White House/VA Conference
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"The rapid adoption of personal digital assistants (PDAs) can have profound benefits for the disabled. PDAs include features such as street maps and navigation aids, but could also provide information on available mobility aids for the disabled "—K. Thirumalai |
The Transportation breakout report was presented by K. Thirumalai, Ph.D., Chief, Engineer, Research and Special Programs Administration – Innovation, Research and Education, Department of Transportation
The transportation group developed two proposals that we feel worthy of consideration and implementation. We discussed the issues facing the disabled in transportation, highlighted technologies that can aid mobility, assessed ways to promote research and implementation, and arrived at two overall proposals:
- Coordinate research and implementation of assistive technologies nationally.
- Promote awareness on an ongoing basis of the technologies and accommodations available to the disabled around the country, and how to use them.
Difficulties in mobility
- Vehicle accessibility: Entering, exiting, seating space, facilities
- The disabled face a sequence of obstacles to enter, get about within, and exit mass transit vehicles, as well as to get to their ultimate destinations. Space is inadequate, especially on aircraft, but also on trains and buses. Seating is cramped and bathrooms are small and not easily accessible.
Flight and transit delays cause disproportionate inconvenience to the disabled. There is a lack of advance information on the boarding rules, seat layout, and types of accommodations available to disabled people, especially for different types of aircraft and different flights.
While there have been several technological advances, they have not had a significant positive impact for the disabled in mass transit yet.
- Automobiles: A preferred option.
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The most preferred mode of transportation for people with disabilities is the automobile, because it provides independence. Recent Department of Transportation statistics show that 65 percent of people with disabilities use or drive cars, and 12 percent of them have difficulty getting to public transportation. However, it is highly expensive to retrofit automobiles for use by the disabled. In addition, crash testing and safety standards for modified vehicles, and for disabled occupants in any type of vehicle, are inadequate.
- Too few sidewalks in urban and rural areas, and crossing signals that are not optimized to benefit the disabled.
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The lack of sidewalks and advanced crossing signals is not only a barrier for the disabled to move about as pedestrians, but a safety hazard as well. Crossing signals are standardized, but there is no system or mechanism to extend crossing times for the disabled, or notification to drivers that a disabled person is nearby.
Strategies to enhance mobility.
- Sidewalks/crossing signals
- More crosswalks with countdowns and audible signals will assist people who need more time to cross and need to know when to cross. Technology also exists to enable crossing signals to detect the presence of disabled pedestrians (e.g., with the use of smart cards carried by disabled pedestrians) and adjust crossing times accordingly. These features should be incorporated into new crossing systems that will be human-centered and provide universal benefit for people with all disabilities. These new systems should be distributed widely in both urban and rural areas.
- Vehicle access
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Bathroom accessibility, in terms of space of design, should be mandated for all modes of transit: trains, buses, airplanes. An education module could be developed for both airlines and the disabled so that travelers would know important details for each flight, such as the types of accommodations, how to get in and out, etc. These guidelines should be available to travelers in advance of their flights.
- Autos
- Auto manufacturers should design more flexible, easily modified cars to make retrofitting less costly for the disabled. Automakers should also be given incentives to develop adequate safety standards and crash testing for auto occupants who are disabled. We should consider funding research to develop crashworthiness tests for disabled occupants.
- Smart cards and Intelligent Transportation Systems
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Electronic fare cards ease access for all, but especially the disabled, who may have difficulty handling money. More can be done with existing smart card technology, and the continued emergence of this technology will enable even more benefits. The needs of the disabled should be incorporated into smart card designs, toward the development of an affordable, practical universal card that the whole population can use anywhere, anytime.
- Automated vehicle information systems (e.g., electronic displays showing arrival time and destination of the next bus, rail, or subway car) also help the disabled even more than the general population. Vehicle information systems should be expanded and made universal to benefit people with all disabilities (including hearing, vision, and cognitive impairments).
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For demand-responsive paratransit systems–such as shuttle buses for the elderly and the disabled–enhanced scheduling and dispatching software can improve performance, saving time and money. Smart cards can be used to record each rider’s travel habits in a central database, enabling efficient scheduling. Smart transit card systems should be pilot tested in ways to make implementation feasible locally, regionally, and nationally.
- Personal digital assistants (PDAs)
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The rapid adoption of personal digital assistants (PDAs) can have profound benefits for the disabled. PDAs include features such as street maps and navigation aids, but could also provide information on available mobility aids for the disabled. PDAs could be made more cost-effective and practical for the disabled, with systems incorporated to collect and synthesize data in ways to aid mobility.
Solutions to mobility issues
- Establish a national committee.
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The United States should establish a national committee of experts to review this panel’s findings and coordinate assistive technologies in transportation nationally. Review the progress of emerging technologies to ease widespread adoption. Set guidelines and foster creation of pilot programs. Assess funding and resource needs.
- Develop a national information center.
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A national information center on assistive technologies in transportation should be created to provide a one-stop resource to provide information and guidance on assistive technologies to anyone, anywhere, at any time. We need to establish an institutionalized process to ensure everyone is aware of new and existing technologies and accommodations, as well as how to use them. Greater awareness of available technologies, systems, and accommodations should be fostered through outreach and user education.
| Transportantion Breakout Group Members | ||
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| Ronald Boenau Division Chief Advanced Public Transportation Systems, Federal Transit Administration, DOT |
Bryna Helfer Transportation Services Advisor Federal Transit Administration, DOT |
Hugh Herr Director Biomechatronics Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab |
| Julie Jacono Operations Director Functional Electrical Stimulation Center, Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) |
Dr. Eric Levey Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Committee Member American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Children with Disabilitie |
Neil McAleer Managing Editor JRRD |
| Ronald Schuchard Director VA Center of Excellence for Aging Veterans with Vision Loss Atlanta, GA |
Phillip Selleh Founder, president, CEO eadvantage Inc. |
David Schneider Equal Opportunity Specialist Office of Civil Rights, Federal Transit Administration, DOT |
| K. Thirumalai (Session Chair) Chief Engineer Research and Special Programs Administration, Department of Transportation (DOT) |
Dr. Ronald Triolo Associate Director of Education Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center, Cleveland VAMC |
Howard Wactlar Vice Provost for Research Computing, Associate Dean, and Alumni Research Professor School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University |
| Dr. Celia Witten Division Director Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration |
Luke Zelley Accessibility Specialist The Disability Network |
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