ACCESSIBLE GPS Overview and Comparison from the i

ACCESSIBLE GPS Overview and Comparison: from the i. Phone to the PC Presented by: Mike May Jerry Kuns Jamie Murdy Katie Gilmore

What is Accessibility? “Accessibility for persons with vision impairments is usually a matter of having the right information at the right time. Having information means having choices and the ability to make the correct choice the first time: it means not having to engage in time-consuming deductive reasoning from imprecise clues or frequently having to ask for information or assistance. ” Bentzen, B. L. (1997), Environmental Accessibility. In Blasch, Weiner and Welsh (Eds. ), Foundations of Orientation and Mobility, 2 nd Edition. AFB: NY.

Advantages of GPS • Access to Location Information • Student can learn about their surroundings and have access to “signage” that they miss out on. • The GPS often identifies a point of interest or a street name that is something new (“I didn’t know that exists”) • Student can “look around” to gather information about the travel environment, including street names, intersections, points of interest, city, etc. • GPS can help with mental mapping skills • GPS can be introduced with tactile maps (example: T Maps or Chang Kit) • The GPS can help to confirm their position in space.

Advantages of GPS • Introduces Important Concepts • • Left and right concepts Introduces Cardinal Directions Clock face directions Applies geography and social studies core curriculum concepts • Environmental concepts including shapes of intersections, direction of travel, sidewalks, types of streets etc.

Advantages of GPS • Problem Solving Skills/ Safety • Allows students to determine distance and direction to a destination • Confirms direction of travel • Gives students immediate access to addresses and phone numbers in case they are lost or need to call for help

Advantages of GPS • It’s Fun! Photo: Geocaching in Vancouver, BC www. geocaching. com

With Accessible GPS, I am in control

Accessible GPS Choices After 10 years of accessible GPS, the question isn’t should I have GPS, but which GPS should I have. Primary considerations when choosing a GPS system: 1. User Interface Input – Braille, telephonic or QWERTY keyboard Output – Speech and/or Braille 2. Price 3. Multifunctional 4. Portability

Accessible GPS Choices • Sendero GPS based Products: • Sendero GPS for the Braille. Note Apex, PK, and m. Power • Sendero Maps for the PC • Sendero GPS Look. Around for the i. Phone and Android • Sense Navigation for the Voice Sense and Braille Sense • Street. Talk VIP for Pac. Mate • Mobile Geo for Windows Mobile Devices • Other GPS Products: • Trekker Breeze Standalone by Human. Ware

Current Technologies: Sendero GPS Hardware: Braille. Note, Voice. Note or PK (PDA made by Human. Ware) • Braille or QWERTY input • Speech and/or Braille output • Multifunctional • $$$$ • 1. 35 lbs. - 1. 8 lbs • 612 g – 812 g

Current Technologies: Sendero Maps Sendero Group: PC • QWERTY input • Speech and/or Braille output • Multifunctional • $ • Maps only no GPS

Current Technologies: Sendero GPS Look. Around Sendero Group: i. Phone and Android Announces the nearest points of interest and your current location – no routing capabilities • • • Touch Screen Speech Output Multifunctional $ 0. 29 lbs 133 g

Current Technologies: Sendero SDK (Software Developers Kit) • Allows third party companies to take the Sendero core GPS engine and customize it to work on their machines, and tailor it to their customers. • Three companies are already using the Sendero SDK to create their own GPS solution for Windows mobile devices, including smart phones.

Current Technologies: Sense Navigation HIMS/GW Micro: Braille and Voice Sense (PDA) • • • Braille or QWERTY input Speech and/or Braille Multifunctional $$$$ 0. 58 lbs. – 2 lbs. 266 g – 914 g

Current Technologies: Street. Talk VIP Freedom Scientific: Pac. Mate (PDA) • Braille or QWERTY input • Speech and/or Braille • Multifunctional • $$$$ • 1. 81 lbs – 4. 18 lbs • 820 g – 1, 900 g

Current Technologies: Mobile Geo Code Factory: Windows Mobile-based Smart phones and Pocket PCs • Telephonic or QWERTY input • Speech output • Multifunctional • $$ • 0. 30 lbs – 0. 50 lbs • 140 g – 250 g