March 7, 2023
The autonomous vehicle advocacy of the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, known as DREDF, is rooted in our belief that access to safe, affordable, reliable transportation is a civil right.
March 9, 2023
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have the potential to transform access to transportation and related infrastructure for people with disabilities. AVs and new technologies also come with significant risks of embedding and perpetuating bias and discrimination that permeate society. This brief considers bias within pedestrian detection and collision behavior algorithms, lack of disability representation in the datasets used to train and test AVs, and the need for ethics frameworks that give full recognition to disabled people's humanity and fundamental rights. Policy measures to mitigate the identified risks are proposed.
July 15, 2022
DREDF applauds the US Department of Transportation's (USDOT's) recent release of its "Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights." The living document outlines 10 fundamental rights of air travelers with disabilities and the obligations of airlines (including their employees and contractors) under the Air Carrier Access Act. While the Bill of Rights does not establish new requirements for airlines, it does clarify and remind all stakeholders that disabled travelers have the right, first and foremost, to be treated with dignity and respect. [...]
March 22, 2022
The Department of Transportation (DOT) says it wants to improve air travel for wheelchair users and is hosting a virtual public meeting on Thurs, Mar. 24 from 10:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. EDT to talk about the problem. During this meeting, there will be an opportunity to hear directly from DOT representatives, as well as disability rights organizations and their members about the difficulties encountered during air travel. It will also be a chance for airlines to discuss the challenges they face in providing accessible air transportation and the actions they are taking (or plan to take) to improve air travel. [...]
November 30, 2018
The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) is pleased to submit comments in response to the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Office of the Secretary's request regarding the recent guidance, Preparing for the Future, AV 3.0. DREDF recognizes Secretary Chao's expressed commitment to ensuring improved mobility for disabled travelers. DREDF also commends the Office of the Secretary and all agency staff for the particular attention paid to AV accessibility for disabled passengers over the course of the year, their work with the US Department of Labor (USDOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), and their willingness to engage. AV 3.0 raises awareness, and calls on the industry and policymakers to prioritize accessibility. Additional and immediate measures must be taken to fulfill the promise of innovation and mobility for all.
To California disability advocates:
Just about everyone knows that Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft nearly always fail to provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs).
Though too few of us know that California Senator Jerry Hill has a bill to change that!
While TNCs have provided access to many in the disability community, especially for Deaf and Blind individuals, what is currently lacking—and what SB 1376 addresses—is the lack of TNC access for wheelchair [...]
June 18, 2018
Just about everyone knows that Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft nearly always fail to provide wheelchair-accessible vehicles (WAVs).
But far too few of us know that California Senator Jerry Hill has a bill to change that!
February 5, 2016
DREDF is seeking examples of problems that Medi–Cal beneficiaries in California have experienced with obtaining non–medical transportation to needed services or treatments covered by Medi–Cal, including Denti–Cal.
December 9, 2015
Your shared commitment to disability justice allowed us to be vigorous advocates who were prepared to bring disability rights to the table — whether that table was in the courthouse, the schoolhouse, or the White House.
November 2, 2015
Concord, NH – On Monday, November 2, 2015, the National Council on Disability (NCD) released “Self Driving Cars: Mapping Access to a Technology Revolution.” DREDF's Executive Director Susan Henderson and Senior Policy Analyst Marilyn Golden conducted the research and wrote this forward looking report.