autonomous navigation through the city for the blind
Autonomous navigation in the city has become a necessity for people with visual disabilities, due to the fact that they now enjoy a higher degree of social insertion. As such, several technological solutions seek to assist with this autonomy. In this work, we present a study on the effect of the use of an easy-to-access, audio-based GPS software program on navigation through open spaces, and in particular on the stimulation of orientation and mobility skills in blind people. Results show that the use of the audio-based GPS software allowed blind users to be able to get to various destinations without the need for prior information on the environment, favoring the navigation of blind people in unfamiliar contexts, stimulating the use of different orientation and mobility skills, and finally providing help to users that habitually navigate spaces in the city only in the company of other people.
orientation and mobility people who are blind mobile technology assistive technology