Hi David
This is an interesting question.
First of all, Wayfinder as an app is not based on
GPS but on localised Bluetooth devices and so is
great for indoor navigation as well as for
getting around open spaces. The Royal London
Society for the Blind are championing this
technology through their youth forum so you might
get better comments if you can contact them as
they are actually using it in areas of London
such as transport terminals and tube stations I
believe. I'm pretty keen to try it out myself, but haven't done so yet.
but in general I think I agree with others on
the list that GPS is not better than tactile ways
of finding your way around. The caviat to this is
that blind people need to know what the tactile
markes mean. If I'm looking for a bridge and I
follow a tactile marker for a green area with
benches, for example, because no one has told me
what markers represent then I'm no better off
than I was before. I also imagine that installing
some Bluetooth receivers is a great deal cheaper
than tactile markers in a large area and that
will probably be what your committee is interested in to some extent.
I believe that there is a real need for some new
form of accurate navigation method for indoor
areas and for outdoor areas not covered by GPS
location such as Centre Parks holiday resorts
where there are plenty of good paths, but no way
for a blind person to identify where they are within that complex network.
I hope this is helpful, John Ramm
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of David Griffith
Sent: Monday, August 1, 2016 4:48 PM
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Wayfinder System
I wonder if I could seek any knowledge or
experience from people using the Wayfinder system.
To explain I am on the Built Environment Access
Panel for the LLODCÂ and as such I help
scrutinise developments in and around the Olympic Park area of London.
An ongoing point of discussion I have with
various Architect teams is their use of open
spaces without any environmental aids, such as
guided tactile paving to assist long cane users
to, for example, navigate to walkways and bridges.
It has been suggested to me on this Panel that
the Wayfinder system would be a more realistic
technological solution to enabling visually
impaired people to traverse open spaces, rather
than installing tactile markers.
Does anybody have formal or personal feedback -
negative or positive on the usefulness of the
Wayfinder system and whether it is a suitable
option for navigating open spaces?
David Griffith
John Ramm
Drummer for 40days - @40daysofficial -
www.facebook.com/40dayswrexham - www.soundcloud.com/40daysofficial
Chair, RNIB Cymru - www.rnib.org.uk/wales-cymru-1
Trustee, Action for Blind People - www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/
Non Executive Director, Habinteg Housing Association - www.habinteg.org.uk
Clore Social Fellow: www.cloresocialleadership.org
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