BlindWays picks up where GPS leaves off – guiding travelers to within a cane’s distance of the bus stop sign using reliable navigational clues and Bluetooth beacons where available.

BlindWays clues are provided by members of the community. It’s easy to submit a clue about an MBTA bus stop while you’re waiting for the bus or out for a walk in the neighborhood.

How BlindWays Works

GPS technology helps users navigate to within 30 feet of their destination. If a person is blind or has very low vision, being 30 feet away from a bus stop can often mean missing the bus entirely. BlindWays closes that “last 30 feet of frustration” with clues contributed by volunteers that describe permanent landmarks near the bus stop – a tree, a fire hydrant, a mailbox. The crowdsourced clues bring users to within four or five feet (the average length of a white cane) of their bus stop so they can touch the signpost and verify they are in the right spot. Additionally, BlindWays connects to beacons to alert users navigating to bus stops on MBTA routes 70 and 71 of the presence of a bus stop sign using vibrations. Using BlindWays gives visually impaired commuters the confidence they need to travel independently.

Listen to an audio demo of how BlindWays works »

Features

Accessibility first: BlindWays was built from the ground up with accessibility in mind, using VoiceOver audio output to help users navigate to bus stops.

BlindWays was built from the ground up with accessibility in mind, using VoiceOver audio output to help users navigate to bus stops. Navigational tips: The app provides navigational clues based on permanent landmarks located near the bus stop and presented in a sequence aligned with the user’s direction of travel.

The app provides navigational clues based on permanent landmarks located near the bus stop and presented in a sequence aligned with the user’s direction of travel. Arrival information: BlindWays offers predictive, location-based bus arrival information.

BlindWays offers predictive, location-based bus arrival information. Nearby Stops: Identifies the three bus stops closest to your current location.

Identifies the three bus stops closest to your current location. Favorites: Users can easily save their most-used bus routes for future reference.

Users can easily save their most-used bus routes for future reference. Add Clues: Simply select from a list of easily recognizable descriptions of the bus stop sign, nearby permanent landmarks, and/or enter free form text clues.

Simply select from a list of easily recognizable descriptions of the bus stop sign, nearby permanent landmarks, and/or enter free form text clues. Bluetooth beacons: BlindWays connects to beacons to alert users navigating to bus stops on MBTA routes 70 and 71 of the presence of a bus stop sign using vibrations. As the user approaches the bus stop sign using crowdsourced navigational landmark clues, the vibrations intensify and the user will hear a subtle sound, along with a VoiceOver notification: "You have arrived at the stop. Review the clues to confirm your location.” The vibrations will slow down if the user travels past the bus stop sign. BlindWays connects to beacons being installed by the MBTA in an experimental pilot.

For the media: Download the EPK