When you’re blind or low vision, finding your way around unassisted can be an intimidating and sometimes be a downright dangerous task. Some cities are built to be more accessibility-friendly than others, but even within relatively accessible cities, there are still bound to be areas that are difficult to navigate. And while we’ve looked at a few apps that are designed to assist low-vision users with tasks such as shopping, identifying faces, reading descriptions, etc., but we haven’t seen many apps that do a decent job of assisting with navigation (at least none that have good information about navigating within New Brunswick).
Today we are going to look at an app that is designed to assist blind and low-vision users in navigating around their environment, and the best part is, the app is actually useful to New Brunswick-based users!
Lazarillo Accessible GPS is a specialized GPS app that uses a combination of screen-based and audio prompts. The app provides users with audio prompts and warnings as they navigate through the city, as well as providing an accessible map for users to explore.
The search function allows users to explore locations before actually visiting, and the simulation tool allows users to virtually explore that location before physically being there. This allows you to virtually test distances between locations, nearby transportation, etc.
Category searches are great for identifying specific locations such banks, shops, health centers, restaurants, bars, hotels, and more. Combined with the tracking tool, you can find the location that you’re looking for, turn on tracking, and have the app provide voice and map-based feedback on your location.
The apps settings section provides a great deal of customization for its users, including voice volume, speed, pitch, or choose a different voice altogether. You can choose the unit of measurement of your choice, and you can even choose how the directions will be given. And for users who are struggling with the app, a short tutorial is included.
Lazarillo Accessible GPS is a free app available for Android and iOS. To learn more, click here (new window).
