dent,” she said. “Have them ride the lift while sitting in the wheelchair and drive them to school. This is important so they can feel how it feels to a student riding in the bus.” Elsberry added that it’s essential to go beyond such ba-
sics as pre-trip inspections and securement techniques to also train staff on the need for sensitivity. “As trainers we always teach when doing pre-trip inspection, let’s look at the bus first before departing the bus yard,” she recommended. “We must train the employees the same way when transporting students in a wheelchair every day, just like a pre-trip inspection. They just need to add an extra sparkle of sensitivity when transporting stu- dents that are in wheelchairs.” Of course, keeping drivers and other staff current
presents something of a moving target. With routine turnover exacerbated by the current staff shortages, there are always new people to be trained, and even the most experienced personnel can benefit from refreshers as new equipment or revised techniques are introduced. Kinemond pointed out that training should not be
restricted to a narrow group of employees. Rather, all staff who may be transporting students with wheelchairs should be including. “This includes mechanics, standby drivers and office staff who may be asked to jump in a
bus at the last minute to help,” she said. “You can never provide too much training.” Meanwhile, Jenny Casebolt-Robinson, the transporta-
tion manager at Pennsylvania’s Bethlehem Area School District, noted that while training is critically import- ant, it can be expensive. “Take advantage of all the free resources and video tutorials that the manufacturer provides,” she said, adding her in-house trainers like to use webinars along with hands-on practice during initial or refresher training. To complement training, Kinemond advised hav- ing employees who drive students with disabilities complete an annual test to ensure their knowledge base is up to date. “Provide both a written test and a hands-on evaluation,” she said. “Taking these extra steps to docu- ment their knowledge will not only protect your students but it will also help to protect your district.” ●
Listen to a School Transportation Nation podcast episode this month on the importance of school bus evacuation training at TSD Conference next month. Visit
stnpodcast.com.
www.stnonline.com 57
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