Students on the Go, Safely and Independently—
A
Travel Training Manual
Overview
The ability to travel independently in the community helps to
promote the development of autonomy in adolescents. Students
who possess the knowledge and skills associated with independent
travel have increased access to community events, including after
school activities and employment (Bar-Lev, 1999).
Travel training is a comprehensive, intensive instruction designed
to teach students how to travel safely and independently on public
transportation (Groce, 2000). Students may receive training
at any age, though it occurs typically between 12-14, depending
on their maturity level and ability to act responsibly.
This travel training manual was designed to support you in training
students to travel safely and independently wherever their destination
may be. It will assist you in working with individual students
to meet their specific travel needs. It will guide you through
processes and steps to determine if a student is ready for independent
travel as demonstrated by: an awareness of personal space;
an awareness of their environment; and the ability to recognize
and respond to danger (Groce, 2000).
The Clerc Center Transition staff that designed this manual adapted
their existing travel training curriculum to fit the needs of professionals
working with deaf and hard of hearing students in urban, suburban
or rural environments. When using the manual, we recommend
that you adapt all forms and letters to match the needs of your
program and your students. Please use your organizational
letterhead when you print any of the forms and letters.
If you have any feedback or need more information, please contact
Lynn Olden at Lynn.Olden@gallaudet.edu or
Jandi Arboleda at Jandi.Arboleda@gallaudet.edu.
Travel Training Protocol (What to Do Before, During, and After
Travel Training)
Before the Training:
[ Travel
Training Protocol in Word]
- Determine who initiated the request for travel training for
a specific student and confirm that this is consistent with the
regulations and policies of your school or school district. The
travel training plan must be consistent with these regulations
and policies to ensure the student’s safety and well-being
throughout the training.
- Obtain parent/guardian permission before training begins (Appendix
A). Make sure that the Emergency Contact Form (Appendix
B) and the Family Plan—Unexpected Travel Events Form (Appendix
C) are in place.
- Establish goals for the training in consultation with the parent/guardian,
the student (as appropriate) and the designated school personnel. What
does the student need to know to travel independently and safely
from one point to another? Appendix
D describes what is
typically covered during travel training. However,
the training must be suited to respond to the individual needs
of each student.
- Check the student’s file. Pay particular attention
to the psychological evaluation reports, medical reports, memo
on restrictions, etc. These documents may contain information
that will impact the student’s safety during the training
or his/her ability to retain information during the training
process. Note these concerns in the travel training plan
and make provisions on how to address them.
- Consult with the student’s teachers and relevant staff
members if they have other information that may impact travel
training.
- If the student needs reduced fare
cards for the bus, subway, or train, start the application process
before any training transpires. Consult the local transportation
authority regarding the availability of half-fare or discounts
for persons with disabilities and the requirements for application. In
most cases, a government-issued identification, a copy of birth
certificate or social security card is acceptable forms of identification. An
applicant may be required to show a recent audiogram as well.
- Map
out the best route to and from the travel destinations. The
local transportation authority website is a good reference. Consulting
with parents/guardians can help the trainer determine the quickest
and safest route, and possibly one most familiar with the student. Confirm
the final route with the parents/guardians as written on the
Parent/Guardian Permission Form (see Appendix
A). Encourage the parents/guardians
to review the route at home with their children.
- When
the route is finalized, coordinate with the student’s family,
teachers, and designated school personnel to schedule the travel
training dates. Travel training is
never completed in one day. Ample time must be allocated
to assess what the student already knows and evaluate what he/she
is learning. Typically travel training happens over three-four
days. Days vary depending on schedules and the student’s
ability to process information.
- Prior to the training, conduct a pre-assessment
of the student’s commuting experience and knowledge (see
Appendix E). In this meeting explain
the goals and objectives of travel training and what he/she will
learn during the training days.
- Assign the student
to check the weather report for each day of training so that
he/she can plan to wear weather-appropriate clothing.
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During the Training:
[ Travel Training
Protocol in Word]
 Travel training occurs in a span of three to four days. On
the first day of training, the student will experience the steps
involved in traveling independently and safely as instructed by
the trainer. On the second and succeeding days, the student
will follow the steps from the previous day, with the trainer providing
immediate feedback. As a final activity on the road, the
student will travel independently and safely, with the trainer
observing unobtrusively from a distance.
- Explain bus and/or train schedules and pick-up points. If
you use a school or a shuttle bus to bring you to a main terminal,
explain its schedules and pick-up points as well. Provide
the student with a copy of these schedules if they are available.
