“The influence of transportation personnel shortages is too easily misjudged, miscalculated and underestimated with respect to liability and negligence when it comes to children with disabilities.”
The above steps are not all inclusive. Regrettably,
a common theme shared by substitute transporta- tion personnel at depositions is that they had little or no understanding or training about the children with disabilities that they were assigned to serve. When sub- stitute transportation personnel were asked if they would have benefited from additional training, in all instances the response has been yes. Much can be learned from reading depositions regarding appropriate corrective ac- tions to prevent further unsafe transportation practices. School districts must become more aware and cau- tious about unforeseen liability when it comes to the
hazards of insufficiently training substitute personnel serving children with disabilities. In recent years the need for substitute transportation personnel is no longer a unique problem but a daily reality. ●
Linda F. Bluth, Ed.D., is a tenured faculty member of the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs National Conference as well as an industry consultant and expert witness, specializing in special needs transportation compliance and regulatory issues. She is a past-president of the National Association for Pupil Transportation and a member of its Hall of Fame.
QUAL IT Y MAT TERS
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