Glossary

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Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System(also: AVAS, Minimum sound requirement, Pedestrian warning sound)

A class of vehicle systems that emit artificial sound to alert pedestrians and other road users to the presence and movement of quiet vehicles — typically electric and hybrid vehicles at low speeds, where tire and aerodynamic noise are insufficient for detection. Regulatory…

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems(also: ADAS)

A family of in-vehicle technologies that partially automate driving tasks — adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping, automatic emergency braking, parking assistance, blind-spot monitoring — while a human driver retains overall control. ADAS are relevant to accessibility as steps…

Airport Accessibility

The practices, technologies, policies, and physical design choices that enable travelers with disabilities to use airports independently and with dignity. In the United States, airport accessibility is governed partly by the FAA's Airport Disability Compliance Program (AC…

Autonomous Ferry(also: Self-Driving Ferry, Autonomous Passenger Ferry)

A waterborne passenger vessel that navigates, docks, and avoids obstacles without a human pilot, typically using a sensor suite (cameras, radar, LiDAR, ultrasonic, IMU, GNSS) and a shore-based supervisory operator. Autonomous ferries are being trialled as sustainable…

Autonomous Public Transport(also: Autonomous Public Transit, Driverless Public Transport)

Public-transport services — buses, shuttles, ferries, trams — operated wholly or partly by self-driving technology, typically supervised remotely rather than by an onboard driver. From an accessibility perspective, autonomous public transport simultaneously promises cheaper,…

Community Navigation(also: Community Travel, Community Mobility)

The ability to plan, initiate, and complete trips within one's community, including getting to transit points on time, using public transportation, and accessing services at destinations. For people with cognitive disabilities such as traumatic brain injury, community navigation…

Driverless Shuttle(also: Autonomous Shuttle, Self-Driving Shuttle)

A small, slow-speed, self-driving bus or minibus — typically deployed on fixed routes in campuses, airports, or urban trials — that operates without an onboard driver, often with a remote supervisor. Driverless shuttles are a focus of accessibility research because they…

External Human-Machine Interface(also: eHMI, External HMI)

A class of interfaces on the exterior of a vehicle — typically an automated or autonomous vehicle — designed to communicate the vehicle's intent, awareness, or state to pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users who would otherwise rely on cues from a human driver (eye contact,…

Fully Autonomous Vehicle(also: FAV, Level 5 Autonomous Vehicle, Self-Driving Car)

A vehicle capable of performing all driving functions without any human intervention, classified as SAE Level 5 automation. Unlike semi-autonomous vehicles that require a human driver as backup, FAVs are designed to operate without steering wheels, pedals, or other manual…

Human-Vehicle Interaction(also: HVI, Vehicle-pedestrian interaction)

The field studying how people communicate, negotiate, and coordinate with vehicles and their occupants — including drivers, passengers, and, increasingly, automated systems. Human-vehicle interaction encompasses internal interfaces (dashboards, voice assistants,…

Mobility-as-a-Service(also: MaaS, Transportation-as-a-Service)

A transportation model that integrates various mobility services (public transit, ridesharing, bike-sharing, car rentals) into a single accessible platform, typically via a smartphone app. For people with disabilities, MaaS platforms offer potential benefits through unified…

Parcel Locker(also: Package Locker, Smart Locker, Delivery Locker)

A self-service pickup cabinet where e-commerce parcels are deposited by couriers and retrieved by recipients using a code, QR scan, or mobile-app unlock. Parcel lockers are increasingly mandatory in apartment buildings and urban fulfilment networks. Accessibility barriers are…

Pedestrian Crossing(also: Crosswalk, Zebra crossing, Pedestrian crosswalk)

A designated location on a road where pedestrians have legal priority, guidance, or protection to cross, typically marked by paint (zebra or ladder stripes), signs, or signal-controlled infrastructure. Pedestrian crossings range from unmarked mid-block crossings through…

Pedestrian Safety(also: Walking safety, Vulnerable road user safety)

The field and practice of protecting people who walk — including those with disabilities, older adults, and children — from injury and death in road traffic environments. Pedestrian safety encompasses road design (crossings, curb ramps, accessible pedestrian signals, raised…

SAE Automation Levels(also: SAE J3016, Levels of Driving Automation)

A six-level classification system (0-5) defined by SAE International that describes the degree of vehicle automation. Level 0 provides no automation; Levels 1-2 offer driver assistance features; Level 3 provides conditional automation where the vehicle can drive but a human must…

Shared Mobility(also: Shared Transportation)

Transportation services in which vehicles, rides, or trips are shared among multiple users, including ridesharing (Uber, Lyft), carsharing (Zipcar), bikesharing, scooter-sharing, microtransit, and — increasingly — autonomous-vehicle shuttles. Shared mobility is relevant to…

Wheelchair-Accessible Taxi(also: WAT, Wheelchair Taxi, Accessible Taxi)

A taxi or on-demand vehicle fitted with a ramp or lift and interior tie-down points that allow a passenger to travel while seated in their wheelchair. Wheelchair-accessible taxis are a core component of paratransit in many cities, dispatched either through general-purpose taxi…

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