"Safety on the bus" Brochure

Objective / Description

Due to increasing physical limitations, car driving can become more challenging in older age. Therefore, to ensure mobility and participation alternatives have to be found. For this reason, a brochure was created, to encourage older people to use the bus.

• Contents: (1) sequence of a bus ride - from preparation to safe exit, (2) aids to make the bus ride easier, (3) perks and offers, (4) important information and advice
• Structure: 12 pages in A5 format (the Journal that had been developed during the project was used here as a basis). 6 pages contain the issue: Mobile and safe by bus

Procedure

• Approaching local public transportation providers and presenting the idea
• The creation of the brochure's content was planned as a project for students of occupational therapy, covering 40 teaching units. The following methods were used: personal interviews with seniors, self-awareness while wearing an instant ageing suit (to simulate the body of an older person), and personal interviews with bus drivers. The students created image material that shows various situations that occur while riding the bus.
• Content editing by project employees and graphic designer
• Students were escorted by radio stations during the interviews
• Distribution and postal dispatch

Stakeholders and their tasks

• Occupational therapy students and teacher: Preparation of content and image material
• Project employee: editing
• Public transportation provider: providing busses, bus drivers as interview partners and distribution of brochure
• Graphic designer: composition and printing
• Distribution: sales outlet and information centers of public transport carrier, pharmacies, doctor's offices, medical supply stores and other distribution partners

Material

Active Ageing suit  (Tübingen)

Expenses / Time

• Editing: about 20-30 hours
• Composition : about 4 hours
• Expenses for printing 5000 copies: about 600 € / edition
• Dispatch expenses

Results

Edition: 5000 pieces. Here you can download the brochure (in German).

Experiences / Advice

• In this topic, the integration of and cooperation with occupational therapists is necessary. Furthermore, occupational therapy students profit by the practical project.
• Due to the unfavorable financial situation of the public transportation provider, the assumption of the printing costs was not possible.
• The edition was quickly out of stock, especially at the sales outlets and information centers of the public transport provider. Many older people approached the public transport provider due to the brochure and asked for further information.
• Taken as a whole, the student project and its result (the developed brochure) can be concluded highly positively. The development of a training concept for older passengers could be a continuation of the information brochure, for example. Occupational and physiotherapists seem to be the professionals qualified for this.