[gps-talkusers] WayFun 2005, Maine
- From: Michael May <mikemay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "GPS-talkusers-freelists.org" <GPS-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 01 Sep 2005 08:34:24 -0700
Seeing with GPS
DAVIS, CA, (September 1, 2005)
On Friday, September 14, 30 blind people from the U.S. and one from
the Netherlands land in Maine to begin 5 days of independent
exploration of Portland and Bar Harbor, Maine. These intrepid
travelers are using accessible GPS technology developed by Sendero
Group running on a BrailleNote personal data assistant to find their
way to museums, lobster hatcheries, and breweries. Picture 30 blind
people, white canes and dogs, striding through city streets with
Braille and voice synthesizers announcing the information sighted
people take for granted on print signs.
Sendero Group's Way Fun trips can be described as a GPS Adventure,
Treasure Hunt, or GeoCaching. The goal of Way Fun is for blind people
to stretch their travel limits by exploring interesting environments
using all his or her orientation and mobility techniques including
BrailleNote GPS and to have fun in the process.
One of the inventors, himself totally blind from age 3 to 46, Mike
May says, "When you can get around independently, the number one
limiting aspect of blindness is minimized. That is why some blind
colleagues and I developed this technology and enjoy sharing it with
others. I regained low vision a few years ago after stem cell and
cornea transplants. Now I can see that the signs are there but I
still can't read them. This accessible GPS technology is every bit as
important with low vision as it was with no vision."
Sendero Group is an adaptive technology company based in Northern
California. Mike May and the BrailleNote GPS have been the subject of
everything from NBC Dateline to Australia's Beyond Tomorrow. See this
wayfinding technology for yourself at the IRIS Center in Portland,
ME, September 16 (207-774-6273) or call Sendero Group for an
appointment during another time in the trip.
Sendero Group LLC
1118 Maple Lane
Davis, CA 95616
(888) 757-6810
GPS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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