Mobility of disabled people and its evolution in France

Although many efforts have been developed for better accessibility in France since the 90’s, people who feel difficulty while travelling have increased. To what extent has the population structure influenced this rise? In the paper, we address the factors of this increase by means of a demographic approach to study the links between disability and mobility. Hence this paper firstly aims to better understand the socio-demographic situation of people disabled while travelling. Secondly, the medical factors and health conditions of people with a disability are studied.
Three surveys are used: the two latest French National Travel Surveys (1993 and 2007) which report 8% of the population have difficulty while travelling in 1993 against 9% in 2007 and the National Survey on Disability, Impairment and Dependence realized in 1999. They permit firstly to compare the difficulty while travelling over time, secondly to give medical reasons of difficulty while travelling in order to encompass individual and environmental characteristics of disability.
Difficulty while travelling is highly determined by age which is the main reason for this rise from 1993 to 2007. Yet, age is linked with the appearance of deficiencies that cause inabilities and limit mobility.