Technology Impact on the Mobility of Disabled and Elderly Citizens

As a result of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, transportation must be provided to individuals who are unable to use conventional public transportation due to their disabilities. Local governments are mandated to provide a safe, and reliable transportation system for residents throughout the city who prove they are disabled.

Technology is being used as an enabler to ensure the system is safe and reliable. Some such technologies include:

• Automatic vehicle location monitoring and tracking system,
• Mobile Data terminals with navigation,
• Global positioning system,
• Vector street matching,
• Wireless LAN,
• Computer aided dispatch with flashback
• Interactive Voice Response unit,
• Call center with reliable queueing algorhythms,
• Interface to traffic reporting and routing systems

This Act and the technologies that are deployed to enable it's safe and reliable execution are delivering a stonger quality of life for disabled citizens, put in place by the government.