What is it?
The team developed ideas for solutions by posing the question “How can we overcome the invisible obstacles which restrict blind people’s interactions with members of the society when they go out?”
In light of this question, the team developed the WeRoute mobile app project. With WeRoute, the problems encountered by blind people on buses are addressed. The aural notification at the bus stops which triggers when buses pull in fail to be useful due to ambient noise. Because of this, with WeRoute all the stops close to the location of the user will be determined and voice directions to the selected stop will be given. By announcing the incoming buses via the app and giving the passenger the ability to select the stop to get off at, it is aimed to provide a safe experience. The application aims to be user-friendly with features such as voice descriptions, “talk back” and vibration. Also, people who wish to assist blind individuals can help them board and get off with the help of the app. With this app the team aims to equalize blind individuals’ opportunities and strengthen their place in social life. The team also wants to enable blind individuals to focus on what they want to achieve by being in control of their lives, rather than be restricted in their ability to use public transportation and to participate in social life.
Why?
InnoMates team set out to come up with a solution to the difficulties in urban mobility encountered by blind individuals. In Istanbul, a very big city, transportation occupies a great part of our lives. While many of us complain about the difficulties of traffic and public transport, blind individuals face much more fundamental problems in accessing transportation. Discrimination against the disabled make it even harder for the blind to access public transport. The team, in their research, examined the difficulties encountered by the blind in mass transportation under the headings of technical infrastructure, government incentives and integration into society. As a result of this research, it is observed that especially the government incentives and the technical infrastructure which can be integrated to public transportation is lacking. Blind individuals who face difficulty moving about the city are in turn having trouble integrating into the social life.