App Helps Disabled People Use SEPTA, Seeks Increased Accessibility

PHILADELPHIA — Navigating Philadelphia can be quite difficult.

And for residents and visitors with disabilities, that difficulty can be intense.

That's where the app UnLockedMaps comes in.

UnLockedMaps shows users real time information on how accessible SEPTA rail stations are for those with disabilities.

"UnlockedMaps is a project aimed to map the urban rail transit stations with the primary focus on accessibility," its website reads. "Real-time elevator statuses are displayed, to help assist people who rely on the elevators, such as people who use wheelchairs or have strollers or bikes, plan their commute without inconvenient surprises."

The idea came from software developer Ather Sharif.

Sharif told Patch he was paralyzed in 2013 after a crash.

He later learned to use a wheelchair at Philadelphia's Magee Rehabilitation Hospital, and during that time came to the realization navigating public transit for people who use wheelchairs and who have other disabilities proved to be quite troublesome.

Sharif, who now lives in Seattle, says Philadelphia is his home.

"Philly is personal to me, I call it my home," he said.

UnLockedMaps features data on six metro-area public transit services, Philadelphia among them.

The project stemmed from a similar project in 2014 that eventually languished and never came to full fruition.

Sharif then took up the mantle to reboot the project, but with a new scope and mission.

The interactive map includes data on which stations are wheelchair accessible, provide bike racks, and have parking.

And as part of the real-time aspect, the map shows which stations have inoperable elevators and those that are purely inaccessible for people with disabilities.

Users can also see elevator outage history of stations by clicking on them.

Additionally, when selecting a station, users can see nearby resources such as where to get a bite to eat, all of which are wheelchair accessible, as well as public restrooms in the area.

Check out Philadelphia's map on UnLockedMaps here.

The groundbreaking app landed Sharif and a team from University of Washington an international award at the ASSETS 2022 Conference on Computers and Accessibility.

ASSESTS is a conference on accessible technologies that relates to people with disabilities and technologies.

"It's the largest venue for accessibility research in the world," he said.

Other cities featured on UnLockedMaps are New York, Chicago, Seattle, Toronto, and the Bay Area in California.

Sharif said the UnLockedMaps team is working to onboard data for Tokyo's public transit system next.

After that, the team is planning to add Seoul, South Korea and Washington DC.

Sharif said the team is excited in examining how accessible public transit systems outside North America address accessibility issues.

"I think well find them more accessible," he said when discussing disparities in North American systems and other nation's systems.

The differences in accessibility across public transit systems depends on various factors, he said.

For example, Seattle's system is newer and small than New York's or Chicago's.

That means as the system has been developed, accessibility has been a goal of developers.

"On face value, when we look at the Seattle map, we see all greens," he said, referring to UnLockedMaps icons showing accessible rail stations. "In New York, we see reds."

He said comparing maps might show that some cities are easier to live in and traverse for people with disabilities.

And on a more micro level, he said the maps can even show disparities in neighborhoods, which he said is clear to see when looking at lower socioeconomic areas compared to places like business and commercial districts.

"There are fewer station in lower income neighborhoods, and how many of those stations are accessible," Sharif said.

One major aspect of UnLockedMaps that may be overlooked is its potential to inspire change in the public transit systems is highlights.

Sharif said he's hopeful that the data he and the team collect and display will be viewed by policymakers, activists, and more to lobby for increased accessibility.

The maps give them a platform to drive change, he said.

"I'm hopeful there will be a movement that will hold these transit authorities responsible [for a lack of accessibility]," he said.

Sharif admits it may take some time for stakeholders to digest the data UnLockedMaps provides, but is optimistic that UnLockedMaps will help create a more equitable world.

He and the team are collaborating with urban planner and infrastructure planners in some areas to address inequities on transit systems.

Another way he hopes the service — which is free to use and all volunteer run — improves people's lives is by taking a personal design approach.

Personal design, he said, is when a service or technology changes based on its users, reflecting the true experiences of its actual users

That's opposed to universal design, which casts a wide net to include "most" people, he said.

The issue with targeting "most" people, he said, is marginalized communities, such as people with disabilities, are not factored into the universal design.

UnLockedMaps takes anonymous user feedback and data and adapts to those trends, rather than forcing unwanted and complicated changes on its users, like many technology companies do.

Learn more about UnLockedMaps online here.