Driverless Cars Promise Far Greater Mobility for the Elderly and People with
  Disabilities
From: The Washington Post - 11/23/2107
By: Ashley Halsey III

Autonomous vehicles stand to benefit mobility-challenged seniors and other
people with physical, cognitive, and mental disabilities, and designers,
automakers, and federal regulators are working to help address the issues
involved in making that possible. Driverless car developers are attempting to
strike a balance between keeping riders fully apprised while also maintaining
a certain level of simplicity in the riding experience. Waymo, for example,
says it has embedded design elements in its driverless car technology that
are intended to help the elderly and people with disabilities, starting with
an accessible smartphone app that promotes ease of use. Waymo also notes it
is investigating techniques in which a vehicle could emit an audible signal
to a blind person when it arrives for pickup, and keep the passenger informed
of progress to their destination. Meanwhile, hearing-impaired passengers will
be able to follow the vehicle on screens displaying selected information,
including their route, traffic signals, crosswalks, other cars, pedestrians,
and cyclists.

Read the entire article at:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/driverless-cars-promise-far-greater-mobility-for-the-elderly-and-people-with-disabilities/2017/11/23/6994469c-c4a3-11e7-84bc-5e285c7f4512_story.html

Links:
Waymo is taking the next step in the driverless car evolution
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2017/11/07/waymo-is-taking-the-next-step-in-the-driverless-car-evolution

Blind man sets out alone in Google's driverless car
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/blind-man-sets-out-alone-in-googles-driverless-car/2016/12/13/f523ef42-c13d-11e6-8422-eac61c0ef74d_story.html

A glimpse inside the secret site where driverless cars undergo 20,000 tests
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/a-glimpse-inside-the-secret-site-where-driverless-cars-undergo-20000-tests/2017/11/04/874e083c-bf15-11e7-97d9-bdab5a0ab381_story.html