EASY READ SOFTWARE FOR PUBLIC TIMETABLES AND MAPS

市场潜力存在开发软件，以产生公共交通信息，满足老年人的认知需求。运输当局和设计部门购买软件，以制作系统时间表、地图和其他乘客信息。乘客和潜在乘客很难理解和使用现有的乘客信息。公交软件用户想要的信息，鼓励乘客。目前，信息阻碍了老年人使用交通工具，他们可能需要公共交通来保持独立。拟议的研究将确定在理解和使用乘客信息方面影响整个生命周期表现的心理和身体因素。第一阶段的研究将了解运输提供者、过境使用者和非使用者认为未得到满足的信息需求;在乘车者和非乘车者中进行实验室测试，以了解有效使用乘客信息的心理和身体方面;并制定时间表和地图的设计标准。第二阶段的研究将应用第一阶段的研究结果，开发原型，供老年人和年轻乘客和非乘客进行现场测试;随后开发可供成年人和老年人有效使用的乘客信息设计标准;并开发计算机软件，将设计标准付诸实践。在第三阶段，软件将向全国的交通当局销售。拟议的商业应用：开发满足老年人认知和身体需要的公共交通信息具有巨大的市场潜力。超过600个交通管理机构，包括德克萨斯州福斯沃思、俄亥俄州扬斯敦、弗吉尼亚州里士满、田纳西州孟菲斯和佐治亚州亚特兰大，都有兴趣购买用于公共时间表、路线图和其他公共交通信息的软件，以供成年人和老年人乘客有效使用。目前可用的公共信息软件无法满足公交用户的信息需求。

Market potential exists for developing software to produce public transportation information that meets cognitive needs of older adults. Transit authorities and design services purchase software to produce system timetables, maps and other passenger information. Riders and potential riders have difficulty understanding and using existing passenger information. Transit software users want information that encourages ridership. Currently, information hinders transit use by older adults, who may require public transportation to maintain independence. The proposed research will determine psychological and physical dimensions affecting performance across the life-span in understanding and using passenger information. Phase I research will develop an understanding of unmet information needs perceived by transportation providers, transit users and nonusers; conduct laboratory testing among riders and nonriders to understand the psychological and physical dimensions of effective passenger information use; and develop design criteria for timetables and maps. Phase II research will apply Phase I findings to develop prototypes for field-testing by older and younger riders and nonriders; subsequent development of design criteria for passenger information that can be effectively used by adults and older adults; and development of computer software that puts the design criteria into practice for transit authorities. In Phase III, software will be marketed to transit authorities nationwide. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: Strong market potential exists for the development of public transportation information that meets the cognitive and physical needs of older adults. Over 600 transit authorities, including Forth Worth, TX, Youngstown, OH, Richmond, VA, Memphis, TN, and Atlanta, GA are interested in purchasing software for public timetables, route maps and other public transportation information for effective use by adult and older adult riders. Currently available public information software does not meet the information needs of transit users.