By Daniel Herrera, POLIS Network
On the 21st of October, our project coordinator Imre Keseru from the mobility, logistics and automotive technology research centre (MOBI) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) presented INDIMO at the CIVITAS FORUM Conference 2021, during the session “Inclusive mobility” with the presentation: “Inclusive and accessible digital mobility for your city: What do policy makers need ?”.
Imre’s presentation first gave an overview of the INDIMO project, focusing on the background, concept and methodology, the pilot cities, and the inclusive digital mobility tools proposed by the project. Subsequently, the presentation made emphasis on the universal design manual (UDM) and the policy evaluation tool, and explained why these tools are fundamental for different user groups (policy makers, NGOs, operators/developers):
- Policy makers to design strategies necessary for all citizens to fully benefit from the digital transport system (e.g. social & educational strategies, new regulations, etc.).
- NGOs to evaluate digital transport solutions and services based on the principles outlined in the Universal Design Manual (UDM).
- Operators/developers as a self-assessment tool to comply with expectations of policy makers, and to support corporate social responsibility.
Finally, the presentation highlighted the benefits and potential outputs of employing a tool such as the policy evaluation tool, with the possibility of obtaining feedback through quantitative and qualitative datasets, but also through recommendations for a more inclusive mobility service or policy and guidelines on how to approach a particular (or potential) user groups.
