Electric cars accessibility and Accessible Adaptions

In this guide, we will look to give those with accessibility requirements a comprehensive breakdown of how to make the most of their electric car experience.

1. Accessibility on the road
   • Common disabilities which affect driving
2. Driving an Electric Car with a disability
   • Barriers to driving Electric cars for drivers with disabilities
   • Accessible adaptions for Electric Cars
3. Help with charging your Electric Cars
   • Accessibility barriers at charging points
   • Possible solutions to charging Electric Car charging barriers

1. Accessibility on the road

Cars are becoming increasingly accessible for all drivers – but there’s still a noticeable gap between drivers who do and don’t have a disability on Indian roads

Common disabilities which affect driving

There are a variety of medical conditions which can impact your ability to drive. Some of the most common conditions which can result in challenges on the road include:

• Arthritis and joint pain – Stiffness or lack of mobility in your joints can make handling a car incredibly challenging.
• Amputation or other limb disability – The loss of a limb, whether arm or leg, will have a big impact on a driver’s ability to steer, change gears (in manual cars), and use the foot pedals. It may also make it difficult to recharge or refuel a vehicle.
• Neurological conditions – These kinds of conditions can affect reaction speeds, while weakening of the muscles caused by things like Multiple Sclerosis (MS) may also make it hard to control the wheel.
• Our bodies ageing – As we age a number of the senses most vital for driving tend to worsen – namely vision, hearing and our ability to react quickly in certain situations.

2. Driving an Electric Car with a disability

If you’re interested in driving an Electric Car, it’s important to understand how to maximise the performance of your car to help you. Let’s discuss what adaptations you can make, as well as help and support available.

Barriers to driving Electric cars for drivers with disabilities

• Charging accessibility – This has become an ongoing issue for Electic Car drivers with accessibility requirements. Charging points are often hard to access for those with mobility restrictions, while issues like the weight of chargers and access to them from parking locations can be an issue too.
• Range anxiety and other psychological barriers – Range anxiety is the name given to the fear of an EV running out of power before reaching its next potential charging point. what’s more, accessible charging points are not always clearly signposted, adding to their anxiety.
• A lack of information – Advice and support for drivers with disabilities is also sometimes hard to find. The most mobility impaired drivers will turn to able-bodied motoring specialists for their information, even though these are usually limited in providing support for those with specific medical conditions.

Accessible adaptions for Electric Cars

• Hand controls – Introducing something like a push or pull device to help with accelerating and braking can be useful for drivers who aren’t able to freely use the lower half of their body. These work fantastically for automatic gearboxes, which Electric Cars exclusively use.
• Pedal modifications – If you still want to use pedals as they are traditionally intended, you can extend them to reach up to your feet. This makes driving more comfortable and simple for those who cannot reach them at the standard distance.
• Steering Aids – If you have trouble holding or moving a traditional wheel, a number of additions can be added. This includes a ball which can be used in one hand to control the direction you’re heading.
• Electronic accelerators – For those who aren’t able to freely use pedals when driving, but also lack the strength to use a push and pull lever, there are a series of electronic accelerators available. These can be placed throughout different areas of your vehicle:
  • Trigger accelerator – You pull this forward to accelerate and push away to brake
  • Over ring accelerator – This is placed on the steering wheel, pushing down to accelerate
  • Under ring accelerator – This is put behind the wheel, withspeed controlled by you pulling it towards the wheel
  • Ghost ring accelerator – This is also fitted behind the wheel, with a driver controlling speed by moving it from side-to-side

3. Help with charging your Electric Cars

Accessibility barriers at charging points

There are a number of key barriers for people at charging points. Some of the biggest problems for drivers with a disability include:

• The charging process – Reaching, using and handling the actual charge point itself has been cited as a real problem for a lot of drivers. Many find it heavy to hold, and find it a challenge to locate assistance when they need it
• The environment itself – Having space to comfortably move around both in and out of the car is already a key requirement for drivers with a disability. Many find that Electric Cars charging zones can be quite hard to access, most often owing to the absence of dropped kerb access and a flat parking area with level access.

Possible solutions to charging Electric Car charging barriers

• Car design changes – As motability issues continue to be discussed, it’s the responsibility of manufacturers to guarantee enough is being done to accommodate all drivers. That means modifying cars to be accessible for everyone, with ample space for any necessary medical equipment. It could also see the charge point of the car swapped in accordance with the need of the driver.
• Longer trial periods for drivers with a disability – While it takes time for any driver to get used to a new vehicle, the process can be even more challenging for someone who also has to balance driving with a disability. As such, they may need longer than what’s offered to be able to make an informed decision.
• Changes to charge point designs – Points can be made lower and more accessible (we’ve already discussed how Urban Electric are doing this), while payment systems can also be streamlined to make the process as easy as possible for those with cognitive or visual restrictions.

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Author Bio…
Sathasivam Kannupayan
Specialist in Digital Accessibility & Environment
Phone : +91 9840 515 647
Email : sathasivam@enabled.in

Download

Handbook of Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure implementation-NITI Aayog

Refference, Useful Links & Resources

• https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/electric/ev-drivers-with-disabilities/
• https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/learning-drive-disability
• https://www.ridc.org.uk/transport/inaccessible-charging-barrier-electric-disabled-and-older-drivers
• https://www.zap-map.com/