Sault Ste. Marie transit buses now have an accessible navigation and wayfinding system that will help the visually impaired. Courtesy City of Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie transit buses now have an accessible navigation and wayfinding system that will help the visually impaired.
According to a news report from The Sault Star, BlindSquare is a software that uses GPS technology to estimate the proximity of bus stops, when passengers will arrive at each stop, and can identify bus stops.
The BlindSquare Event app is free for users to download, and users have access across Canada. The app has been developed for the blind, deafblind, and partially sighted. Its self-voicing app delivers points of interest and intersections for safe, reliable travel both outside and inside.
The new system, by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Frontier Accessibility, provides an additional accessibility component for transit users. CNIB Frontier Accessibility is a CNIB Foundation social enterprise supporting businesses and organizations to ensure all Canadians with disabilities can benefit from barrier-free communities and workplaces.
The technology not only transforms travel for riders that identify with having a disability, but also responds to other conditions affecting pedestrian movement, such as planned interruptions to service and bus stop relocations.
