Experts Agree AV Planning and Coordination is Critical and the Time is Now

Disability Experts Meets and Make Recommendations --Officeof Disability Employment Policy Publishes Them.  So Now what?


First (before becoming critical which I am bound to do as an advocate) I applaud this groups and the organizers of the  meeting held  to discuss this matter.

At the end of this  blog entry/opinion. I will provide the link to the  report issued so that  readers can draw inferences own their own.

However, prior to sending you on your merry way  to look at the report I'd like to provide a (biased but fair) framework within  which to view the report.


Here we go.

The Cityof Pittsburgh issued itsPrinciples and approved them.  The ODEP  documents and the issues raised would have  been a powerful addition to these principles in the eyes of many people with disabilities, however the left hand didn't know what the right hand was writing--opportunity missed.  So future  "principles need tinkled theODEP concepts and it is going to take advocates to  make sure  these ideas  are integrated into these fundamental  documents.  These advocates canbepeoplewith disabilities,enlightened  policy makers, or vehicle  makers....that doesn't matter the concepts  just need to be included.

Next, the recommendations target"everyone under the sun."  That in itself illustrates the expansive impacttheis emerging  technology will have on our economic future, planning cycles, and social interactions.  Unfortunately without more specific recommendations  within specific  contexts the suggestions  are a little like shooting a few  shot gunshot the and hoping to bring down some sort of food.  You are likely to hit something, however you might drop a sparrow instead of the Christmans Goose you were  hoping for.


Next there didn't seem to be a strong focus on what types of political platform  items need to be written, what type of federal policy changes in terms of purchasing  and providing  transportation would need to be implemented and when.  There was  not a clear future path put forward for the  resources needed to build community level  experts who  could guide the development of vehicles and the monitoring of their  real world performances.

Also the meeting did not seem to yield list of questions that would be directed towards automakers or government officials.

In short, this report had some strong words from some smart people, and it is worth  a read and should be forwarded  widely.  However consider it much like a stop sign--a place to notice what is happen and what  might happen in the near future on the path where you are driving...and like the  stop sign do not consider  the report to mean "stop"  here forever...

Okay...Here are my suggestions--
Distribute thisdocument to ll the  AV designing companies and ask for a brief response.  Distribute it to every transportation committee  within our  state and  national governments (maybe along with the pittsburgh principles.  Make sure that every  CenterforIndependent Living receives and acknowledges receiving his report.
Make sure that all State/Federal VocationalRehabilitations are aware of the report and  are forming policy  regarding the purchase and use of  this mode of transportation and issue a mandate to see a draft report from  these agencies within thinnest six months...because in technology time a year or two is a lifetime.

These are just a few of my specific  suggestions....

Well here's  the report...like I said  spread the word.  It is well done for what it is.....much more is needed!


http://images.magnetmail.net/images/clients/CONCEPTSPR/attach/AVInfoGatheringReport2Final.pdf