Designing an Inclusive Mobile App for People with Disabilities to Independently Use Autonomous Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) could potentially provide independent mobility to people with physical and sensory disabilities. It is critical to understand the needs of people with disabilities and design interfaces specifically for accessible interaction before, during, and while ending an AV trip. Using a research-through-design approach, we identify needs and explore design concepts for a smartphone application to allow people with disabilities to use AVs independently. Through 20 individual interviews, 12 monthly meetings with a group of people with disabilities and transportation advocates, and design prototyping, we develop design concepts for accessible smartphone control of an AV trip. Our work contributes a set of interaction needs for accessible AV interaction, design concepts centered on confidence and control developed in partnership with people with disabilities, and a discussion of an accessible co-design process that other designers can learn from to create accessible automotive user interfaces.