Project goal: A GIS-based digital information platform for people with visual impairment and blindness
Let us take a closer look at the project title ‘ways2see’: it means ‘opportunities to see’ for people with visual impairment or blindness. However, what does this concretely mean? What are the abilities of this tool?
The goal of the project is the development of an Internet platform which is supporting people with visual impairment or blindness and their assistants and accompanying persons in the pre-planning phase of new routes. The platform will present useful information on questions such as: Where is the next pharmacy? Is there a bakery within a walking distance of five minutes? Which route is mostly barrier-free? What kind of orientation hints are along the route? Where are possible obstacles or barriers?
Therefore, the goal is a location/direction plan considering potential obstacles and barriers as well as useful orientation hints. The information will be available on an Internet page with barrier-free accessibility. Those who are you using maps for orientation will find a generalized and high-contrast map.
Ways2see is a preparation tool and not a real-time navigation tool. Nevertheless, there is the possibility to export routes for the mobile use, so nobody needs to remember long descriptions of directions.
