Deaf Driving Digital Experiences
Deaf Driving Digital Experiences
A trip with a childhood friend who is deaf revealed how many driving moments still rely on sound, sparking a broader accessibility journey. That experience helped lead to co-founding the Ford Accessibility Team to drive improvements across more areas of the vehicle.
A trip with a childhood friend who is deaf revealed how many driving moments still rely on sound, sparking a broader accessibility journey. That experience helped lead to co-founding the Ford Accessibility Team to drive improvements across more areas of the vehicle.
Client
Ford Motor Company
CAtegory
Digital Experiences
ARTIST
Clay Carpenter
Designing Accessibility Across the Mobility Ecosystem
On a trip to Las Vegas, I spent time with a childhood friend who is deaf and noticed how many everyday driving moments assume you can hear, from spoken GPS prompts and in-car conversations to detecting emergency vehicles and ordering at a drive-thru. That experience pushed me into research and systems thinking, breaking the journey into distinct communication challenges and prioritizing what we could improve first. I started with audio and chime strategy, then brought the right teams together to expand the work into a broader accessibility initiative, defining an aspiration, a theory of advantage, and a strategic choice cascade to better serve diversely abled customers through more accessible in-vehicle, retail, and commercial experiences.
On a trip to Las Vegas, I spent time with a childhood friend who is deaf and noticed how many everyday driving moments assume you can hear, from spoken GPS prompts and in-car conversations to detecting emergency vehicles and ordering at a drive-thru. That experience pushed me into research and systems thinking, breaking the journey into distinct communication challenges and prioritizing what we could improve first. I started with audio and chime strategy, then brought the right teams together to expand the work into a broader accessibility initiative, defining an aspiration, a theory of advantage, and a strategic choice cascade to better serve diversely abled customers through more accessible in-vehicle, retail, and commercial experiences.
On a trip to Las Vegas, I spent time with a childhood friend who is deaf and noticed how many everyday driving moments assume you can hear, from spoken GPS prompts and in-car conversations to detecting emergency vehicles and ordering at a drive-thru. That experience pushed me into research and systems thinking, breaking the journey into distinct communication challenges and prioritizing what we could improve first. I started with audio and chime strategy, then brought the right teams together to expand the work into a broader accessibility initiative, defining an aspiration, a theory of advantage, and a strategic choice cascade to better serve diversely abled customers through more accessible in-vehicle, retail, and commercial experiences.
REIMAGINING EXISTING TECH
By reimagining how existing vehicle features could support my needs, I uncovered powerful accessibility opportunities already built into the platform. I explored using steering wheel and seat haptics as navigation cues, giving drivers clear directional feedback without relying on audio. I also leveraged the vehicle’s 11 cameras to support drivers and passengers who use American Sign Language, improving communication inside the cabin and during interactions like traffic stops and drive-thrus. With built-in microphones, we began testing whether the system could detect siren frequencies and surface emergency-vehicle awareness through visual and haptic alerts.
By reimagining how existing vehicle features could support my needs, I uncovered powerful accessibility opportunities already built into the platform. I explored using steering wheel and seat haptics as navigation cues, giving drivers clear directional feedback without relying on audio. I also leveraged the vehicle’s 11 cameras to support drivers and passengers who use American Sign Language, improving communication inside the cabin and during interactions like traffic stops and drive-thrus. With built-in microphones, we began testing whether the system could detect siren frequencies and surface emergency-vehicle awareness through visual and haptic alerts.
By reimagining how existing vehicle features could support my needs, I uncovered powerful accessibility opportunities already built into the platform. I explored using steering wheel and seat haptics as navigation cues, giving drivers clear directional feedback without relying on audio. I also leveraged the vehicle’s 11 cameras to support drivers and passengers who use American Sign Language, improving communication inside the cabin and during interactions like traffic stops and drive-thrus. With built-in microphones, we began testing whether the system could detect siren frequencies and surface emergency-vehicle awareness through visual and haptic alerts.
Deaf Driving: In-Vehicle and Outside Communication
The Roll Out Of The Idea
This was the first commercial shaped by the Accessibility Team, and it marked a turning point for bringing Deaf driving concepts to a broader audience. As we began sharing the work publicly, the goal was to introduce these ideas in a clear, relatable way and show how accessible in-vehicle communication can improve everyday moments for more drivers.
This was the first commercial shaped by the Accessibility Team, and it marked a turning point for bringing Deaf driving concepts to a broader audience. As we began sharing the work publicly, the goal was to introduce these ideas in a clear, relatable way and show how accessible in-vehicle communication can improve everyday moments for more drivers.
This was the first commercial shaped by the Accessibility Team, and it marked a turning point for bringing Deaf driving concepts to a broader audience. As we began sharing the work publicly, the goal was to introduce these ideas in a clear, relatable way and show how accessible in-vehicle communication can improve everyday moments for more drivers.
UX Design
Lincoln Panoramic Steering Wheel UX Design
UX Design
Lincoln Panoramic Steering Wheel UX Design
UX Design
Lincoln Panoramic Steering Wheel UX Design
Dealer Meeting Design
Kawasaki Unleashed Dealer Meeting
Dealer Meeting Design
Kawasaki Unleashed Dealer Meeting
Dealer Meeting Design