Disability Community and the Future of Autonomous Vehicles

Author: United Spinal Association
Published: 2016/12/19 - Updated: 2018/06/21
Category Topic: Disability Transport Services - Academic Publications

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: United Spinal attends introductory meeting for Autonomous Vehicles community to meet stakeholders in the disability community.

Introduction

United Spinal public policy staff attended the introductory meeting for the Autonomous Vehicles (AV) community to meet stakeholders in the disability community sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA): The Future of Autonomous Vehicles and the Disability Community.

Main Content

At the meeting, participants discussed the traditional barriers in transportation, the importance of transportation to community integration, the need for universal design and inclusive policies that incorporate members of the disability community into all levels of the AV industry.

United Spinal recently signed onto a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is developing guidance on self-driving cars.

The letter supports policy that balances the responsibility to keep America's roads safe with the need to get and keep autonomous vehicles on public roads as quickly as it can be done safely.

Intelligent Transportation Society of America

In November, United Spinal met with the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA) on the topic of autonomous vehicles.

ITSA is working with technology companies and ride-sharing companies to develop self-driving vehicles.

International Parking Institute (IPI)

IPI reached out to United Spinal Association and others to get a better understanding of the issues wheelchair users and individuals with disabilities face when parking throughout the nation.

IPI represents almost all parking organization throughout the country, including the companies that create parking meters and garages.

Since it is a nationwide problem for people with disabilities, especially those who use wheelchairs and have limited mobility, IPI would like to work with organizations to improve access to accessible parking.

IPI will be sharing their strategic plan with us and United Spinal will continue to be in dialogue with them as they work on these issues.

Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by United Spinal Association and published on 2016/12/19, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.