Dementia-Friendly Transportation

Client: Florida State University, Department of Geriatrics, FSU REACH Program

Project Partners: Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) – Safe Mobility for Life; web hosting and technical implementation teams

My Role: Instructional Design and Project Coordinator

Project Duration: One year

Learning Format: Interactive, self-paced online training

Development Tools: Articulate 360, Articulate Storyline, and video production tools

Accessibility Framework: ADA Title II, WCAG 2.1 Level AA

Final Deliverables: Editable Articulate Storyline (.story) files, SCORM packages, and associated project assets

The Challenge

Transportation services play an important role in helping older adults and individuals living with dementia maintain mobility, independence, and access to their communities.

However, bus and paratransit operators may encounter passengers experiencing memory loss, confusion, disorientation, anxiety, or difficulty navigating transportation systems. These situations require more than general customer service skills. Operators need practical strategies for recognizing cognitive challenges, communicating effectively, maintaining passenger safety, and providing appropriate assistance while respecting individual independence.

A transportation provider needs assessment completed in January 2025, with 44 respondents, identified several areas requiring additional professional development:

• Supporting passengers with cognitive and physical disabilities and communication challenges.

• Addressing safety concerns while respecting passenger independence.

• Responding to confusion, disorientation, agitation, and repetitive communication.

• Supporting passengers who have difficulty understanding schedules or route changes.

• Communicating effectively with family members, caregivers, and support personnel.

• Helping passengers manage anxiety and navigate unfamiliar situations.

The instructional challenge was to translate these needs into practical, accessible training resources that transportation personnel could apply in real-world passenger interactions.

Target Audience

Primary learners: Fixed-route bus operators, paratransit drivers, and transportation service personnel.

Secondary users: Transportation agencies, trainers, supervisors, and organizations responsible for delivering professional development.

The training needed to accommodate varying levels of prior dementia awareness, transportation experience, technical proficiency, and professional development requirements.

The needs assessment also identified the importance of flexible delivery formats. Participants commonly reported using instructor-led and self-paced online training, supporting the development of resources suitable for multiple instructional contexts.

Desired Behaviors and Measurable Learning Outcomes

The training was designed to strengthen operators' ability to recognize and respond appropriately to passengers experiencing dementia-related challenges.

These are proposed measurable learning outcomes aligned with the documented training needs and scenarios; they should be checked against the final course objectives.

Recommended Learning Solution

The project centered on an interactive, self-paced training experience supported by realistic, demonstrative instructional videos.

The learning solution connected dementia awareness with practical transportation scenarios and operator decision-making.

Scenario-Based Learning

Realistic situations provided opportunities for learners to examine common passenger challenges, consider alternative responses, and identify appropriate support strategies.

Two scenarios formed the foundation of the video-based training resources:

Scenario 1: Fixed-Route Bus Passenger

A passenger living with early-to-moderate dementia uses a regular bus route independently but experiences mobility and navigation challenges during boarding and travel.

The scenario illustrates how a driver can recognize potential difficulties, communicate supportively, and apply appropriate interventions while respecting passenger independence.

Scenario 2: Paratransit Passenger with Family Caregiver Support

A passenger living with moderate dementia receives assistance from a family caregiver before and during transportation.

The scenario highlights preparation using a transportation kit, orientation challenges during travel, comfort materials for reassurance, and coordination between drivers and caregivers.

Demonstrative Instructional Videos

Video-based examples illustrated dementia-friendly practices in realistic transportation environments.

The project plan called for these resources to be usable in multiple contexts:

• Interactive, self-paced online modules.

• Instructor-led professional development.

• Standalone microlearning opportunities.

Interactive Online Learning

Articulate Storyline provided the development environment for organizing instructional content, multimedia, interactive learning experiences, and knowledge checks.

The instructional approach emphasized application of practical strategies rather than memorization of information.

Accessible and Flexible Delivery

The course was designed with ADA Title II and WCAG 2.1 Level AA requirements as guiding standards, supporting a more inclusive online learning experience.

Editable source files and SCORM packages also supported technical implementation and future course maintenance.

Instructional Design and Development Process

My work followed a structured instructional design process informed by the ADDIE framework, with ongoing stakeholder coordination, iterative review, and quality assurance.

Analyze — Needs Assessment and Stakeholder Alignment

The transportation provider needs assessment provided an evidence-based foundation for instructional planning.

I worked with project stakeholders to connect the documented training needs to practical learning priorities and the requirements of transportation service providers.

This phase focused on:

• Understanding the operational contexts of fixed-route and paratransit services.

• Identifying recurring passenger challenges and operator training needs.

• Establishing desired workplace behaviors and learning outcomes.

• Clarifying expectations for video-based learning resources and online delivery.

• Coordinating instructional, technical, and accessibility requirements.

The resulting design priorities emphasized practical communication, passenger safety, caregiver collaboration, and supportive responses to cognitive challenges.

Design — Learning Architecture and Scenario Development

The design process translated identified needs into a structured instructional experience.

I coordinated instructional planning and storyboard development to align learning outcomes, instructional content, multimedia, and interactive activities.

The two transportation scenarios provided an opportunity to demonstrate how dementia-friendly practices differ across service contexts.

Instructional planning considered:

• Authenticity of transportation environments and passenger experiences.

• Alignment between identified performance needs and scenario content.

