Position: Transportation Attendant - Orthopedic

Position Summary:

Employee is responsible for the care and safety of handicapped children transported to and from their homes and schools.  The nature of the work involves supervising the behavior of the students to provide the Bus Driver freedom to operate the bus safely.  The incumbent must exercise constant alertness to children’s physical problems and to react promptly in the event of seizures or other problems, and be knowledgeable of all students assigned to the bus.  Work is performed under the supervision of the Bus Driver, the Assistant Bus Driver Foreman and the Bus Driver Foreman.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assists handicapped children in boarding and leaving school buses, bodily lifting them on and off when necessary;
• Loads and unloads students in wheel chairs;
• Assigns children to seats and adjusts safety belts and straps and stores crutches and other orthopedic aids;
• Assists children who become ill on the bus paying particular attention to those children prone to seizures or other health difficulties;
• Maintains bus schedule of each child on route showing address, pick-up and discharge time and place, and school assigned; receives calls at home from parents whose children will not be able to attend classes for the day;
• Prepares reports of behavioral problems encountered during daily bus trips so that Principals and other staff members can use them to discuss with parents problems which arise on the bus; and
• Performs related work as required.

Qualifications:

• Considerable patience and ability to assist physically, mentally and emotionally handicapped children in their transportation to and from school;
• Ability to work bus elevators (lifts) carrying wheelchairs, knowing how to lock/unlock the wheels on regular and/or electric wheelchairs, travel chairs and Hogg chairs, etc.;
• Ability to fasten a variety of harnesses, safety belts designed for handicapped children;
• Physical strength and agility to lift children who are wearing braces or children who can’t walk and are totally dead weight and need to be carried on and off the bus;
• Willingness to work in varying and adverse weather conditions;and
• Good physical condition.

Education and/or Experience Requirements:

Some experience in working with physically and/or emotionally handicapped child and completion of a standard high school course preferably supplemented by training in child behavior and traffic safety; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Certification:

None required.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

No direct supervisory responsibilities.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, talk, hear, walk, sit, and see. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, lift, pull, push, grasp, climb and balance. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally push or lift up to 25 lbs. and/or 100 lbs. when operating a wheelchair lift and assisting a special-needs student.

Working Environment:

The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job.

Additional Information:

None.