@ai6yr

As someone whom had to support and push their own wheelchair bound mom around (my early/pre-puberty, so pre 2000) I think I am somewhat familiar with how things work and don't.

This? This is shit. What is needed is accessibility applied to places so fancy, expensive, and often fragile, proprietary tech isn't needed.

It is creating yet another dependence on external factors.

@ai6yr

Are there cases where this tech might help? Maybe. But let us focus on making places accessible firstly.

Ask the community what they want and need rather then what some souped up washed out coked up techbro has sharted out.

Money and attention that could really help people is now being funneled into some hustle project that will benefit few to none other then th

@ai6yr

But nooooo let's not attempt to fix society in a meaningful way when we can extract more money and inflict indignity upon others.

... Yes, this pissed me off.

I have had to help my mom in situations that were beyond appalling. Having to run inside to the front desk to get the keys for the wheelchair elevator while she had to wait in the soaking rain. Doors that can't be operated from a wheelchair, curbs, thresholds, single accessibility toilet at the other end of the building...

@ai6yr

But yes, let's create a fancy new gizmo that drives on it's own and creates a dependence on the manufacturer and whether or not they support it in the future. Because if it breaks, what then?

If they want to do something; make electric wheel chairs affordable, safer, repairable, and maintainable. But there is not enough money to be made there, so... Guess which option they'll pick.

OK, I will stop but ooh I am seething right now.

@phil_stevens @ai6yr

Agree with all, par the logging of defects using a website.

Talk to them. You know, like they are people. Because they are. Not users, people.

Shakedown tests and users terminology makes it sound like an app. It isn't. This is about life, and living. Being part of society, and being able to do so without having to rely on the benevolence of others.

Because this isn't about technology.

It is about dignity.

@Aprazeth @ai6yr It would only be viable if it was an actual job, with decent pay, for someone who wanted to do it.

Our council has something like this where people can upload a geolocated photo of a problem and have it forwarded to the relevant department. It gets a lot of tripping hazards and overgrown vegetation blocking footpath access. The obvious enhancement to this would be paying someone to traverse a given area and note all the issues, because even if it was designed properly you still have to do maintenance and deal with extrinsic events.