AI-Powered Accessibility Mapper

Project on Spectrum and Special Needs Support Mapping

On behalf of the Department of Computer Science at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, a research aimed at addressing a critical challenge in community accessibility for individuals with special needs and those on the autism spectrum.

Project Title:

AI-Powered Accessibility Mapper: Evaluating Community Support for Spectrum and Special Needs Populations

Project Description:

Schools, libraries, parks, and other public services are essential parts of our communities, yet there is often a lack of clear information on whether these spaces are inclusive and supportive of individuals with sensory sensitivities or other spectrum-related needs. This research project seeks to build a solution to this problem by developing an intelligent platform where users can input a location and receive a list of nearby services—along with an assessment of whether those services provide appropriate spectrum support.

The website is responsible for:

• Defining Spectrum Support Criteria: Researching and establishing what constitutes effective spectrum accommodations in public service settings.
• Web Data Aggregation and Scripting: Using web scraping techniques, APIs, and data pipelines to gather location-specific service data.
• Generative AI Analysis: Applying large language models to analyze public reviews, web content, and unstructured data to infer levels of spectrum-friendliness.
• Web Development: Building a user-friendly, web-based interface that allows users to access this data and contribute community-driven updates.

Research Goals:

• To increase visibility into how local services support individuals with special needs.
• To demonstrate how AI and automation can enhance public access to inclusivity information.
• To build a socially impactful tool while developing technical and research competencies.