Automated vehicles present unique opportunities and challenges, with progress and adoption limited, in part, by policy and regulatory barriers. Underrepresented groups, including individuals with mobility impairments, sensory disabilities, and cognitive conditions, who may benefit most from automation, are often overlooked in crucial discussions on system design, implementation, and usability. Despite the high potential benefits of automated vehicles, the needs of Persons with Disabilities are frequently an afterthought, considered only in terms of secondary accommodations rather than foundational design elements. We aim to shift automated vehicle research and discourse away from this reactive model and toward a proactive and inclusive approach. We first present an overview of the current state of automated vehicle systems. Regarding their adoption, we examine social and technical barriers and advantages for Persons with Disabilities. We analyze existing regulations and policies concerning automated vehicles and Persons with Disabilities, identifying gaps that hinder accessibility. To address these deficiencies, we introduce a scoring rubric intended for use by manufacturers and vehicle designers. The rubric fosters direct collaboration throughout the design process, moving beyond an `afterthought` approach and towards intentional, inclusive innovation. This work was created by authors with varying degrees of personal experience within the realm of disability.

翻译：自动驾驶车辆带来了独特的机遇与挑战，其进展与采用在一定程度上受到政策与监管壁垒的限制。行动障碍、感官残疾及认知障碍等代表性不足的群体——他们可能从自动化中获益最多——在系统设计、实施与可用性等关键讨论中却常被忽视。尽管自动驾驶车辆具有巨大的潜在效益，残障人士的需求却常被视为事后补充，仅作为次要的适应性调整而非基础设计要素加以考虑。我们旨在将自动驾驶车辆的研究与论述从这种被动反应模式转向积极主动且包容的方法。我们首先概述了自动驾驶车辆系统的现状。关于其采用，我们考察了残障人士面临的社会与技术障碍及优势。我们分析了现有关于自动驾驶车辆与残障人士的法规与政策，识别了阻碍无障碍性的缺口。为弥补这些不足，我们引入了一套旨在供制造商与车辆设计师使用的评分标准。该标准旨在促进整个设计过程中的直接协作，超越“事后补救”模式，迈向有意识、包容性的创新。本项工作由在残障领域拥有不同程度亲身经验的作者共同完成。