At Lyft, our mission is to improve people’s lives with the world’s best transportation. We’re focused on bringing communities together, and providing better mobility solutions for those who need them most.
Alongside providing on-demand options for shared rides, electric bikes, scooters, and transit, self-driving cars in the Lyft app provide another way for people to get around reliably without needing to own a car.
Ensuring Everyone is Included in the Future of Mobility
As the promise of self-driving technology develops, we are committed to ensuring that the future of mobility is inclusive.
Today, we are proud to announce that we have partnered with the National Federation of the Blind and Aptiv to bring Aptiv’s self-driving technology to Lyft’s blind and low vision rider community during the annual convention in Las Vegas. These riders will join the over 50,000 rides we have already provided with Aptiv here in Las Vegas.
“Autonomous vehicles have the potential to provide a level of mobility and independence that blind people have never experienced, enhancing our ability to live the lives we want,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “We are pleased to collaborate with Lyft and Aptiv, companies that recognize the importance of incorporating input from the blind so that driving will be accessible to all. This demonstration will allow future blind drivers to experience and begin providing feedback about this technology, paving the way for the development of a nonvisual user interface and other inclusive design elements.”
Over the past two years, Lyft has worked closely with the National Federation of the Blind to ensure rideshare is accessible to our many blind and low vision riders, to increase awareness of blind passengers’ rights, to implement effective and inclusive public policies, and expand transportation options for these communities.
Creating a More Interactive Experience with Braille Guides
To create a more dynamic, interactive and informative self-driving experience for riders, we worked alongside San Francisco's Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired's Media and Accessible Design Lab to create Braille guides for self-driving riders. These materials include a Braille map of the self-driving route riders will travel on, as well as a diagram of Aptiv’s self-driving vehicle.
Together with Aptiv and the National Federation of the Blind, we're showcasing first-hand how self-driving vehicles, and the technology powering them, has the potential to enhance transportation solutions for those who have traditionally faced barriers to mobility.