Disabled drivers

[Kevin Sevcik]

In the course of helping out in another robotics competition (BEST) I started thinking about the challenges the game design presented to disabled drivers in wheelchairs and shorter drivers in general. I couldn't recall the current approach to this issue in FRC and delved into last year's rules and Q&A. As many of you probably know and are preparing to reply, FRC only allows "special clothing and/or equipment required due to a disability." Presumably this would include ramps and platforms to allow those in wheelchairs access to the control shelf. However, as nearly as I can tell, this would be the only accommodation allowed and doesn't begin to address the visibility issues these drivers would face. Specifically, this would put their eye level at about 4 feet, well below the 5-5.5 feet of the average driver and would likely still put them at a disadvantage. Similarly, FRC has a diverse population of students ranging from middle school to high school. Thus, I feel safe in saying the students participating in FRC range in height from around 4'6" to 6'4" with the mean around 5'6"

So, an average student might have about a 1' advantage over shorter student. And an even greater advantage over a student in a wheelchair. That'd almost certainly mean the difference between looking down at the tops of robots versus looking up through a forest of robots, certainly a significant advantage. I'll note that I've seen posts on CD from teams with drivers that couldn't see over the driver station at all. Obviously short people on a team aren't likely to be chosen as drivers, which doesn't seem fair or sensible to me. Short drivers or disabled drivers should be allowed platforms, stools, etc to put them at a reasonable eye level compared to other drivers.

Okay, okay, I know. Life isn't fair. The competition isn't fair. Dean said so. I'll say it right now, I don't buy it. I can't see any sense in this position for several reasons.

Completely separate from the typical connotation of "disabled", if someone isn't able to do something thanks to poor design based around a "normal" person, they're disabled at that task. So declaring that shorter people aren't disabled because they aren't in a wheelchair is completely arbitrary. They are being disabled in this situation by the design of the field and having their ability to drive a robot reduced or completely removed simply because of their stature.

Disabled or shorter people are just as likely to be excellent drivers as anyone else, at least when it comes to controlling the robot. But a 4'6" driver is still at a great disadvantage compared to a taller driver.

The GDC has already declared that the competition is only between robots and not between robots and drivers or drivers and drivers. So how does it make sense to put some drivers at such a disadvantage?

Finally, FRC purports to be a super bowl of smarts. Engineering, science and technology are field where physical ability is almost completely irrelevant to a person's ability to do the job. So it seems odd to me that FRC would make it difficult for students to fully participate in the program simply because of their height. Especially when this particular problem is pretty easy to solve. All you have to do is make it legal for any driver to stand on a platform that will bring their eye level to 5'0" plus or minus two inches. If anyone is planning on using one, they could have it checked very quickly and easily during inspection. I mean, if theme parks can check 40+ people in 2-3 minutes, I think we could manage.

I don't know, perhaps I have a solution here in search of a problem, but I'm in an advocating mood at the moment. Have any teams had issues with disabled students trying to be drivers? Has anyone had difficulties driving or been turned down as a driver because they were short?