Mobiquity: A Personalized Accessibility Proposal for an Inclusive Mobility Application

The 'Mobiquity' project is a national-funded research and development initiative (P.R. FESR LIGURIA 2021-2027) involving various local regional public and private stakeholders. The project's objective is to reduce the accessibility gap in public transport for people with disabilities, ensuring a safe and comfortable travel experience and seeking to bridge disparities in access to essential activities and services, thereby promoting social inclusion. The project was conducted by teams comprising members from a range of academic disciplines. The present paper, however, focuses on the work of the authors, who were specifically tasked with developing the user journey for a mobile application. The research team is comprised of experts in the fields of design, architecture, and digital humanities. The application is designed to assist citizens in navigating public transport by increasing their awareness of events that may occur during their journey, such as emergencies, delays, vehicle congestion, and route changes, allowing them to make informed decisions and plan their travel accordingly. The application was designed following the principles of human-centered design and the discipline of human-computer interaction. It represents a new approach to personalised accessibility, where not only the content but also the user interface is adapted to the specific needs of the individual. By employing a combination of direct and indirect profiling, the application can modify sensory settings, including font colour and size, sound volume, and the intensity of tactile outputs, in accordance with the user's preferences.