[il-talk] FW: Illinois' capital city is accessible to the sighted and visually impaired thanks to wayfinding app

Thu Apr 11 03:05:55 UTC 2019

I think you hit it right on Denise and i think what you said is true too
about some sighted people using this type of Technolgy and sometimes they
take them in the wrong direction.

On Wed, Apr 10, 2019 at 7:05 PM Denise Avant via IL-Talk <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Hello,
> Yes, the advertisement is overhyped. As a blind person, what we have to
> remember and to tell others is that technology such as this or AIRA is a
> convenience. It is really the blind user that has to know what he/she is
> doing. And if some reason your technology or app is not working, then you
> have to be prepared to do things the old fashion way. During an interview,
> you request only the accommodation you need to do your job, and at all
> times
> you make it known that it is you who is doing the job. If I were a travel
> instructor, I would not permit my student to use any GPS apps until they
> were proficient in structured discovery methods.
>
> Finally, I know even some sighted people who are so reliant on GPS apps
> that
> they cannot figure out how to get some place or why the GPS app keeps
> taking
> them near, but not at the address.
>
>
> Denise R. Avant, Esq.
> President,
> National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
> 773-991-8050
> Live the life you want.
>
> For more information about NFBI,
> Go to www.nfbofillinois.org
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: IL-Talk <il-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Bill Reif via
> IL-Talk
> Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2019 11:19 AM
> To: Robert Hansen via IL-Talk <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Bill Reif <billreif at ameritech.net>
> Subject: Re: [il-talk] FW: Illinois' capital city is accessible to the
> sighted and visually impaired thanks to wayfinding app
>
> I agree about the over hyping. I heard about this app last year, but had no
> interest in installing it because of claims that people might not get out
> without it. The name "aware" implies we are clueless about our surroundings
> without it.
>
>
> There are actually several GPS apps with Beacon technology available. I
> wonder whether those other apps will read the beacons being installed. I
> have now downloaded the app and will try it out, along with other apps I
> have installed. It should be noted that many stores use Beacons for sighted
> GPS users to advertise deals to their phones. Perhaps the Crown Plaza,
> where
> the vendors will be meeting soon, has this technology available.
>
>
>
> On 4/9/2019 2:43 PM, Robert Hansen via IL-Talk wrote:
> > I agree with this.
> >
> > Sincerely
> > Robert A. Hansen
> > hansen.robert70 at gmail.com
> > Robert A. Hansen
> >
> > On Tue, Apr 9, 2019, 8:14 AM Patti S Chang via IL-Talk
> > <il-talk at nfbnet.org>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Can I just say that this title strikes me as problematic. It implies
> >> that we could not navigate without this app. Although this tech may
> >> be helpful, it does not suddenly make Springfield accessible. This is
> >> subtle but overstating technological advancements can hurt us in
> >> obtaining jobs and the like. An employer who thinks I must have all
> >> this is going to not want to hire us because it is just too
> >> expensive.
> >>
> >> This is not a comment on the actual technology. It is a comment on
> >> how overstating its utility is in my opinion harmful. Thought I might
> >> start a good discussion on that issue.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Patti S. Gregory-Chang Esq.
> >> Treasurer
> >> National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
> >> 773-307-6440
> >> Pattischang at gmail.com
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: IL-Talk [mailto:il-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Denise
> >> Avant via IL-Talk
> >> Sent: Tuesday, April 9, 2019 6:40 AM
> >> To: 'NFB of Illinois Mailing List' <il-talk at nfbnet.org>;
> >> iabs-talk at nfbnet.org
> >> Cc: davant1958 at gmail.com
> >> Subject: [il-talk] FW: Illinois' capital city is accessible to the
> >> sighted and visually impaired thanks to wayfinding app
> >>
> >> Hello all,
> >>
> >> Perhaps someone in the Springfield area knows about this.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Denise R. Avant, Esq.
> >>
> >> President,
> >>
> >> National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
> >>
> >> 773-991-8050
> >>
> >> Live the life you want.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> For more information about NFBI,
> >>
> >> Go to www.nfbofillinois.org
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> From: Sensible Innovations <news at prnewswire.com>
> >> Sent: Tuesday, April 9, 2019 5:47 AM
> >> To: davant1958 at gmail.com
> >> Subject: Illinois' capital city is accessible to the sighted and
> >> visually impaired thanks to wayfinding app
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Illinois' capital city is accessible to the sighted and visually
> >> impaired thanks to wayfinding app
> >>
> >> SPRINGFIELD, Ill., April 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of
> >> Springfield, Illinois commissioned Sensible Innovations to deploy
> >> Aware, its audible wayfinding solution, on downtown streets so that
> >> visitors, including those that are blind or visually impaired, can
> >> receive turn-by-turn walking directions and audible descriptions of
> destinations in real time.
> >>
> >> Sensible Innovations worked with certified Orientation and Mobility
> >> Specialists and successfully implemented Aware (Utility Patent No.
> >> 9,726,746) by placing 244 Bluetooth Low Energy devices (iBeacons)
> downtown.
> >> The project was successfully launched in October 2018.
> >>
> >> Sensible Innovations' founder and CEO, Rasha Said, explained that
> >> Aware negates the need to memorize routes and landmarks encouraging
> >> users to explore their surroundings with more confidence and
> independence.
> >>
> >> "The app is free and can be used by anyone that has a smartphone,
> >> Android or iPhone, with large font for easy reading and VoiceOver for
> >> people that are visually impaired," she said. "The signal is carried
> >> from the iBeacons, which each have a five-year battery, to the
> >> phone."
> >>
> >> Rasha's goal is to create a world without limits for America's 21
> >> million people that are visually impaired, which includes her teenage
> >> son and the inspiration behind Aware.
> >>
> >> "Typically, navigational apps are image-based, which are not
> >> accessible to the visually impaired. Aware is audible and allows
> >> custom information based on user preference to be integrated," said
> >> Rasha. "For example, Aware will not only tell the user that they are
> >> approaching the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, but
> >> it will also provide opening and closing times, current exhibits, and
> >> cost of a ticket, besides layout description for a visually impaired
> user."
> >>
> >> Speaking at the Downtown Springfield Inc. annual dinner, City of
> >> Springfield Mayor, Jim Langfelder encouraged dwellers to download the
> >> app.
> >>
> >> "I am proud to say that the City of Springfield is the first city in
> >> the world to offer this navigation for both visually impaired and
> >> those in need of directional assistance. The technology is now
> >> offered throughout downtown, connecting visitors to historic sites
> >> and participating merchants," he said.
> >>
> >> Named as one of CES2018's Innovation Award Honorees in the Smart
> >> Cities category, the next phase in development for Aware is the
> >> translation of information into different languages so that visitors
> >> to the City of Springfield can fully experience President Abraham
> Lincoln's hometown.
> >>
> >> For more information about Aware email rsaid at sensible-innovations.com
> >> <mailto:rsaid at sensible-innovations.com>  or visit
> sensible-innovations.com.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> This information is being distributed to you by: Sensible Innovations
> >>
> >> 2121 West White Oaks Dr., Springfield, Ill. 62704
> >>
> >> If you wish to stop receiving these types of messages from us, you
> >> can unsubscribe <mailto:gemma at gemprmedia.com
> >> ?subject=Please%20unsubscribe%20me>
> >> at any time.
> >>
> >>
> >> <
> >> http://email.prnewswire.com/wf/open?upn=j5cMVcDKBNEeG21utPndC6nsuo2NY
> >> ErPspH
> >>
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> >> BGHjSVwgW6uKUjq3K1OqWKvIvUM3f7Y>>
> >>
> >>
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