OptiPEx is proud to announce that the Johannes Kepler Universität Linz team from the Department Intelligent Transport Systems will be presenting a paper at the AHFE 2025 Conference, taking place in Orlando, USA. The details of the paper are as follows:
Title: “Understanding Visually Impaired Tramway Passengers’ Interaction with Public Transport Systems”
Authors: Dominik Mimra, Dominik Kaar, Enrico Del Re, Novel Certad, Joshua Cherian Varughese, David Seibt and Cristina Olaverri-Monreal
Abstract: Designing inclusive public transport services is crucial to developing modern, barrier-free smart city infrastructure. This research contributes to the design of inclusive public transport by considering accessibility challenges emerging from socio-technical systems, thus demanding the integration of technological and social solutions. Using Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as a theoretical framework and a mixed-method approach, including shadowing and a focus group, this study examines the socio-technical networks that shape accessibility experiences for visually impaired passengers utilizing the tram in Linz, Austria. Key dimensions that influence public transport accessibility are identified: network configuration, mobility patterns, technology integration, and warning systems. The results show that accessibility emerges from complex interactions between human actors (passengers, staff) and non-human actors (assistive devices, infrastructure) rather than being an inherent property of transport systems. Digital technologies serve multiple functions, from navigational assistance to broader social inclusion, although users’ comfort with technology varies. Participants emphasized the importance of the “two-sense principle” for warning signals, with directional audio and tactile feedback particularly valuable.
