To promote accessibility for people with disabilities in the design of Autonomous Vehicles (AVs), the United States Access Board has begun hosting “Inclusive Design of Autonomous Vehicles: A Public Dialogue” along with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living, and other federal agencies.

The national online dialogue is now open to the public. Interested parties may share their ideas for designing AVs that are inclusive of everyone, including passengers with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities. The dialogue hosts wish to collect feedback related to entering, exiting, and onboard maneuvering; accessible ride hailing and onboard communication; and ideas for future research needs and next steps required to ensure accessible design and development of AVs for those with disabilities.

The online dialogue can also be used to respond to the content of a four-part forum this month and in April dealing with the same subject areas. A previous announcement from BVA on February 17 publicized the four meetings making up the forum, which will provide an open exchange and encourage public dialogue through which stakeholders and interested citizens can discuss considerations, challenges, and solutions in the design of the self-driving vehicles.

Two 90-minute sessions scheduled for March 10 and 24 will address access for passengers with mobility disabilities. Each meeting begins at 2:00pm Eastern Time. The April 7 and 21 sessions, also at 2:00pm, will focus on AV accessibility for passengers with sensory and cognitive disabilities.

For further details or to register for individual forum sessions, (CLICK HERE) to visit the U.S. Access Board’s website. Specific questions can be directed to Randall Duchesneau III at events@accessboard.gov or (202) 272-0044.