Waymap Starts Guiding Blind People Through Washington Subway Stations
A new mobile app designed to help visually impaired and blind people use public transport launched this week at three Washington Metro stations.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) partnered with UK-based Waymap(Opens in a new window) to bring audio navigation to the capital's Brookland, Silver Spring, and Braddock Road subway stations.
Once the venue and route maps are downloaded to your handset, Waymap doesn't require any external signals: no GPS, no Bluetooth, no mobile bars. Instead, the free app uses sensors available in a smartphone to measure movement, direction, and elevation and provide door-to-door, step-by-step instructions.
Waymap will deploy in phases, with the goal of reaching at least 30 D.C. train and nearly 1,000 bus stops by September, according to Reuters(Opens in a new window), which tipped an "early 2023" date for a Metro-wide rollout.
"Our goal is to provide our customers with reliable service," Christiaan Blake, WMATA managing director of accessibility services, said at a Tuesday press conference, as reported by DCist(Opens in a new window). "It's not always easy but each day we're making strides towards that goal."
The app works by feeding directions auditorily through a free and downloadable app, regardless of Wi-Fi access or cellular signal strength. It's accurate up to three feet from a destination, and instructs users on exactly how many steps to take and how many degrees to turn, while adding contextual information.
"When I lost my sight, I lost the ability to explore the world around me, and when I founded Waymap I wanted it to be more than just an app," founder Tom Pey said this week. "I wanted it to be a community of people who could come together, supported by
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