The value and acceptance of citizen science to promote transit accessibility

Abstract

We propose that citizen science methods can engage riders with disabilities and others in improving public transportation accessibility by documenting and assessing problems and good solutions throughout the system. This will empower riders, resulting in a greater understanding of the transportation system, and improve the feedback loop between rider and provider. This paper includes findings on how riders prefer to report such observations through an experiment designed to compare the modalities of the Notes (text, audio) and Media (none, photo, video). The results from two user groups, those without disabilities and those who use wheeled mobility devices, suggest that text with photo should be supported and that use of video may not have additional value to end users. The generally positive responses suggest that end users are open to participating in such communities and that feedback is important.