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As part of its role as convener of the We Will Ride campaign, ҹɫС��Ƶ developed a scorecard that rates the automotive industry’s progress toward creating an accessible vehicle. Last year, we released our first public progress report on the current state of original equipment manufacturer (OEM) accessibility efforts. This year, we offer our second report on progress made during 2020 and 2021. .

In honor of the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the American Association of People with Disabilities (ҹɫС��Ƶ) issued its first public progress report on its Automobile Accessibility Scorecard. The scorecard tracks progress by auto manufacturing companies toward the design and production of an accessible vehicle that can accommodate people with a wide range of disabilities, including power wheelchair users, across 29 criteria. .

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers organized a three-part Workshop Series, “Automated Vehicles (AVs) & Increased Accessibility”, to explore the accessible passenger vehicle transportation needs and potential technology solutions of people with disabilities and older adults. The Workshop Series also assessed broader impacts of assistive technologies, including the current legal and policy landscape. .

In the United States, approximately one in every five people, or more than 57 million, has a disability. This includes more than 3.8 million veterans with a service-connected disability. The most recent government transport survey indicated that six million individuals with a disability have difficulty getting the transportation they need. .

Americans with disabilities are currently underserved by transportation options. Autonomous Vehicles (“AVs”) have the potential to significantly improve the mobility of Americans with disabilities by partially or fully automating the driving process. However, these improvements are only possible if automobile manufacturers consider people with disabilities and others with travel-limiting conditions when constructing these vehicles and include universal accessibility principles in their designs. .

Fully automated vehicles, when they begin to be deployed in significant numbers, will offer the potential to usher in enormous positive changes. Anticipated benefits include lowered traffic fatalities and injuries, as well as potentially expanded access to transportation for those who cannot drive or those who face significant barriers to driving. For individuals who cannot legally obtain a driver’s license, fully automated “driverless” vehicles offer the opportunity to become more mobile and independent. Access to transportation means access to jobs, education, and healthcare, which is a major challenge for people with disabilities. .

We Will Ride coalition member DREDF offers a checklist of important accessibility features for Human Machine Interface, Hardware, Policy, and Legislation. .

Autonomous vehicles have enormous potential to alleviate the challenges people with a variety of disabilities face when they cannot obtain a driver’s license and to promote their independence. However, the needs of this population must be taken into account throughout the development of these emerging technologies and the regulatory schemes that will govern their production, testing, and use. .

An order Instituting Rulemaking to implement Senate Bill 1376 creating a public fund that transportation network companies and others can access to provide service for persons with disabilities, including wheelchair users who need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. .