One of the best parts about a mobility device like a walker or a cane is that it can help you enjoy the life you’re used to, even if you have an injury or a disability. Combine a mobility device with public transportation and you can get around town easily and safely. There are some important things to remember, however, when you’re carrying a walker on a bus or commuter train.

I’ve boiled down a lot of information to five basic safety steps to take while using a mobility device on public transportation. Here they are:

1. Secure your walker

According to the National Institute for Rehabilitation Engineering (NIRE), unsecured walkers “can bring high risks of injuries from unexpected and extreme movement …”

If you can hold onto your walker securely, that is the best option. If you’re unable to do that, you can ask the bus driver to help you secure it. Nearly all forms of public transportation will have some storage space for these situations, all you need to do is ask.

2. Use the wheelchair access

If you’re using a walker or a cane, then it still may be hard to get up the steps of a bus, which are usually quite steep. According to NIRE, many public transportation systems have policies that will allow a person using a mobility aid to use the wheelchair access if needed. The wheelchair access is usually a platform that descends to ground level and then lifts you up into the bus.

3. Get a foldable walker or collapsible crutches

NIRE recommends using foldable or collapsible mobility aids when using public transportation. The hardest mobility aid to secure is a non-folding walker with wheels. In this case, you will need to secure the walker on its side or upside down while keeping it out of the aisle.

Tanslink, a public transit company in Vancouver, recommends that mobility aids fold or collapse to the following minimum dimensions:

Length: 122 cm (48 in.)
Width: 61 cm (24 in.)
Weight: 364 kg (800 lbs.)
(combined weight including the transit rider, assistant and mobility aid.)

4. Know the rules and regulations

Each public transportation district or authority will have different rules and regulations regarding mobility aids and assisted passengers. Contact the transit company in your area for specific information and regulations. Recently, the Metropolitan Transit Authority in Los Angeles, California was criticized for not properly taking care of disabled or elderly passengers. The main problem was that bus drivers were not properly securing wheelchairs. According to Patricia E. Bauer’s Disability News Blog, an investigation “showed broken equipment and drivers who said they were not trained, or too busy to help …”

While this situation is rare, it’s important that you be empowered with knowledge so that you can make sure you’re safe and know what to expect. NIRE’s guide to public transport states that “public carriers must have pre-published specifications, rules, regulations and policies. Their drivers must be trained to know who – and what equipment to board, how to board them for safe travel – and whom and what to refuse to board, for good cause.”

If you follow these safety steps you can use public transportation safely and efficiently with a walker or a cane. With a little planning you can enjoy the mobility that makes life fun and exciting.