Commuting in the city as a disabled individual can be a nightmare for a number of reasons -- many of which are addressed by the Alert-A-Ride app. Similar to Uber, "riders to track their vehicle on a map and to set proximity-based alerts, giving them a clear idea of how far away their rides are. [Alert-A-Ride] will even log trip histories, making it easier to accessing frequent address," writes Fast Co Design.
Alert-A-Ride was developed by SVA grad Meghan Lazier for her MFA thesis project in the Design for Social Innovation department. Since many disabled citizens have to go through a lengthy application process to access paratransit services that have to be reserved up to two days in advance -- and only promise to arrive within 30 minutes of the scheduled time, Alert-A-Ride would make life easier for many.
What's Driving This Trend
- Accessible Transit Apps
- Developing transit apps specifically designed for disabled individuals to improve their commuting experience and accessibility.
- Proximity-based Alerts
- Incorporating proximity-based alerts into transit apps to help disabled individuals track their rides and know how far away they are.
- Trip History Logging
- Including trip history logging in transit apps for disabled individuals to easily access and track their frequent addresses.
Who This Affects Most
- Transportation Services
- Opportunity for transportation companies to create and offer specialized and accessible transit apps for disabled individuals.
- Mobile App Development
- Opportunity for mobile app developers to design and build transit apps with features tailored to the needs of disabled individuals.
- Disability Services
- Opportunity for disability service organizations to partner with transit app developers to improve and promote accessibility for disabled individuals.
