Frequently Asked Questions
How is the ClickAndGo route data compiled? Is this GPS data?
Who are ClickAndGo Wayfinding Maps intended to assist?
Is your facility truly accessible to blind travelers?
How is the ClickAndGo route data compiled? Is this GPS data?
Our data is compiled by mobility specialists who “physically walk each indoor and outdoor route”. The goal of our service is to provide mobility-friendly, blindness-specific walking directions. That means clear landmarking and travel cues that cane travelers and guide dog travelers can easily follow for accurate direction-taking. Our directions are not derived from GPS data. At this point in time, the type of customized service we offer is simply not available via any GPS or GIS service.
back to topIs ClickAndGo even remotely suggesting that narrative maps can be a substitute for Orientation and Mobility services?
We are not suggesting this in the least. We are, however, stating adamantly that experienced blind and deafblind travelers (i.e. those individuals who already demonstrate that they possess independent travel skills) do not “need” a mobility specialist to familiarize them to routes that they could easily travel on their own if they simply had access to clear route information.
The fact is, when an O & M specialist “familiarizes an already skilled blind traveler to a new route, they essentially assist them with the development of a narrative route. This technology will facilitate greatly facilitate the process that mobility specialists go through when providing “familiarizations” to blind and deafblind travelers Narrative route guidance information can be made available to many people at once, and should not be restricted to private service opportunities only. Many travelers have very limited access to mobility services, and we believe this is important data that should be freely available.
back to topWhat is the recommended method for blind or deafblind travelers to remember multi-step route narrative directions?
When route narratives involve a great number of directional steps, it is recommended that the traveler prepare their route directions “in advance”. Our routes can be downloaded and saved directly from the website. A blind traveler can use a storage device with auditory output, and a deafblind traveler can use a storage device with Braille display. It is also possible to print out the steps in Braille for easy reference. Once you have the routes in a stored but easily retrievable format, they can be reviewed before you begin walking, or between directional steps.
back to topWhat is the recommendation for a college campus when they are faced with creating narrative routes for a seemingly infinite number of route possibilities?
We suggest first compiling data for routes that connect the most important points of interest (POI) on your campus. These are likely to be the most commonly traveled routes. The main public transportation stops on or near the campus should also be linked to key points of interest. Blind students and staff should be consulted for their feedback on important routes, and clearly route narratives should be compiled as the schedules of students and/ or staff might require. While it is not realistic to immediately prepare routes for an “entire campus”, some specific route compilation will be immediately obvious and important. The gradual growth of route data on a campus or facility will be analogous to the Wikipedia growth model.
back to topHow can a traveler make an accurate turn along a route when there is no straight wall or guideline to use, or if auditory information is not accessible for direction-taking?
We will note all relevant auditory and landmarking cues available for direction-taking along routes. We will also prepare narrative directions that explain turns and direction-taking using a clock analogy. That being said, we highly recommend that travelers bring an auditroy or tactile compass with them for making accurate turns in difficult travel environments.
back to topWho are ClickAndGo Wayfinding Maps intended to assist?
Our maps are designed to assist blind and deafblind travelers who already have the skills to travel safely and independently along familiar routes, but who wish to independently travel along routes in a new indoor or outdoor area. Examples of travelers who could benefit from this service include blind students visiting or attending universities, attendees of conferences at major hotel or convention sites, visitors to museums, airports, train stations, or students or staff at any number of agencies or schools that service blind consumers. The potential list of sites that would be well served by implementing this kind of accessible service is long, and the benefits to blind and deafblind users are obvious.
back to topIs your facility truly accessible to blind travelers?
At present, very few options are available to blind travelers when they wish to gain “access” to orientation information relevant to a site they may wish to visit or attend. One option is to request the services of a mobility specialist. However, these services not always easy to obtain, nor are they easy to get funding and approval for. The fact is, experienced blind travelers do not NEED the services of a mobility specialist in these instances. They simply need access to information, and it is exactly this type of information that we provide. In the absence of this information, and without enlisting the support of a private mobility specialist, blind travelers are simply forced to rely upon the random assistance of other pedestrians on the sidewalk or street. As experienced blind travelers know only too well, the general public is often not well skilled in providing the kind of directions or orientation information that a blind traveler needs to walk a route alone.
Perhaps the only other option available to access environmental information is through the use of GPS technology. However, this technology is quite expensive, as the costs for these hand-held units are in the neighborhood of 1500 to 2000 dollars. Given the reality that some 80% of the working age blind are unemployed, this option is essentially beyond the reach of most blind and deafblind travelers. It should also be pointed out that this technology does not work at all in indoor environments.
back to topOur accessible wayfinding service is being marketed to schools, universities, hotels, airports, etc., as we believe they have the responsibility to provide this type of access to non-sighted consumers. Blind and deafblind travelers deserve fair and equal access to information in the visual world so that they can enjoy the travel independence that sighted individuals comfortably enjoy. Our philosophy is this: access to orientation and travel information should be available free of charge to non-sighted travelers. It is essentially this same philosophy that led to legislation requiring agencies and organization to provide sign language interpreters to deaf consumers, so that they could access information in the auditory world that hearing individual easily enjoy. In this case, in order for non-sighted consumers to be independent, access to this kind of information in the visual world is critical.
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