As the world’s leading provider of autonomous robots, one of our main missions is to make life easier and more convenient for people.
We strongly believe in the power of technology and innovation to improve people’s lives and communities – but we also know that often, the accessibility and needs of people with disabilities can be overlooked when technology is developed.
We are at the forefront of a new industry, so we accept that we may not be successful on your first try. But at Starship, availability – and two real ways to meet demand – is rooted in what we do, and we’re committed to building on top of everything we’ve learned along the way.
For a number of years we have spent time and resources developing our technology in the hope that it will be accessible, for example making autonomous recognition of walking devices and wheelchairs into robotic systems.
We understand why it’s important for our robots to be audible when they’re on the move and that our shopping center is at a height that most cyclists can reach (and that the items are bagged for easy handling). We worked with a leading loss management team to ensure that our guide dogs and robots can happily share the trail. And we’ve incorporated input from disabled customers, residents and service providers into our technology and design so that with every visit and every conversation we get better at what we do.
But there is much more to do.
That’s why today, on Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we’re proudly launching the Starship Accessibility Advisory Group.
We are delighted to welcome representatives from the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB), University of Leeds and Leonard Cheshire health and wellness provider to our team to help us bring relevant and professional knowledge to discussions across the organisation.
This is the beginning not the end, and we want to make sure we have knowledge, representation and ideas from different backgrounds and from people with disabilities and different abilities. Based on the current team members, we would be interested in hearing from people we work with who use mobility devices or wheelchairs and/or are nervous. Please contact them publicaffairs@starship.co
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