GPS and Mapapplications for VI

Sean Richards TikkunMS.Ed., MS.Ed., TSVI, COMS

National Leadership Consortium in Sensory Disabilities, FellowNorthern Illinois University

Apple Distinguished Educator

Definitions

•Map - analog or digital map of the surrounding environment

•GPS - Geographic Positioning System

•Wayfinding - route planning software connecting current or starting location to destination using defined method of travel (walking, transit, driving)

History•Paper Maps

•GPS - driving location and geocaching

•required maps on the device

•Route Planning - trip planning and progress

•required data maps on the device including updated road information

•Phone based GPS wayfinding

... in visual impairments

•assisted route planning

•inaccessible devices

•Sendero maps

•Sendero maps and GPS devices connected to Braille Notetakers and stand-alone devices

Landscape over the last 10 years

•Workarounds and personal solutions

•Custom maps with accessible GPS

•stand-alone accessible GPS

•Mobile device GPS and wayfinding

•on devices with accessible OS

Current VI tools...(mobile)

•Sendero GPS

•Sendero Lookaround

•Trekker Breeze

•iOS Map app

•Google Maps

•Navigon

Social tools

•Yelp

•Thrillist

•Aroundme (iOS)