Funded by The National Institute on Disability Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research
The RERC on Physical Access and Transportation for People with Disabilities serves to expand access to and promote ease of usage of transportation. The long-term strategy of this RERC is to expand access and flexibility of personal and on-demand wheeled vehicle transportation and commercial airline travel. Access to transportation provides people with disabilities with autonomy and freedom, increasing participation in daily activities, social engagement, job opportunities, and access to healthcare and education. Our objectives are clear and consistent with the priorities of NIDILRR and the RERC as we will target: 1) inclusivity; 2) incorporating proven and emerging technologies and strategies; and 3) making transportation technology safe, available, affordable, and reliable to people with disabilities.
To achieve the mission, the RERC takes full advantage of the capacity, experience, and multidisciplinary collaborations among researchers at University of Pittsburgh and Purdue University as well as health system and community partners serving people with disabilities. The RERC conducts research and development projects as well as training, dissemination, and technology transfer efforts that are responsive to the RERC priorities to support successful expansion of accessible and flexible transportation. We include two thrusts focused on broad priorities ideal for NIDILRR to address: Future of Personal and On-Demand Motor Vehicle Transportation, and Future of Accessible Commercial Airline Travel. We have not only embraced but we are leaders in engineering for people with disabilities by people with disabilities, which is a national imperative for building towards an inclusive engineering workforce and an integrated America.