Mobility Matters 2019

This session will focus on issues of race and equity within transportation. We will detail research on racial equity issues and safety outcomes, with a focus on pedestrian experiences. Dr. Kimberly Kahn will discuss her research demonstrating that drivers are less likely to stop for Black pedestrians, and the potential for infrastructure to reduce these racial disparities.  Marisa DeMull will look at the intersection of race and disability access from an engineering perspective and discuss how engineers design roadways for our most vulnerable users. Connections to other at risk communities and identities will be discussed.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Learn about the role of equity in transportation systems 
• Discuss the impact implicit bias has on drivers when they encounter people of color as pedestrians
• Begin to evaluate the needs for planning and designing to accommodate the intersections of race, disability access, and pedestrian safety

Autonomous and connected vehicle (CV) networks will soon impact traffic in cities throughout the US. These changes can benefit travelers who are blind by leveraging access to information. GPS-based solutions lack location precision but a new technology may provide safe navigation of intersections and precise location services.

Dr. Emerson and Dr. Lanutti will discuss "Smart paint", which contains special oxides detectable by a unit attached to a white cane. Able to be used on roads and walkways, “smart paint” can transmit information about precise location, crosswalk information, bus stop location, or anything else encoded into the paint at a given location.

Dr. Smith will describe a federally funded project that allows for active monitoring and response to crossing progress for pedestrians with disabilities and mobility challenges. You'll learn about a smart phone app that allows pedestrians to interact directly with the intersections and influence traffic signals, as well as new CV "connected vehicle" technologies that enable pedestrians to communicate using a mobile device with a sleeve.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Future changes in traffic flow and control caused by autonomous vehicles
• What ‘smarter’ white canes can do to assist navigation
• How smart paint can safely guide users through crosswalks
• Innovative examples of how smart paint might be used in the built environment
• Learn about "connected vehicle" technologies that enable pedestrians to communicate using a mobile device with a sleeve as well as the technology behind generation of pedestrian friendly timing plans

Typical pedestrian navigation apps use the road network when suggesting routes to users, sometimes taking a user down a road without sidewalks. Cities often face litigation due to inaccessible pathways and trip/fall injuries that occur. These issues are a result of the difficulties in mapping and collecting pedestrian pathway data.  This session will demonstrate data collection tools, data visualization, and a pathway roughness standard related to wheelchair user comfort.  This session will demonstrate these data collection tools and standards, how cities can utilize data to develop prioritized improvement plans, and how pedestrians can receive real-time accessible pedestrian navigation.
Participants will learn about the following:

1. A pathway measurement tool that geo-locates sidewalk conditions such as tripping hazards, roughness, running slope, cross slope, width, and imagery.
2. A real-time pedestrian navigation app for accessible and walkable travel, which considers the sidewalk location, quality, and user preferences when identifying the optimal route.
3. Ways in which users can contribute data to improve accessibility for others.
4. ASTM E3028-16, a standard to measure Wheelchair Pathway Roughness Index.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Learn how pathway data can be used to develop prioritized improvement plans
• Learn how to use a new innovative app for accessible pedestrian navigation
• Learn how you can contribute to help others navigate safely
• Learn about Wheelchair Pathway Roughness Index and how to measure it

THIS SESSION WILL BE A TWO-PART PRESENTATION. IF YOU ARE ATTENDING THIS SESSION, SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE AND DOWNLOAD INSTRUCTIONS TO INSTALL AN APP.

Mapping the Indoor World
Denise Snow, Craig Meador, Larry Skutchan, and Liz Schaller - American Printing House for the Blind
Learn the background, current status, and plans to map the indoor world. While Google and other companies have done an admirable job at mapping outdoors, indoor spaces present additional significant challenges. Considerations include: no reliable GPS location services, obtaining floor plans from individual venues, and making maps available to all. This presentation summarizes the current state of indoor way finding including methods to obtain accurate positioning information, outlines of current efforts, and possibilities on how to accomplish this audacious goal. The workshop that follows demonstrates an implementation at OSU and overviews the techniques on mapping your own spaces.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
After this presentation and workshop, you will:

• Have a better understanding of the challenges for mapping indoors
• Know the current efforts
• Know how to obtain information on ways to map your space

Lived Experiences in Wayfinding for Individuals with Visual Impairment and Deafblindness
Amy Parker and Martin Swobodzinski - Portland State University
Researchers in this NITC funded project will summarize a preliminary analysis from focus group research on the use of wayfinding apps for consumers who are blind and those who are deafblind living in urban environments. O&M Specialists were included as participants in a third focus groups to reflect on the use of apps in providing services with students and clients. Initial analysis from open coding will be discussed.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Participants will gain knowledge of the types of apps that were shared in focus group discussions
• Participants will learn about desired features for wayfinding apps across groups.
• Participants will learn about the diverse "lived experiences" of individuals who are visually impaired and those who are deafblind

Recent advances in 3d printing technology have made tactile models more available to individuals who are visually impaired. With grant funding from the National Science Foundation, we have developed and field-tested iOS technology that empowers individuals to modify models by adding audio or text annotations. Using this technology, a modified model can provide voice output or display a description of a model component when it is touched by a user. In this session, we will introduce the 3d printing technology and its application with 3d printed tactile maps for use with individuals with visual impairments.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Understand the combination of approaches used at Portland Community College to support users in navigating spaces.
• Explore the roles and technologies leveraged to create a robust set of options for wayfinding.
• Gain an understanding of how interactive 3d printed models can provide access to travel environments in comparison with traditional tactile maps.
• Learn about case uses of customized, interactive 3d printed maps that include wayfinding information most pertinent to the traveler.

A facilitated group discussion in both small and large setting to share major take-aways from the day and answer these questions:

• What are our approaches for setting priorities with testbeds? 
• How may we evaluate multiple points from the perspectives of equity? 
• What are models that allow us to evaluate both qualitative and quantitative data for smarter design and inclusion of community members?
• How will you take what you learned today and apply it to your work in the short-term? In the long-term?