Of all the potential benefits of automated vehicles, the opportunity to bring personal mobility and autonomy to the lives of people with disabilities is one of the most under-appreciated. 

Creating accessible transportation will require incredible innovation, and programs like the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Inclusive Design Challenge are critical to building momentum toward this goal. With $5 million in prizes, the Inclusive Design Challenge pits researchers and innovators in a competition to design and develop systems and features for autonomous vehicles that solve the most pressing access barriers for people with physical, sensory and cognitive disabilities. 

PAVE is proud to partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation on the Inclusive Design Challenge in hosting a live webinar, “AVs for All: Inspiring Solutions for Accessible Design.” The event’s panel discussions — featuring experts from academia, industry, and nonprofits —  will provide an overview of the state of accessibility technology for AVs and the areas of greatest need.

Webinar Agenda

• Welcome from PAVE
• Conversation with USDOT: Introducing the Inclusive Design Challenge
  • Finch Fulton, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy
• Accessibility Technologies for Autonomous Vehicles: The State of the Art, and Areas of Need 
  • Dr. Rory A. Cooper, University of Pittsburgh
  • Robert Sheehan, USDOT Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office
• Principles of Universal Design and Autonomous Vehicles
  • Dr. Susana Costa, University of Minho
  • Carol Tyson, DREDF (Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund)
• Practical Advice on Inclusive and Accessible Design
  • Dr. Shani Jayant, Inclusive Mobility Initiative at Volkswagen Group of America
  • Dr. Clive D’Souza, University of Michigan
• Closing remarks

In addition to these discussions, attendees were provided with supplemental resources covering the Inclusive Design Challenge itself, the state of accessibility technology, best practices in design for accessibility, case studies, research on the benefits of accessible autonomous vehicles and more.