" (AJOT, 2020, p. 31). Community mobility is grounded in independence, spontaneity, and identity. It begins when we are passengers in a car seat or on the school bus, and continues as we learn to ride a bike and drive a car. Although the mode of transportation may change, the meaning remains constant: transport from one location to another enables participation in the things we want and need to do (occupations).
We were made for this!
Because occupational therapy focuses on enabling participation, we are the natural professionals to address driving and community mobility across the lifespan. As occupational therapy practitioners, we have the science-based knowledge to understand progressive conditions and life changes that can affect driving and driving risk. We take the time to understand the role that driving plays in our clients’ lives and explore the possibilities and steps toward returning to driving or attaining a driver's license. The instrumental activity of daily living is addressed through the preservation of mobility as driver or passenger. And in situations where driving poses too great a risk, the focus will shift to supporting individuals and their families as they plan the transition from driving to the exploration of other forms of transportation that offer the services and features they require to maintain safe community mobility. In doing so, we value the occupation of mobility, engagement, and participation by ensuring individuals maintain their autonomy, independence, and sense of worth.
Explore
Our driving and community sections are designed to provide you with support through an array of resources and tools. The topic of driving may too often be ignored in part because of the complexity of emotions the conversations may elicit or a lack of practitioner confidence on where to begin the conversation. The exploration of partner resources may strengthen practitioner confidence and understanding of the importance of addressing driving risk and potential by building awareness of the range of resources available to support safe mobility as driver or passenger.
Learn
Start with the Driving & Community Mobility Toolkit that offers valuable information on program development, practice resources, clinician guides, media promotion, practitioner education, and more!
Evaluate
Read about interventions and evaluations to help your clients’ driving and mobility needs. Assess your role as an OT practitioner in driving and be confident in knowing that you can make an impact.
Driving & community mobility toolkit
Occupational therapy practitioners are experts at working with individuals on what is most important to them such as addressing the essential and everyday activities of daily living. By including driving and community mobility, practitioners support clients and patients in their goals of participation and engagement in their community. Our toolkit is a comprehensive tool covering many focus areas that reinforce your skills in assessing driving and community mobility concerns.
Together, we can keep drivers safe.
The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) partners with other organizations and groups to assist drivers of any age with driver education and rehabilitation. Check out each organization's mission and initiatives that uphold the importance of community mobility.
Driving at the early stages of the lifespan: A focus on teen driving needs
Students with an autism spectrum disorder, nonverbal learning disability, cognitive impairments, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, and other disabilities need to address driving while still in high school. Transportation affects a student's access to employment and housing, and social, educational, and recreational opportunities.
Driving Rehabilitation Resources
Looking for a driver rehabilitation program in your area?
Search our driver practitioner directory to find a driver rehabilitation program in your area to address driving concerns or answer questions on driver risks, transportation planning, or community mobility needs.
NHTSA funds older driver initiative
The AOTA Older Driver Initiative’s mission is to build the capacity of occupational therapy programs to address the needs of at-risk senior drivers, with the goal of ensuring IADL independence, including driving, for as long as safely possible. To support this goal, AOTA’s Older Driver Initiative was awarded funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to increase the availability of specialized driving rehabilitation services and to develop a toolkit of resources for occupational therapy program development.