by Sandra Lima – European Passengers Federation (EPF)
Putting together an Inclusive Digital Mobility Toolbox is not such an easy process. The INDIMO Toolbox purpose is to help developers, policy makers and service operators to design and implement accessible and inclusive mobility solutions. To achieve this goal a systematic approach is required. This is why all INDIMO partners will collaborate with stakeholders to create a set of adaptable tools that will fit user requirements, will be adjustable to different local contexts and will be comprehensible for a multiplicity of actors.
To achieve this ambitious goal five important steps are planned:
- identification of needs and barriers
- co-design of the Toolbox to address those needs
- test the impact and usability of each tool
- redesign and adapt to meet expectations
- ensure the transferability of the INDIMO Toolbox
INDIMO project at a glance
Stage 1: Identification of users’ needs, requirements, capabilities, barriers and constrains towards digital transport system.
Our first step is to identify what are users’ requirements and obstacles in using digital mobility solutions. The INDIMO team started this process with a desk research, followed by the collection of data from ten user and ten deployment case studies, including the five INDIMO pilots. With this step, we aim at understanding the requirements of the INDIMO Toolbox, basing our work on real user needs.
Stage 2: Co-design of the INDIMO Inclusive Digital Mobility Toolbox to address the identified needs in order to bridge the digital mobility gap
With the information gathered in the first phase we will be able to start building the INDIMO Inclusive Digital Mobility Toolbox. However, the INDIMO team did not want this to be a one-directional process, where we would just release a tool based on the initial research. We wanted to involve our end-users from beginning until the end. Therefore during the second stage we will co-design the toolbox involving stakeholders in the Co-creation Community. This will be achieved, for example, organising co-creation workshops where stakeholders can express their concerns at different stages of the development.
Stage 3: Co-implementation of the tools included in the INDIMO toolbox to test their impact and usability
In the third phase we will progress to test the INDIMO Toolbox in real life. How to implement the tools created in each pilot site? How can pilot locations design or re-design the mobility services they offer? What are the practical barriers and how to address them? These are just a few examples of issues we will address in this phase. The tools – especially the Universal Design manual and the Universal interface language icons – will be used to re-design the mobility services each pilot focuses on. We will also take useful suggestions for improvement to the INDIMO Toolbox and make adjustments accordingly.
Stage 4: Co-evaluation, feedback, redesign
In the fourth stage, we will be able to evaluate the feedback from the pilot sites and use it to improve the INDIMO Toolbox and redesign existing services or set-up new services in pilot sites. This evaluation concerns two main aspects:
- process evaluation of the INDIMO toolbox, exploring how engineers, operators and policy makers integrate the tools in their usual way of working.
- inclusion and accessibility assessment of the mobility services explored in the pilots.
Stage 5: Transfer and deployment of the INDIMO toolbox
Finally, we will deploy the INDIMO Toolbox as an online toolbox. The on-line format will allow us to reach a wider audience and we will ensure extensive communication activities allow results to reach the target groups. As not all contexts are the same, the INDIMO team will also carry out a transferability assessment. With this, we plan to understand if the INDIMO Toolbox can achieve the same results in different locations or settings. The goal is to provide practical recommendations on how to apply and adapt the tools to different local contexts.