• Demonstration of appropriate driver and caregiver responses.

• Opportunities for learners to reflect on and apply effective practices.

• Integration of video with interactive course content.

• Accessibility requirements for multimedia and course navigation.

Storyboards and scenario scripts helped establish shared expectations among subject matter experts, instructional designers, video producers, and technical collaborators.

Develop — Video Production and Interactive Course Development

I coordinated the instructional development process, including integration of demonstrative video content and interactive learning materials.

The project documentation identifies a video production sequence involving scenario and script development, agency and actor selection, filming, post-production editing, and internal review.

My instructional design coordination included:

• Managing the translation of approved content and scenarios into instructional materials.

• Coordinating storyboard and multimedia development activities.

• Reviewing instructional alignment between videos, learning objectives, and course activities.

• Coordinating development using Articulate 360 and Articulate Storyline.

• Managing feedback and revisions across project collaborators.

• Supporting consistency, usability, and accessibility throughout development.

The goal was to create an integrated learning experience in which video demonstrations and interactive content reinforced practical operator behaviors.

Implement — Quality Assurance and Technical Delivery

Quality assurance and technical coordination were essential to preparing the course for online delivery.

My responsibilities included coordinating reviews of:

• Instructional content and alignment with learning objectives.

• Video integration and multimedia functionality.

• Navigation, interactive elements, and knowledge checks.

• Accessibility considerations aligned with WCAG 2.1 AA.

• Technical compatibility and packaging requirements.

• Final editable Storyline source files and SCORM packages.

I coordinated with web hosting and technical implementation stakeholders to support delivery of the required project assets.

Evaluate — Iterative Review and Refinement

Evaluation was incorporated throughout the development process through stakeholder feedback, internal review, quality control, and revisions.

The documented needs assessment established the initial performance priorities, while development reviews supported ongoing refinement of the instructional solution.

Future evaluation could examine:

• Course completion and participation rates.

• Learner performance on scenario-based assessments.

• Participant perceptions of training relevance and usefulness.

• Operator confidence in supporting passengers with dementia.

• Application of dementia-friendly practices in transportation settings.

These evaluation measures represent potential evidence of effectiveness rather than verified project results.

Project Management and Stakeholder Collaboration

The project required coordination across university, state transportation, instructional design, multimedia production, and technical implementation teams.

As Instructional Design and Project Coordinator, I helped maintain alignment among instructional goals, stakeholder expectations, development activities, accessibility requirements, and technical deliverables.

My responsibilities included:

• Coordinating communication with FSU REACH, FDOT Safe Mobility for Life, and technical stakeholders.

• Connecting needs assessment findings with instructional design priorities.

• Managing instructional storyboards and development reviews.

• Coordinating video production and integration with online course content.

• Supporting Articulate Storyline development and revisions.

• Managing quality assurance and accessibility considerations.

• Tracking development milestones and delivery requirements.

• Coordinating final delivery of editable project files and SCORM packages.

The project illustrates the importance of maintaining a clear connection between stakeholder needs, instructional decisions, production activities, and final deliverables.

Accessibility and Inclusive Learning Design

Accessibility was incorporated as a guiding consideration throughout instructional planning, development, and review.

The project used ADA Title II and WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the target accessibility framework.

Relevant design and review considerations included:

• Logical content structure and consistent navigation.

• Keyboard-accessible interactive elements.

• Video captions and appropriate text alternatives.

• Readable typography and sufficient visual contrast.

• Clear instructions and predictable interactions.

• Accessible assessment and knowledge-check formats.

• Multimedia that supports learning without relying exclusively on visual or auditory information.

Accessibility requirements informed the review process and coordination with technical development collaborators.

Deliverables and Project Results

The project was structured to produce reusable dementia-friendly transportation training resources suitable for online learning and other professional development contexts.

Project deliverables:

• Interactive, self-paced online training developed using Articulate Storyline.

• Demonstrative instructional videos featuring fixed-route and paratransit passenger scenarios.

• Editable Articulate Storyline (.story) source files.

• SCORM packages for online implementation.

• Associated instructional and multimedia project assets.

Documented project evidence:

• A transportation provider needs assessment completed in January 2025 with 44 respondents.

• Identified performance gaps related to cognitive disabilities, passenger communication, safety, independence, and caregiver coordination.

• Two detailed transportation scenarios developed for video-based instruction.

• A development plan incorporating video production, instructional resource creation, and review.

• A project completion target of June 2026.

The final project delivery status and any post-implementation learner outcomes should be documented separately using project completion records and evaluation data.

Reflection and Lessons Learned

This project highlights the value of designing professional learning around authentic workplace challenges and observable behaviors.

Use needs assessment data to prioritize instruction. The transportation provider survey helped identify practical challenges that could be translated into relevant learning outcomes and realistic scenarios.

Make learning visible through authentic examples. Demonstrative video scenarios offered opportunities to show what effective dementia-friendly practices look like in actual transportation contexts.

Design for flexibility and reuse. Developing video resources suitable for self-paced learning, instructor-led training, and microlearning expanded their potential instructional value.

Coordinate instructional and technical development. Managing multiple stakeholders, multimedia production, accessibility requirements, and technical delivery required continuous communication and iterative quality assurance.

The project demonstrates my ability to translate identified performance needs into accessible, scenario-based professional learning while coordinating the instructional design and technical development process across multiple partners.