<div dir="auto">Yes we can absolutely do it. I'm very excited to get involved. Just let me know where I can starve.<div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Angela Daniel</div><div dir="auto">Georgia affiliate board member</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">On Tue, Jan 7, 2020, 1:12 PM Bill Meeker and Cheryl Orgas via AutonomousVehicles <<a href="mailto:autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org">autonomousvehicles@nfbnet.org</a> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="m_8218865906785415231WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal">Colleagues,<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">FYI. Though I’m no engineer, might this be an opportunity for us to design, or facilitate the design to attain the objectives stated in the below article specifically pertaining to blind drivers, passengers, and even pedestrians? The January 31 Request For Information submission deadline is short, but can we not do it? And there are $$ prizes.<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Bill Meeker<u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN" style="color:black">Transportation Challenge Aims to Create Universally Accessible Automated Vehicles</span></b><u></u><u></u></p><p class="m_8218865906785415231content-byline"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#999999">By </span></b><span class="m_8218865906785415231authors-multiple2"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto"><a href="https://www.nextgov.com/voices/brandi-vincent/14441/?oref=ng-post-author?oref=rf-post-author" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"><span style="color:#71bf44">Brandi Vincent</span></a></span></b></span><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#999999"> <u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#999999">January 6, 2020 03:04 PM ET</span></b><u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="font-family:Roboto;color:black">The agency plans to award up to $5 million in prizes.</span><u></u><u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:28.5pt"><u></u><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#fbfcfd;text-transform:uppercase"><span>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><u></u><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#fbfcfd;text-transform:uppercase"><a href="https://www.nextgov.com/topic/autonomous-vehicles/?oref=ng-article-topics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"><span style="color:#fbfcfd;background:#71bf44;text-decoration:none">Autonomous Vehicles </span></a><u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:7.5pt;margin-left:28.5pt"><u></u><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol;color:#fbfcfd;text-transform:uppercase"><span>·<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span><u></u><b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#fbfcfd;text-transform:uppercase"><a href="https://www.nextgov.com/topic/transportation-department/?oref=ng-article-topics" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"><span style="color:#fbfcfd;background:#71bf44;text-decoration:none">Transportation </span></a><u></u><u></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="m_8218865906785415231drop-cap"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#212529">In contemporary production, most passenger vehicles are generally not equipped with universal accessibility features that make it easy for people in wheelchairs or with other disabilities to use them. But the Transportation Department aims to incentivize more inclusive solutions in the impending wave of next-generation travel and the highly-anticipated introduction of automated vehicles that require little or no human interaction.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#212529">According to a <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-00009.pdf?utm_source=federalregister.gov&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pi+subscription+mailing+list" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">request for information</a> set to be published in the federal register Tuesday, the agency wants feedback on its plans to host an Inclusive Design Challenge to spur innovation that’ll enable riders with a range of disabilities to access automated vehicles upon production, instead of attempting to retrofit solutions in the aftermath. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#212529">“The Challenge will solicit solutions addressing obstacles faced by persons with physical, sensory, and/or cognitive disabilities,” officials said in the RFI. “The goal of the Challenge is to inspire inclusive designs as AVs are developed, which may also increase access to conventional vehicles today.”<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#212529">A recent <a href="https://www.bts.gov/topics/passenger-travel/travel-patterns-american-adults-disabilities" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">brief</a> from the Transportation Statistics Bureau highlighting the travel patterns of adults with disabilities suggests that more than 25 million Americans ages 5 and older have self-reported travel-limiting disabilities. Of those, more than 3 million Americans reported barely leaving their homes due to their disabilities. Through the new multi-phase prize competition, the agency is making up to $5 million available to innovators around the nation who seek to create new, feasible technological solutions that tackle widespread issues around vehicle-access. Transportation emphasizes that it is not yet accepting applications for the competition, but instead launched the RFI for feedback on its strategy and plans for the Challenge. The agency originally unveiled plans for the competition in October at an Access and Mobility for All <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/accessibility" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Summit</a> but offers more details about the effort in the new solicitation.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#212529">Automated vehicles are expected to help usher in an era where people with disabilities can move around more independently. The agency is looking for solutions that will support diverse disabilities and needs through novel vehicle designs, as well as independent components that will bolster inclusive design features. Inclusiveness will be reviewed based on the solutions’ ability to address one or more vehicle-use tasks that people with disabilities need to complete on their own, including: locating, entering and exiting the vehicles; securing passengers and their mobility equipment, inputting information around passenger identities; inputting destinations and requesting needed assistance; and engaging with the automated vehicles in both routine and emergency situations. Transportation also expects project teams to identify representatives from both industry and the disability advocacy community to help inform and advise on their ideas and approaches throughout the process.<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#212529">“[The agency] expects teams to describe how they have engaged with stakeholders to understand the needs and constraints of both industry and travelers with disabilities when explaining the feasibility and impact of their design,” officials wrote. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#212529">The Challenge will be structured in two stages. In the first, eligible designers will submit their proposals of the inclusive disability-friendly design solutions they aim to produce. Up to 15 semi-finalists will receive $100,000 each to develop their promising concepts. From there and in the second stage, they’ll be expected to create functional prototypes and demonstrate their solutions’ viability. Up to four of those designers will be chosen as finalists and receive a portion of the remaining funds, which include a potential grand prize of $2 million. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p><span lang="EN" style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Roboto;color:#212529">In the RFI, Transportation asks interested participants to weigh in on the topic, its approach and plans for the design challenge, as well as its evaluation criteria. Comments will be accepted through the federal regulations website and via email until 5:00 p.m. on Jan. 31. <u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>
AutonomousVehicles mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:AutonomousVehicles@nfbnet.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">AutonomousVehicles@nfbnet.org</a><br>
<a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/autonomousvehicles_nfbnet.org" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/autonomousvehicles_nfbnet.org</a><br>
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for AutonomousVehicles:<br>
<a href="http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/autonomousvehicles_nfbnet.org/msangela48%40gmail.com" rel="noreferrer noreferrer" target="_blank">http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/autonomousvehicles_nfbnet.org/msangela48%40gmail.com</a><br>
</blockquote></div>