Call for Abstracts 
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Abstracts are no longer being accepted for this event.

Call for Abstracts - Papers, Slideshows, and Posters
Abstracts can be submitted for presentations at the TRANSED-DRT 2022/ conference as a paper, poster and/or slideshow. The abstract deadline has been extended to 1 March 2022.  Abstracts may cover core research, practical experiences, or policy issues. Presentations may be on any of the themes listed below, a combination of these themes, or on related topics not listed as a specific theme. The Conference organizers will honor, to the extent possible, the format desired by the accepted proposal. However, there may be a need to change the format based on space restrictions or a proposal’s content that is better aligned with a different structure. Please do not submit product marketing.

All submitters are encouraged to explain how their presentations will address equity issues, in addition to inclusion and accessibility, and should be explicit regarding how the content can be replicated and adopted in practice. Submissions are sought from countries of all levels of income. We will accept submissions that emphasize, but not limited to, any of the following:

1.   Policies and strategies for achieving inclusion, equity, and human rights for all through accessible transportation

      These could include:

• Applications of policies for making inclusion a reality
• United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, particularly Article 9, accessibility
• Successful approaches for regional, state, national, and international accessibility policies that integrate policies at multiple levels
• Examples of using human rights to achieve the goal or successful claims against discrimination
• Examples of what has been achieved and what remains to be done to promote equity at the national and local level

2.    Inclusive transport along the trip chain: specific successes and challenges for both the system and rider

       These could include:

• Examples of complete trip or trip chain analyses and their benefits
• The accessible travel chain concept and its use in practice including scheduling, routing, paying and avoiding breaks in infrastructure
• Integrating the travel chain in long-range planning or in policies   

3.    Improvements for enhancing the accessibility of specific travel modes and/or services: vehicles, infrastructure, operations, training, urban planning, communication, public interaction organisation (e.g. purchase and reservation procedures). 

      These could include:

• Improving a service or mode, particularly where the effects of the improvements have been monitored.
• Different modes: walking, road, rail, maritime, air travel transport or cable car
• Different types of services: heavy rail, rapid transit (underground, Bus Rapid Transit), transit (bus), micro-transit (small buses and vans), taxi, on-demand, or shared rides (van, sedan, small vehicle, and three-wheelers vehicles), micro-mobility (bikes and scooters), different modes for school transport, transport in tourism, etc.
• Private vehicle (driving and passenger)
• Staff training to improve the quality of service provision
• Education and communication campaigns
• Engagement of user groups in the improvement process

4.    Innovation in accessible mobility

       These could include:

• Mobility Management
• Mobility as a service (MaaS)
• Technology to support accessible transportation, including artificial intelligence, robotics, etc.
• Innovations in the space of personal mobility for different disabling conditions
• The scope for advanced technology in accessible transport and its effect of inclusion
• Accessibility and universal design in new forms of vehicles (autonomous vehicles, personal rapid transit, micro-mobility).
• Impacts of laws, regulations, and policies, particularly what infrastructure is suitable for the new forms of vehicles

5.   Resilience in transportation systems and implications of COVID-19 for accessible and inclusive travel

      These could include:

• Resilience in terms of financial security and the ability of a system to cope with unforeseen events.
• Minimizing negative effects of natural and man-made disasters on the provision and reliability of transportation service.
• Incorporating resilience into transportation planning, including a resilient workforce and education.
• The impact of COVID-19 on the provision for persons with disabilities and older persons and mobility managers 

6.    Accessible information and communications in transportation

      These could include:

• Orientation and wayfinding systems
• Smart communications
• Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

7.   Best Practices in ADA Paratransit, Premium ADA & Other Alternative Services, and Human Service Transport Coordination

     These could include:

• Splitting subsidies among multiple sponsors for shared rides
• Demand Management Techniques to boost productivity. 
• Equity and Inclusiveness in Planning, Providing, and Riding
• Creative Ways to Achieve Service Equivalency for people who use wheelchairs and ambulatory riders
• Rider Expectations: ADA vs. Alternative/Premium Services and coordinated human service transport
• Use of dedicated and non-dedicated vehicles and providers
• Procurement, maintenance and use of accessible electric or hybrid vehicles
• Integration of new volunteer transportation technologies
• Market Segmentation to Predict (& Manage) Ridership Growth
• Inclusion of ADA-Compliant app-based ride providers including cost, training, drug & alcohol testing and insurance/indemnification
• Creating a data chain from information and referral through app-based and call-center scheduling, ride providers, and reporting
• Procurement ‘Dos and Don'ts’ including setting expectations and data requirements for Key Performance Indicators
• Innovations in non-emergency medical transportation and integration of transportation statistics into managed care databases

 8.  MaaS: Integrated and Accessible Info, Booking, Fare Payment, Subsidy-Sharing and Standardized Reporting

These could include:

• Collaborative Decision-Making/Governance Structures
• Common data format specifications & reporting requirements - What functions should be open-source vs proprietary?
• Smoothing transfers between different modes of service while Minimizing Productivity Losses
• Integrated Multi-Modal Fare Payment including a Vendor Network for Cash Fare Pre-Payment
• Pricing Policies - effect of daily fare capping on intermodal linked trips - benefits, additional subsidies, and potential revenue allocation
• Rider Interfaces including Privacy Protection and Data Reporting

Key Dates
Currently, TRANSED is being planned as a virtual conference. These plans may change and are subject to the rules and regulations of local, state, and federal agencies.