Accessible autonomous transportation and services: a focus group study

Abstract

Purpose: Existing automated vehicle transportation guidelines and regulations have minimal guidance to address the specific needs of people with disabilities. Accessibility should be at the forefront to increase autonomy and independence for people with disabilities. The purpose of this research is to better understand potential facilitators and barriers to using accessible autonomous transportation. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with key stakeholders derived from people with disabilities (n = 5), travel companions/caregivers (n = 5), and transportation experts or designers (n = 11). Results: The themes include describing stakeholder perceptions across all three groups by identified themes: autonomous vehicle assistive technology, autonomy vs automation, cost, infrastructure, safety & liability, design challenges, and potential impact. Conclusion: Specific gaps and needs were identified regarding barriers and facilitators for transportation accessibility and evidence-based guidance. These specific gaps can help to formulate design criteria for the communication between, the interior and exterior of accessible autonomous vehicles.