I have data on perceived physical impedance faced by persons with disability at the time of movement for particular routes for seven different study area for certain number of samples. For example, I have R1 route in study area S1 and I have perceived physical impedance value for R1 route from 35 persons with disability living in S1 . I have R2 route in study area S2 and I have perceived physical impedance value for R2 route from 35 persons with disability living in S2 Similarly, I have values of perceived physical impedance of other selected routes for other study areas for selected number of people. I want explore the correlation between physical impedance value with socio-demographic factors like age. Can I use spatial auto correlation in this regard? If these is any other tool that can I use in the given context please inform me.
Thank you.
This is a surprisingly tricky question whose answer will depend wholly on how you're defining the limits of the traveler, the nature of the systems available, and the scale at which you are working. Two major types of limits include the visual and those involving physical mobility. The former cannot drive and the latter cannot walk without some form of motorized or manual chair. Some systems will have buses that easily accept wheelchairs and others that do not. So I think you need a dataset that has at least three categories--(1) no inconvenience (2) inconvenience (3) impossible. Can a route change, if by foot/chair, add time but still permit travel? And if we are discussing car routes can a bus or taxi be substituted for a motor vehicle (that would make income levels important)?
So it may not be easy as a simple statistic (GWR), or autocorrelation (no matter one's monies, barriers add to expenses).
See my chapter in Ethics in Everyday Places on the issues surrounding physical limits and access to the London Transit system as an example of a study of broad transportation deficits attendant to physical limits. Others have taken micro approaches, for example on a university campus what routes are available to people with limits and do alternate routes based on personal limits make travel more time consuming or impossible (if, for example, the destination building has stairs but no other access).