When the IEP requires the use of special equipment, the student may need the equipment during transport. IDEA identifies transportation as a related service necessary for students with disabilities to access their education, and as a result, transportation must accommodate the need to transport or use any required special equipment. According to 13 CCR § 1293, responsibility for the condition and repairs of the wheelchair, its wheel locks, and seat belt rests upon the owner of the wheelchair. The IEP may require an ambulatory student to be restrained by a lap belt or safety vest. Contract companies shall provide all equipment (except a wheelchair) required for the transportation of students with disabilities on their vehicles. A student’s IEP defines the steps the LEA/District must take to meet a student’s educational needs.

TAKE NOTE: Updates or changes in special or medical equipment, or change in transportation as a related service, must be changed on the IEP. Sufficient notice must be given to LEA/Districts to avoid disruption of service. Changes include new, modified, and replacement equipment.
LEA/District policies are designed to further enhance students’ safety. Before the start of any transportation program for a student that uses a wheelchair and before the use of a newly acquired wheelchair of any type, the owner may permit the school personnel to inspect the wheelchair. Any wheelchair transported on a bus in LEA/District service will need to meet the transportation policy requirements. 

The following are some sample wheelchair transportation requirements:

• Restraining Belts - Webbing material with buckles that will not release unless done so manually.
• Disconnecting the Power - For electric wheelchairs, the driver must be able to disconnect the power to the chair and roll the wheelchair freely to load and unload. The power shall remain disconnected during loading, unloading, and transportation.
• Securement - All equipment, motors, and other devices must be secured to the wheelchair or bus by approved means to prevent accidental separation during loading, unloading, and transportation.
• Equipment Secured on the Wheelchair - Oxygen tanks, respirators, or other special equipment for use by the student must be attached securely to the chair.
• Respirators and Suction Machines - If attached to the wheelchair, they must operate independently of the source that powers the wheelchair.
• Lap Trays - If detachable, the lap tray shall be removed from the wheelchair and secured appropriately. If not detachable, the parent shall provide a pillow or padding to place between the student and the edge of the tray.
• Non-Conforming Wheelchairs - If the wheelchair (or other equipment) does not conform to the safety requirements required to transport, the student cannot be transported on the bus in that wheelchair. If an empty chair poses no safety problems for the other students and the student can board the bus without the chair and ride safely on a bus seat, the chair may be transported empty, with the student on a bus seat.

Before initiating a student’s transportation program, a designated staff member should inspect each wheelchair or other equipment required by the IEP for use or availability during transportation. If personnel discover a defect in the wheelchair or other special equipment before the start of a transportation-related service, the LEA/District should provide the parent with a written report of the defect and the corrections that need to be made. It is the responsibility of the owner of the chair to correct any wheelchair or any other equipment defects.

There are federal, state, and district regulations for students who are transported in wheelchairs via a bus that is designed to enhance student safety. CCR 13 § 1293 requires:

• Securement of Pupils – Passengers shall be secured to wheelchairs by a restraining belt (lap belt) while being loaded, unloaded, and transported.
• Securement of Wheelchairs - Wheelchairs shall be secured with fasteners of sufficient strength to prevent the chairs from rotating, prevent the chair from leaving the floor in in case of sudden movement, and support the chairs in the event the vehicle is overturned.
• Equipment or Wheelchairs - Wheelchairs shall be equipped as follows:
  • Wheelchair Locks and Restraining Belt – Wheelchairs shall be equipped with wheel locks and a restraining belt properly maintained by the owner of the chair. Electric wheelchairs transported on school buses shall be capable of being locked in gear when placed on a school bus or shall have an independent locking system capable of holding the wheelchair in place.
  • Batteries  Used to propel electric wheelchairs transported on school buses shall be both leak resistant and spill-resistant or shall be placed in a leak-resistant container. Batteries shall be secured to the wheelchair frame in such a manner as to prevent separation in the event of an accident.
  • Oxygen Tanks Drivers should not transport oxygen tanks or cylinders unless the student’s IEP specified the requirement for oxygen. The bus supervisor and driver trainer will inspect the tank or cylinder before the supervisor assigns the student to a route. These supervisors must designate the means by which the driver will secure the oxygen tank or cylinder during transportation.
  • Number of Oxygen Tanks A driver should not transport more than one tank or cylinder of oxygen for the student on the school bus. The drivers shall transport only the tank or cylinder that the child will use or need available for use during transportation. For this application, the tank or cylinder is in use even if the tank or cylinder is being transported for emergency use only. The driver shall not transport any spare or additional tanks or cylinders unless required by the student’s IEP. The parent/guardian is responsible for the transportation of any additional supply of oxygen for use at school.
  • Oxygen Securement – The driver should ensure the securement of the tank or cylinder either directly on the wheelchair of the student or to the bus seat occupied by the student. When the student occupies a bus seat, the student shall sit in the rearmost bus seat. Oxygen must be placed away from heating devices.
  • Storage – By regulation, oxygen tanks and cylinders should not be stored or transported in an enclosed compartment or area such as the trunk or luggage compartment. School buses transporting students with medically required oxygen are not required to display placards.

Oxygen Administration – The LEA/District may need to assign healthcare assistants to ride with students who require oxygen during transportation. The assistant should sit either with or near the student. The assistant provides all care involving the use of oxygen. The driver is responsible for securing the tank or cylinder.