Getting to and from places is something many of us must think about every day. This is especially true for persons with disabilities, both physical and cognitive. A recently released white paper by the Ruderman Family Foundation and Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) have paired up to produce the Ruderman White Paper on Self-Driving Car Technologies: The Impact on People with Disabilities.
According to the Ruderman Family Foundation website:
- Mitigating transportation related obstacles for individuals with disabilities would enable new employment opportunities for approximately 2 million individuals with disabilities, and save $19 billion annually in healthcare expenditures from missed medical appointments.
- Across the country, autonomous vehicle legislation is being discussed with little attention given to the use of this technology to serve individuals with disabilities. There is a need for the disability community to organize, learn more about the technology, and enhance its advocacy efforts. And additionally for the technology developers to become better educated on the need and value of designing their vehicles with the disability community in mind.
If transportation is an issue for your learners, or your programs, join me in sharing your ideas with the Ruderman Family Foundation, so that we help ensure greater access to education, employment and healthcare for the nearly 1 in 5 persons who have a disability in the U.S., according to the Census Bureau.
Best,
Mike Cruse
Disabilities in Adult Education Moderator
michaelcruse74@gmail.com