- During the training, safety must be emphasized. Include
safety precautions the student needs to internalize when going
through bus terminals, train stations, and airports. Because
many people use these stations/airports to commute, to shop,
and to socialize, they can be overwhelming for someone who is
learning to travel independently and safely. Teach the
student where and how to access help in these places if there
is a need.
- At this point, assess the student’s ability to communicate
with non-signing individuals. The ability to communicate
with people who do not use sign language is an important aspect
of traveling independently and safely. If you sense that
the student does not have the skills to communicate with non-signing
individuals, engage him/her in role play to demonstrate different
communication strategies. Examples of communication strategies
commonly used by deaf or hard of hearing people include, but
are not limited to vocalizing, writing (with a pen and pad),
pointing and gesturing, using a computer screen and keyboard,
or pagers.
- If the student’s travel training includes using a subway
system, help the student locate the station manager’s booth
before using the system. If the student’s travel
training includes the use of the airport or bus terminal, help
him/her locate the traveler’s information booth before
checking in or riding the bus. Knowing where the station
manager’s booth and information desk are located is important
so the student remembers where to go for help along the way. Remind
the student to employ the different strategies in communicating
with the station manager, security, police, or the information
desk clerk. In a metro bus, the driver acts as the
point person who can assist the student.
- Demonstrate where and how the student can purchase reduced
fare cards/tokens at subway or train stations. Each transit
system has similar fare card/ticket pass machines in their respective
stations and designated stops. Some transit systems allow
reduced fare card holders to add money to their fare cards using
regular machines. If this is so, let the student
demonstrate how to add more money to a fare card using the regular
machines at the station. Other transit systems require
that reduced fare card holders buy them at specific stations
or from authorized vendors only. If the station has an
authorized vendor, have the student experience buying a reduced
fare card while in training.
 Teach the student how to check/read the transit system maps. Let
the student practice reading the map to locate the station stop,
fare amount, total travel time, and his/her final destination
on the desired line. When training involves airport travel,
teach the student how to read the arrivals/departures notice
boards to confirm his/her flight status and gate information.
- Unless the student starts where the route begins, he/she must
know the direction of the bus, subway or train to his/her the
destination. Using the transit map (available in print
or posted in stations), teach the student how to determine which
direction of the bus or train to board to his/her final destination. Some
cities have electronic message boards that announce the arrival
of trains and important commuter information (i.e., bus or train
delays, station closures, elevator repairs, etc).
- Point out the safety features within the platform or waiting
area before leaving the station. Help the student
locate the emergency telephones and exits.
- Inside the train, orient the student to the different parts
of the coach: doorways, station maps, seats for individuals
with disabilities and the elderly, emergency exits, etc. Teach
the student how to identify station stops from inside the train
by looking at transit maps or the list of station stops posted.
- If commuting involves the use of transfer tickets (bus-to-bus,
subway-to-bus, bus-to-subway), the student needs to know where
to get and how to use them. This will help the student
minimize the cost of commuting. Inside a bus, transfer
tickets are given by the driver as the passenger boards. Inside
subway stations, transfer tickets are available from dispensing
machines.
- When using the bus or train, the student needs to know:
- Bus/Train stop locations
- Bus/Train number/s
- Fare information (Exact change required? Tokens?)
- The direction of the bus/train he/she should take
- How to alert the bus driver/train conductor that he/she
needs to get off
- Street crossing procedures
- Travel safety tips and procedures (See Appendix
F).
- If travel training includes air travel, the student needs to
know the following:
- Arrival at the airport (at least two hours before the scheduled
departure).
- Check in procedures (on-line vs. in-person; curbside vs.
automated).
- Security-screening procedures (what goes through the x-ray
machines; risks related to cochlear implants or shunts in
the student’s person; what to do when flagged for thorough
search, etc).
- Inform the airline grounds crew he/she is deaf and needs
to be approached when boarding starts or when changes in
the schedule occur.
- What to do in cases of emergency at the airport, en route
to, or at the destination.
- Multiple layovers, including gate and airplane changes
(boarding passes, gate information, schedule changes/updates).
- Baggage claim and carry-on luggage.
- Meeting family/friends upon arrival.
- Travel safety tips and procedures (See Appendix
F).
- While en route to the destination, let the student observe
the behavior of his/her fellow commuters. Encourage
questions from him/her. Engage him/her in conversation
about traveling independently and safely.
