July 2026 Written Testimony on DC Autonomous Vehicle Law

July 27, 2026

Honorable Charles Allen
Chairperson, Committee on Transportation and the Environment
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20004

Re: Public Hearing, B26-0684, Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of 2026

Dear Councilmember Allen:

Thank you for the opportunity to provide our perspective on the Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Authorization Amendment Act of 2026. The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national nonprofit that creates equal opportunities and expands possibilities for people who are blind, have low vision, and are deafblind through advocacy, thought leadership, and strategic partnerships. According to the 2024 American Community Survey, an estimated 87,000 District residents have a disability, and 17,000 have some form of vision disability. DC can be an attractive place to live because its transportation systems are generally more accessible than in other US cities. As the Council considers allowing a new form of transportation to operate in the District, we urge the Council to adopt accessibility requirements that ensure all people with disabilities have access to the independence and mobility that AVs promise.

Companies that manufacture and operate Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) promise that people with disabilities will experience a hitherto unprecedented level of autonomy and independence. Such claims are driving intense excitement for AVs, especially among people who are blind or have low vision. In a recent study, 74% of people who are blind or have low vision thought the development of AVs is important, compared to only 41% of sighted people.¹ People who are blind typically cannot drive and may not be able to use active forms of transportation in the absence of sidewalk infrastructure or as cyclists. Recently, for the smaller portion of blind adults who use guide dogs, the denial of service to guide dog users by rideshare drivers has made that mode increasingly difficult to use – to the point that some guide dog users think they will forego a guide dog once their current dog retires.² Given these barriers and a desire to travel independently of family and friends, AVs could provide a unique, transformative opportunity for transportation.

Despite the excitement, there are numerous issues that must be addressed for people who are blind to benefit fully from autonomous vehicles. First and foremost, the vehicle and the user interface must be accessible. People who are blind rely on accessible apps to call, interact with, and manage a vehicle, trip order, and operator. Most AVs have screens, buttons, handles, and emergency features (such as physical door releases and remote operator call buttons) that must be accessible to people with disabilities. People who are deafblind must have access to redundant communications features as they may not be able to access ambient audio or text-based communications; many will instead rely on the accessibility features available through their phones if they need to contact an operator or interact with a first responder. People who use wheelchairs need a ramp and securement mechanism that is accessible. And people with mobility disabilities of any kind may benefit from accessible grab bars. These are a sampling of the primary accessibility requirements that AVs should have.

In our 2026 study on experiences with AI, only 49% of blind people who had used an AV found the vehicle to be fully accessible. The most common accessibility challenges included difficulty finding the vehicle, lack of auditory cues, and struggles with safe pick-up/drop-off, including safe places to exit.³ For example, one user described the difficulty in navigating to use an AV: “I’ve been dropped off nowhere near my actual destination more times than I can count… No amount of feedback… seemed to change anything.” Being dropped off even a block from the intended destination can be disconcerting for someone who is blind if the app lacks adequate navigation to the destination. For people with difficulty walking, it can be prohibitive to use an AV if the drop-off location could be farther from the destination than the user can walk. It is worth noting that in our study, few people with mobility disabilities reported having used AVs, and this is likely due to the fact that most AVs are not accessible for users with mobility disabilities, especially those reliant on mobility devices such as scooters and wheelchairs.

We strongly recommend that the DC Council require AVs to be accessible to people with disabilities while encouraging the deployment of AV services. AVs should be accessible to people with a variety of disabilities, including blind people and people who use wheelchairs. At a minimum, the user interface inside the vehicle should be accessible, the app should meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines⁴, the service must have accessible emergency communications and exit routes, and the operator of the service should provide an increasing number of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles, ultimately leading to the deployment of wheelchair accessible AVs.

Our research shows that people who are blind are excited for the future of AVs and look forward to having more vehicles on the road. However, now is the time to require accessible AV services for people who are blind, not after thousands of vehicles are already on the road. If you have any questions about this issue, please contact Sarah Malaier, smalaier@afb.org.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Enyart
Chief Public Policy and Research Officer

Footnotes

¹ Silverman, A. M., Whistler, A. L., Shock, A., & Heydarian, C. H., Baguhn, S. J., Hanuschock, W. E., Hashimoto, A., Khan, O., & Vader, M.-L. (2026). Autonomous Vehicle Barriers. The AI Quagmire: Benefits, Risks, and User Aspirations Through a Disability Lens. American Foundation for the Blind. https://www.afb.org/research-and-initiatives/ai-series/ai-quagmire/harms-ai-various-contexts

See also, Heydarian, C.H., Whistler, A.L., and Silverman, A.S. (2026) Navigating Toward AI: Transportation Access in a Changing Technology Landscape. American Foundation for the Blind. https://www.afb.org/research-and-initiatives/ai-series/navigating-toward-ai

² Silverman, A.M., Rhoads, C.R., Bolander, E., & Bleach, K. (2022). Trends that Impact Travel. The Role of Guide Dogs in 2022 and Beyond: Findings from a GDB-AFB Research Partnership. American Foundation for the Blind. https://www.afb.org/role-guide-dogs-joint-afb-gdb-report/trends-impact-travel

³ Silverman et al. (2026).

⁴ W3C (12 December 2024). Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2. https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22