Besides equality, there’s an economic component to transportation accessibility.
America wastes $19 billion annually on medical appointments missed because 4.3 million people with disabilities cannot access reliable transportation, according to a 2017 report, “Self-Driving Cars: The Impact on People With Disabilities,” issued by Securing America’s Future Energy, a nonpartisan Washington, D.C., think tank, and the Ruderman Family Foundation.
Further, people with disabilities have difficulty reaching jobs that others can easily access. A subsequent report released by the think tank in July found employment growth areas in the modern economy are largely inaccessible to them. In one example, the report said Amazon’s 60 largest U.S. fulfillment centers are inaccessible to anyone who cannot commute there via a personally owned vehicle.
That’s indicative of a broader barrier. Three-quarters of people without disabilities ages 18 to 64 work either part time or full time, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. In contrast, only 20 percent of people with travel-limiting disabilities in the same age group work.
“The No. 1 indicator of economic mobility is actual mobility,” said Robbie Diamond, CEO of Securing America’s Future Energy.
The Intelligent Transportation Society report found overall U.S. vehicle miles traveled could increase as much as 14 percent per year if older adults and people with disabilities gained access to transportation via AVs.
Toward that end, Diamond said the federal government will likely need to affirm the rights of people with disabilities, whether in awaited federal legislation that addresses the autonomous vehicle future or in changes to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards that could permit more innovative vehicle designs.
Currently, auto and tech companies can apply for exemptions from safety standards, but Diamond said that’s a stopgap for solving the problem. Much like the creation of the interstate highway system catalyzed economic growth, he foresees accessible transportation as a means to harness the potential of millions of Americans at a time of rising global competition.
“We are living in a revolutionary transportation time,” Diamond said. “Allowing unique designs and a total rethink of what a vehicle can be is the most important thing that can solve for both environmental factors and provide mobility for those who don’t have it. We have to get to that point. This is the profound missing link that we’ve been talking about.”
After the California Public Utilities Commission issued its AV proposal in October, leaders at the Disabilities Rights Education and Defense Fund implored regulators to rethink their proposal in a way that would address accessibility concerns.
“Retrofitting vehicles would be more expensive for providers in the long run,” representatives of the fund wrote in their public comments. “Autonomous vehicles should be born accessible.”
On Nov. 19, regulators added reporting requirements that compel permit holders to submit quarterly reports that describe their outreach to disabled riders and acknowledge whether they’ve incorporated any feedback into their services. Then they approved the proposal, paving the way for AV companies to charge for commercial service.
Given California’s role in setting the regulatory tone for industry developments, advocates for disabled people are hopeful that other states will take notice and incorporate similar provisions in their own efforts. It’s far short of a guarantee of accessibility but at least an acknowledgment of both the concerns and potential that exist.
“Another baby step toward accessibility,” Tyson said. “I hope policymakers nationwide will take notice. I’d challenge them to set even higher standards.”
