Communications of the ACM
Navigational Apps for the Blind Could Have Broader Appeal
Thanks to improvements in mapping technology and smartphone cameras, a number of apps have emerged with features like indoor navigation, detailed descriptions of the surrounding environment, and more warnings about obstacles.
Credit: Matt Williams
New apps designed specifically for blind and low-vision people could also have mainstream appeal.
Leveraging improvements in mapping technology and smartphone cameras, these apps can provide indoor navigation, detailed descriptions of the surrounding environment, and more warnings about obstacles.
For example, MapInHood, released only in Toronto so far, offers information about sidewalk traffic, construction hazards, accessible curb cuts, and locations of benches, among other things. It also can help users avoid stairs or steep slopes, which would benefit disabled individuals as well as those carrying suitcases or pushing strollers.
Meanwhile, GoodMaps is creating indoor navigational tools for airports, train stations, office buildings, malls, and hospitals. Said GoodMaps' José Gaztambide, "You as a sighted person are going to be able to enter more and more buildings and find your way around more quickly than ever before because of the work we're doing of enabling accessible navigation."
From The New York Times
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