TravelAbility Insider

The Intersection of Travel and Disability

Vision

Now Hotels Can Make Any Room Accessible To People Who Are Blind Or Have Low Vision

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Now Hotels Can Make Any Room Accessible To People Who Are Blind Or Have Low Vision

screen grab of the Blind Faith Upgrade Kit Film showing an illustration of a man and a carAmong the most celebrated accessibility initiatives in 2018 was the Blind Faith Upgrade Kit launched by Isobar India, part of the global Dentsu Aegis Network. The kit includes Braille labels that can convert any phone into a Braille-enabled phone, reusable-tactile paving tiles to help customers negotiate their room in the hotel and an audio assist pen to help guests read menus and more. It was first introduced at Hotel Ramada in Ajmer, Rajasthan, and the campaign really put them on the map. The company won a prestigious CLIO award (which recognizes innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design, and communication) recently. You can see a short film about the kit and learn more in this NewzHook report. READ MORE

Product of the Month: Hoo-Box.com’s Wheelie Navigation Kit

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The Brazilian company Hoo-Box.com has developed a Wheelie Kit (shown left), which uses a 3D camera to read 14 facial expressions (even a wink or a raised eyebrow) to navigate a wheelchair. The technology is particularly helpful for people who lack the ability to move their body below the face or neck. It uses AI and machine learning—and as Hoo-Box-ers like to say, it’s fully smile-compatible. Here’s an interview with their founder, Paulo Pinheiro. SEE THE VIDEO

Top Technology Trends to Transform Mobility in 2019

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Good news for the travel community: Inclusive and accessible mobility will continue to be a focus in 2019. In addition, trip planning that uses technology will also grow considerably this year. Other trends include (everyone’s favorite) data sharing and curbside management. While there has been much discussion over the past few years about how significant an impact curb usage has on mobility, 2019 will bring actual pilot projects that show how to effectively manage the curb, explains Carol Schweiger in this recent Intelligent Transport report. READ MORE

IBM Scientist Develops AI to Transform Lives of People Who Are Visually Impaired

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With new apps comes more independence for people who are blind. credit: IBM
credit: IBM

Japanese-born Chieko Asakawa, now a technologist at IBM, was inspired to improve the lives of people who are visually impaired after she was injured in an accident as a teenager. (She was completely blind by age 14.) Today, Chieko Asakawa has already made huge contributions to accessibility research. She’s won many awards, including Japan’s Medal of Honour for her work. The IBM team’s latest idea uses AI to help people who are visually impaired to navigate complicated indoor locations via an app. Ultimately, the app will help people to use a cane less and to seamlessly navigate offices and other indoor spaces where mapping technology can’t do the job. Read more.