Title of the Study: Development and Evaluation of Technology and Safety Supports for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to Independently Use Driverless and Driver Supported Ridehailing Services

People with disabilities, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), often struggle to access transportation. Even with new services like Uber, Lyft, and scooter or bike shares, these options are often not accessible to them. While some disabled people see potential in these services, barriers like a lack of accessible vehicles or complicated systems prevent their use. This project plans to create an app called WayFinder Ride to help people with IDD use ridesharing services more independently. The app will make it easy for users to plan trips by tapping pictures of destinations and confirming choices using audio, images, and text. It will also have safety features like tracking and emergency help. In Phase I, the app’s design will be tested for accessibility and usability compared to regular rideshare apps. In Phase II, the app will be tested in real-life settings to see how well it works and what can be improved.

If you are an adult with an intellectual or developmental disability, or know someone with IDD that uses or has used ride services like Uber and Lyft in the past. Feel free to reach out to reachlab@temple.edu for more information.