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Emerging trends in technology are providing opportunities for a broader range of accessible and assistive technologies (AATs) to positively impact persons with disabilities in terms of independent living and employment within and across built environments. However, such technologies typically require significant investments by entities that offer such options. It is not clear how such firms compete in a market with other firms that may not provide such options. Understanding such competition can help to promote greater investments in accessibility infrastructure within built environments by entities and provide insights into how federal efforts can further boost such efforts. To this end, this paper presents a game-theoretic framework of market competition between two firms where one invests in accessibility (bearing additional upfront costs) and compares it with another one that does not. Numerical evaluations demonstrate the range of parametric values where accessibility investments pay off. Furthermore, case studies are presented to demonstrate the practical feasibility of these parameter values. The results indicate that any firm considering making accessibility investments can expect to make profits and also gain an advantage over its competitors if the expected increase in the average user experience is significant (quantified as 20% or more for the parameters considered in this work) across all potential users. 

The aim of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the types of AI-enabled Orientation and Mobility Technologies (AIOMTs) that have been developed for use by blind and visually impaired individuals and explore the multifaceted role of trust in its adoption and use. By synthesizing existing research, the review identifies the functional roles played by AIOMTs and key factors influencing trust, including system design, user interaction, and contextual considerations. Furthermore, this work examines how technology design, functional role, and trust impact the adoption, efficacy, and long-term engagement with AIOMTs. The findings provide a comprehensive framework for future research and development, emphasizing user-centered approaches and trust calibration mechanisms. 

Deploying auxiliary location-based services to complement GPS-based services has been a recent phenomenon to enable greater independence in navigation and wayfinding for persons with disabilities in unfamiliar environments. All work in this domain has been technical in nature with little known about the perceptions of city planners and non-profit agencies about the long-term sustainability and impact of such technologies on their communities. This work presents results and insights from a study on the perceptions of both city planners and non-profit agency personnel from a medium-sized city in the U.S.A about the importance of auxiliary location-based services and their potential impact.