Next stop, access! An exploratory paper on disability rights and justice throughout the transition to electric school buses

The paper identifies systemic barriers in US school transportation, such as unreliable wheelchair lifts and the segregation of disabled students into separate buses. It argues that the transition to electric school buses (ESBs) presents an opportunity to improve health and equity, particularly for students of color in underresourced areas, provided that disabled youth are included in decision-making and universal design is adopted. The authors highlight the 'early adopter tax' and the risk of 'echo exposure'—where old diesel buses are transferred to other vulnerable community settings—and recommend that policymakers prioritize funding for accessible ESBs and enforce compliance with the ADA and IDEA.

• The transition to electric school buses (ESBs) risks replicating existing barriers for disabled students, including unreliable wheelchair ramps and lifts, sensory overstimulation from diesel engines, and inconsistent compliance with disability laws.
• Students with disabilities, particularly those of color in low-income, rural, or Tribal areas, face intersectional challenges such as inadequate sidewalk infrastructure, higher air pollution, and longer commutes, which negatively impact their health and education.
• Current school bus systems often segregate disabled students by using separate, lower-capacity buses, which isolates them from their peers; participants advocate for universal accessibility on every bus to end this practice.
• The shift to ESBs introduces new accessibility considerations, such as the need for noise systems to alert people with vision disabilities, as electric buses are significantly quieter than diesel models.
• There is a risk of 'echo exposure,' where retired diesel buses are sold or donated to other community entities (like nursing homes or jails) that serve disabled populations, thereby transferring rather than eliminating pollution harms.
• The extraction of minerals for EV batteries often occurs on or near Indigenous lands, potentially causing injury and disability for the 'global majority' while the benefits of electrification are realized in the US.
• Inaccessible transportation leads to academic setbacks, including tardiness and absences, for which students are often unfairly penalized by school districts.
• ESBs could be utilized for multipurpose community roles beyond school transport, such as mobile libraries, emergency evacuation vehicles, or charging stations for power wheelchairs.

APA

Shorter, J., Novack, V., & Curran, A. (2024). Next stop, access! An exploratory paper on disability rights and justice throughout the transition to electric school buses. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-07/disability-rights-justice-transition-electric-school-buses.pdf

Chicago

Shorter, Justice, Valerie Novack, and Alyssa Curran. Next stop, access! An exploratory paper on disability rights and justice throughout the transition to electric school buses. World Resources Institute, 2024. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-07/disability-rights-justice-transition-electric-school-buses.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Shorter |first1=Justice |last2=Novack |first2=Valerie |last3=Curran |first3=Alyssa |title=Next stop, access! An exploratory paper on disability rights and justice throughout the transition to electric school buses |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=July 2024 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-07/disability-rights-justice-transition-electric-school-buses.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{shorter2024next, author = {Shorter, Justice and Novack, Valerie and Curran, Alyssa}, title = {{Next stop, access! An exploratory paper on disability rights and justice throughout the transition to electric school buses}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2024}, month = jul, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2024-07/disability-rights-justice-transition-electric-school-buses.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }