From Disability Scoop:
“App Designed To Boost
Independence For Bus Riders With Disabilities”
As Charlie McDonald’s Central
Ohio Transit Authority bus pulled up to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, his
phone buzzed and a text flashed across the screen reminding him that his stop
was approaching and it was time to exit. McDonald, 27, is part of a pilot
program using a smartphone app called WayFinder to help people with cognitive
disabilities use the COTA bus system to travel the city more freely. The
program is run by Smart Columbus and Ohio State University. The app allows
caregivers to find a bus route and add in instructions and notifications
specific to the needs of the rider. They can add photos of drop-off locations,
audio and text reminders that are triggered when the destination is close and
walking routes to and from the bus stops. “The primary goal of the project was
to try to allow those with cognitive disabilities to gain that mobility
independence and confidence through the application to use public transit,”
said Andy Wolpert, Smart Columbus deputy program manager. COTA, which provides
public transit service in the Columbus area, has a paratransit program to
assist riders with disabilities, but it often requires scheduling a trip two days
in advance, Wolpert said. “It’s more of a challenge to have mobility
independence when you need to schedule a ride in advance. With this allowing
you to use the fixed-route bus system, you have more flexibility,” he said. Wolpert
said the process began in 2017 by evaluating the marketplace for the app best
suited to address the specific needs of the disability community in Columbus.
They eventually decided on WayFinder, developed by Dan Davies of AbleLink
Technologies, based in Colorado Springs, Colo. Davies said WayFinder was
originally developed in a joint research project between the U.S. Department of
Education and the National Institutes of Health around 2009. It launched around
2012 and has been adopted by several private service providers. Columbus is the
first government entity to test the app, he said. “For a city to incorporate
something like this technology really provides a lot more opportunity than an
agency might,” Davies said. Researchers at Ohio State looked at changes to the
app to improve functionality, including adding the ability for the caregiver to
track the bus rider in real time. “Having that tracking capability provides
peace of mind for caregivers and family as their loved ones travel,” Davies
said. “This is a significant advancement.” Josh Cook, McDonald’s caregiver,
said that so far he has always accompanied the people in his care while they
use the app. However, he believes some people with cognitive disabilities who
he works with could eventually travel on their own. For others, like McDonald,
who needs to be accompanied on trips, the app is still beneficial. McDonald had
often felt disoriented while traveling, Cook said. “For Charlie, independence
is knowing exactly where he is in the city, being able to understand what’s
around him, knowing where he’s going next,” Cook said. McDonald said the app is
easy, and he’s used it on many bus rides to Buckeye Donuts in the University
District for lamb gyros, to marvel at the trophies in the Woody Hayes Athletic
Center and to reach his favorite destination: Los Guachos restaurant. Wolpert
said the app could also benefit the elderly. Thirty participants were recruited
for the year-long pilot program, which began in late April. Ohio State
researchers will collect data throughout to measure how well the program
enhances independence. If the program is successful, Smart Columbus will seek
funding to continue it beyond the pilot. Smart Columbus estimates that the
program costs nearly $56 million, with potential funding from the city of
Columbus, Franklin County and the Ohio Department of Transportation. “As we
deploy projects, we will evaluate the successes and failures and formalize how
to sustain them,” said Andrea Lewis, a spokeswoman for Smart Columbus.
^ This sounds like a great and
helpful app that will be useful every day. I really hope the pilot program
works and is made available to everyone. ^
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