New technology could open a new era of independence for blind and visually impaired residents of communities everywhere.
A post on Urbanful by Njaimeh lists nine technology advancements that are providing new ways for the visually impaired to navigate the city. The nine innovations fall into three categories: wearable tech, apps, and hybrids, but each of them offer new levels of independence for the visually impaired. A few examples:
- Smart glasses: For people with some vision remaining, this technology uses "connected cameras, a compass, GPS unit, gyroscope, headphones, and displays, the glasses can display varying lightness and darkness to indicate depth, and can also be made to recognize signs and transit numbers." Such technology is being developed in Oxford and Mexico.
- Blind Square: the most popular app for the blind and visually impaired, Blind Square "works with third-party navigation apps to describe the environment, announce points of interest, and let users know when they’ve reached an intersection."
Read the full story: 9 advances helping visually-impaired people navigate cities
House Bill 'Guts' ADA Enforcement for Public Places
Designed to thwart predatory lawsuits, the bill could make it easier for businesses to ignore barriers to access, disability rights advocates say.
Op-Ed: L Train Closure Offers 'Once-in-a-Generation' Opportunity to Improve ADA Compliance
The New York subway might lead the nation in terms of reach and ridership, but it still lags behind other rail systems in the country on one critical point: access to people with special needs.
House Bill Would Add Red Tape to Americans With Disabilities Act Protections
An underreported bill in the current congressional session would create a waiting period for Americans with Disabilities Act claims.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello