[NABS-L] Compass

[Bhavya shah]

Dear all,

I am a non-advanced cane traveller and my campus has a lot of curves
and diagonals which  can throw off my direction. As such, I have found
my phone's compass app to be indispensable, giving me confidence when
the direction I think I am facing matches its reading and helping me
correct when I am off. However, this is somewhat cumbersome to do. I
have a cane in my hand, and I need to stop, whip out my iPhone on
which the compass app is open, touch the correct part of the screen to
hear my direction, and then put it back in my pocket. This is a simple
set of steps, but considering that I am on-the-go and am needing to
repeatedly take my phone out of my pocket and bring it somewhat close
to my ear so as to hear VoiceOver announce the cardinal direction (and
the repetitive instruction to hold my phone flat), it is doable but
non-ideal. I was wondering if you have found alternative SOPs to use a
compass. I am thinking of the following ideas:
* A simple physical compass that is tactually accessible
* Mapping a gesture or button combination on iOS to announcement of
cardinal directions

I would truly appreciate any recommendations for products, strategies,
or otherwise. Hope y'all have a lovely weekend!

Best Regards,
Bhavya Shah
Stanford University | Class of 2024
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhavyashah125/