To Table of Contents
According to Kristina Andersen , Assistant Professor at the Future Everyday cluster of the Department of Industrial Design at Eindhoven University of Technology , a smart planner is needed to provide accurate information on the accessibility of transport . It could include , for example , the availability of seats on the next bus or whether certain accessibility infrastructure is “ out of order ”. The smart planner would provide this information in multiple ways - sign language , audio , lip-reading – as well as be integrated with smart glasses . It would also be free to use and not require registration .
‘ Poor access to public transport means people are stopped from accessing job opportunities , education , social and leisure activities and other services ,’ explained Andersen .
" By focusing on the experience and needs of disabled people , we address a wide variety of barriers such as age , health , or language in current urban transport systems .
Professor Kristina Andersen at Eindhoven University of Technology and TRIPS lead .
To showcase how such codesigned mobility solutions can provide inclusive urban transport for all , TRIPS is rolling out case studies in seven pilot cities : Brussels , Bologna , Cagliari , Lisbon , Sofia , Stockholm and Zagreb .
By inviting those with disabilities to highlight the problems they face in using public transport and empowering them to co-design solutions through brainstorming with experts , Andersen and her team hope to address the most serious risk facing people with disabilities : that of social exclusion .
‘ By focusing on the experience and needs of disabled people , we can address a wide variety of barriers such as age , health or language in current urban transport systems ,’ said Andersen .
All of this information is not just helping with new innovative services , but also sheds light on what ’ s needed when designing future transport systems .
Leveraging digital technologies The user perspective is important when designing and testing mobility solutions for persons with disabilities .
In this context , researchers from the MOBI Mobility , Logistics and Automotive Technology Research Centre at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel ( VUB ) are conducting a pilot study in Antwerp . They are testing a new method to assist visually impaired people at pedestrian crossings by sending audio and vibrating messages to their smartphones , so they can safely cross the road .
‘ In most cities , only a select few traffic lights have pedestrian signs with audible signals ,’ said Assistant Professor Imre Keseru , who is the lead researcher on the
INDIMO project . ‘ Often , these get installed on demand and cause complaints from local residents due to the noise produced . They are not always reliable and can malfunction . Therefore , more often than not , blind people have to trust in their own hearing to make sure the pedestrian light is definitely switched to green .’
Keseru also noted that until recently , digital mobility solutions were mainly developed to address the needs of average users , leading to the exclusion of specific groups with very specific needs .
Additionally , ‘ while significant achievements have been made mainly in terms of improving the physical accessibility of transport , digital accessibility and inclusion have not been fully addressed ,’ said Keseru .
INDIMO researchers are tackling this issue , working with policymakers , tech developers , transportation operators and persons with disabilities . They