Thanks to the ADA.
At Merlin Mobility Foundation, we believe that transportation can be accessible for all and, as transportation designs begin to implement 21st-century technologies, that now is the time to consider the crucial needs of all individuals, especially communities that are traditionally left behind.
Since its passing 30 years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is the landmark civil rights law that addresses the rights of people with disabilities. In public transportation services, it is the ADA that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. But - what are those rights in areas where there is little to no public transit system or for people with disabilities who wish to retain independence and spontaneity? Getting to and from accessible stops and stations is often unavailable or not affordable, and aftermarket modifications often leave personal vehicles with few truly personalized options. We give thanks to the ADA for paving the way for improved accessibility, but we as a society still have miles to go to make transportation equitable for everyone.
An estimated 25.5 million Americans have disabilities that make traveling outside the home difficult, and 3.6 million do not leave their homes because they are disabled or housebound, according to “Travel Patterns of American Adults with Disabilities.” The Bureau of Transportation Statistics developed the report using data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey to examine the daily travel of adults with self-reported travel-limiting disabilities. According to the same study, 13.4 million are age 18 to 64, and 11.2 million are age 65 and older. In the wake of COVID 19 - this disparity may prove to be even greater than ever before. What we are coming to realize is that all people face disability at some point in their lives - due to illness, accident, or aging. So, why aren’t we proactively building solutions designed and manufactured to be accessible for all?
Leaving people out has real costs to our world. Confining people with disabilities at home often means keeping them out of jobs, away from shopping, and isolated out of community life. It also can prohibit them from making valuable contributions to our society as independent individuals, parents, teachers, workers, consumers, taxpayers, and citizens with equal opportunity to live a more full and satisfying life. Those who cannot afford cars or are traditionally unable to drive cars, especially in rural areas, often lack viable transportation options and need accessible, affordable transportation to bring employment, health care, education, housing, and community life within reach.
That is why Merlin Mobility Foundation is sponsoring a crowd-sourced vehicle design competition called The Merlin Prize, which launched Sunday, July 26, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and spur innovation in personal mobility. The Merlin Prize for accessible autonomous electric vehicles (A2EV) is a crowd-sourced design competition to generate new and inclusive transportation solutions for people with physical, sensory, and/or cognitive disabilities. Automotive industry experts predict that electric vehicles (EVs) will surpass the number of gas-powered vehicles on the road in the coming decades, and virtually all autonomous vehicles are electric. The goal of this challenge is to start a global conversation that flips the switch on the future of mobility and sources autonomous electric vehicle designs that are accessible for all.
The Merlin Prize is a monumental event for us as we progress forward in our mission of making transportation more accessible. It is with great gratitude to the first 30 years of the ADA for laying the groundwork for an accessible future, and now it is with great faith in the collective minds of today’s global audience that we can usher in the next 30 years of accessibility for all.
There’s still time to submit for the prize. The submission deadline is September 13, 2020, and winners will be announced on October 1, 2020. Not only can you be a part of this monumental opportunity, but you can win prizes up to $35,000. Our incredible judge and advisor panel is listed here.
