title: Addressing the barriers to driver licensing for Aboriginal people in New South Wales and South Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Low rates of driver licensing have been linked to increased risk of transport-related injury, and reduced access to health services, employment and educational opportunities in the Aboriginal population. This paper reports on how barriers to obtaining a driver licence are being addressed in four Aboriginal communities in New South Wales and South Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative data were collected over a four-month period in 2013. Interviews with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal stakeholders (n=31) and 11 focus groups with Aboriginal participants (n=46) were analysed thematically using a framework approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Factors facilitating licensing included: family support, professional lessons, alternative testing and programs that assist with literacy, fines management, financial assistance and access to a supervising driver. Stakeholders recommended raising awareness of existing services and funding community-based service provision to promote access to licensing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Facilitating licence participation requires systemic change and long-term investment to ensure interagency collaboration, service use and sustainability of relevant programs, including job search agencies. Implications for public health: The disadvantage faced by Aboriginal people in driver licensing is a fundamental barrier to participation and a social determinant of health. Understanding the factors that promote licensing is crucial to improving access for under-serviced populations; recommendations provide pragmatic solutions to address licensing disadvantage.
authors.affiliation: Australian Health Services Research Institute, University of Wollongong, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Clapham
authors.affiliation: The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales.|The Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.affiliation: The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.affiliation: Flinders University, South Australia.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Helps
authors.affiliation: Transport and Road Safety Research, University of New South Wales, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Senserrick
authors.affiliation: The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Jake
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.affiliation: Flinders University, South Australia.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: The George Institute for Global Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales.|Flinders University, South Australia.
authors.forename: Rebecca Q
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Ivers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001333:Automobile Driver Examination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001334:Automobile Driving; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aboriginal; Australia; NSW; SA; driver licensing