- When the trainer and student arrive at the destination (i.e.,
home), make sure that the trainer speaks with the parent or guardian
to provide a summary of what transpired during the travel training. Share
successes and concerns or ask questions. Let parents
and guardians ask questions or share their concerns. Encourage
them to sit with their child and let him/her explained what happened. This
approach will help the student retain as much information as
possible. At the same time, it will provide parents and
guardians with feedback that they can share with the trainer.
- Document each day of the training, especially what needs to
be reviewed or emphasized during the succeeding days or after
the training is completed. If there are concerns or issues
that come up or are raised by the parents and guardians, include
these in the documentation as well. (See Appendix
G.)
- Using the travel training checklist (Appendix
H), review what
the student has learned from the training—start this on
the second and succeeding days of training. Encourage the
student to assess his/her progress as well.
- Travel training is completed when the student has aptly demonstrated
his/her ability to travel independently and safely.
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After the Training:
[ Travel Training
Protocol in Word]
- For objectivity, arrange for another staff member
to meet with the student to conduct post-assessment (see Appendix
I) and an evaluation (see Appendix J) of the travel training. If
the student is able to fill out the two forms, let him/her do so;
the staff member will facilitate and be available for questions. Otherwise,
the staff member will record student responses on the form. Student
feedback is essential in helping the trainer plan the succeeding
training days.
- Document student learning and progress after each
day of training (see Appendix G). This will help other
staff, teachers, and parents/guardians to know what the student
has learned and what needs to be reinforced even after the training
is completed.
- Provide
feedback to parents/guardians and teachers about the student’s strengths and weaknesses while traveling. Parents/guardians
can use this feedback to help their child practice and apply
what they have learned when they travel together. Teachers
can use this feedback to provide reinforcements to the student
inside the classroom.
- A certificate of completion may be given to the student at
the conclusion of the training to recognize his/her accomplishment
and to serve as a reminder that he/she can travel independently
and safely.
Parent/Guardian Involvement and Measure of Success:
[ Travel Training
Protocol in Word]
The goal of travel training is to teach the student to travel
independently and safely. Among other factors, the involvement
of parents/guardians is important to ensure that the student practices
and applies what he/she has learned after the training is completed. Therefore,
a measure of a successful training is a student who practices and
applies the skills.
Throughout the travel training process, parents/guardians:
- Must be included in designing and approving the
travel route on which the training will be based.
- Must have a copy of the travel training plans and
receive constant updates or immediate feedback on their child’s
progress during the training.
- Must have direct access to the designated school
personnel if they have questions or concerns about their child’s
well-being.
- Must be supported when they establish curfews and
rules for their child to follow in emergency situations.
- Must be encouraged to provide opportunities for
their child to practice and apply the skills he/she learned in
the training.
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Travel
Training Manual Documents
Documents are available in Word format and contain space for a
school or organization to insert their own letterhead and text.
The PDF version of the documents used at the Clerc Center are provided
for use as examples. The entire Travel Training Manual is also
available: in Word or in PDF (with the Clerc Center information)
or individual sections are available below:
A Travel Training Protocol (What to Do Before, During, and After
Travel Training, as it appears above) Word | PDF
Travel Training Letter to Parents and Guardians Word | PDF 
Appendix A: Travel Training Permission Form Word | PDF
Appendix B: Travel Training Emergency Contact Form Word | PDF
Appendix C: Travel Training Family Emergency Plan Word | PDF
Appendix D: Travel Training Schedule Word | PDF
Appendix E: Travel Training Pre-Assessment Guideline Word | PDF
Appendix F: Travel Guide Word | PDF
Travel Guide Wallet-Size (Front) Word | PDF
Travel Guide Wallet-Size (Back) Word | PDF
Travel Safety Tips and Precautions Word | PDF
Appendix G: Travel Training Progress Report Word | PDF
Appendix H: Travel Training Checklist Word | PDF
Appendix I: Travel Training Post-Assessment Guideline Word | PDF
Appendix J: Travel Training Evaluation Questions Word | PDF
References:
Groce, M. (2000). Travel training: Getting out
and about without fear. The Exceptional Parent, 30, pg. 26.
Bar-Lev, N. (1999). Final IDEA rules and regulations. Memorandum
to school district administrators and special education coordinators [On-line]. Available: http://www.cesa7.k12.wi.us/sped/issues-IDEArules/ideachanges7699.html. |
