The Automotive Sector (both cars and SUVs) had been turned upside down with the pandemic running amok in the world. But today, both segments are raising hopes of a boom since public transport usage has dropped in this past year. At the very least, individuals are wary of stepping into a train or a bus or an auto rickshaw… not knowing who else has traveled on the same seat 10 minutes back is a risk.
In all of this, we forget to address one segment of the population – persons with disabilities (PwDs) – and for the automotive industry this translates into revenue loss. I have seen PwDs struggle to travel even otherwise, pandemic or not. Yet we do not see small tweaks in our cars to address this segment – they are an ignored potential paying set of customers for the industry. Options to buy a car or a two-wheeler are reduced when a dealer refuses to go through the motions of addressing the need of a PwD as well. I have personally experienced this.
For example, a person with a prosthetic leg needs the clutch to be operated by hand; it should not be an issue or be charged at a premium. I am not able to use my left hand, but have been riding bikes and motorbikes all through my life. And I suggest the modification myself to the dealer since they are at a loss seeing me for the first time. A car needs to be modified a bit more than two wheels for me, and yes, an Indian car maker has given a standing offer for that to go through without any cost for me.
That is as far as the product is concerned. When a person with disabilities is employed at the workplace, there are other considerations too.
1. Will the person be productive on the shop floor? Take a test, find out and if not go ahead and assign a desk job. But, also check if the shop floor is accessible to the person to function at their best? Are there barriers to this function on the shop floor?
2. Knowing that small tweaks help, the company needs to assess
3. The IT infrastructure for accessibility
4. Audit of the built environment / physical spaces for accessibility
5. The internal communication as well as the external one – marketing and the sales content going out in the world needs to be accessible
Per the last census we had 2.68 crores of PwDs, out of which almost 80% are illiterate due to not having accessibility to schools or right curriculum / content or both. Today that number is closer to 3 crores. And there are lakhs who are able to use a vehicle but a license and modifications to the vehicle become barriers to entry. We need to look at Universal Design for Accessibility and to put thoughts on how we design products and services for everyone. And as of now, we are failing to tap this invisible but potentially paying customer base.
A couple of links on the field of how automotive industry can be made accessible and how small accommodation and modifications can be made to set up an inclusive society: · Auto-adapt Caroslide Car Seat Slider for Disabled Persons: https://youtu.be/Tv6eZrMI6Zo
· Transport options and ADA and the FTA: Improving Transit Access for People with Disabilities in USA: https://youtu.be/Wr44TwH5WEg · Transport options in the US in 2010: https://www.fastcompany.com/1662002/the-first-car-purpose-built-for-the-disabled