Through a new project, funded by the Motability Foundation, we want to explore and understand how vehicle design could be improved to make cars more accessible and inclusive for all users.
Motability Foundation’s transport accessibility gap report states that disabled people take 38% fewer journeys than non-disabled people. Whilst this figure includes public and private transport, research has shown that most journeys by disabled people are made by car.
There are 16 million disabled people in the UK (24% of the population). The rapid transition to battery electric vehicles, combined with the advancement of technology within autonomous driving and safety systems, and the radically changing design of user interfaces, could prevent many disabled people from continuing to access cars.
We will speak to disabled people and their carers (drivers and passengers) to gain first hand insights into the challenges and opportunities for accessible vehicle design features.
We will also engage directly with industry to understand the landscape in which they operate (e.g. regulations, commercial constraints etc.) and ensure solutions not only meet the needs of disabled people but can also be realised by industry within existing or emerging delivery models. This may include considerations for access, seating, storage and user interface.
The outcomes of the engagement research activities will be presented in a report, including key findings, opportunities for innovation and recommendations on how the challenges identified could be addressed within industry to deliver the greatest impact for disabled people.
Over 1,400 people have shared their experiences of using cars as well as their ideas on how car travel could be better. We have summarised what people told us in a new short report:
‘Designing inclusive cars with accessibility and flexibility as standard’.
