ACCESSIBLE GPS Overview and Comparison:from the iPhone 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, 2nd 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

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

keyboardOutput – Speech and/or Braille

2. Price3. Multifunctional4. Portability

Accessible GPS Choices

Accessible GPS Choices

• Sendero GPS based Products:• Sendero GPS for the BrailleNote Apex, PK, and

mPower• Sendero Maps for the PC• Sendero GPS LookAround for the iPhone and

Android• Sense Navigation for the Voice Sense and

Braille Sense • StreetTalk VIP for PacMate• Mobile Geo for Windows Mobile Devices

• Other GPS Products:• Trekker Breeze Standalone by HumanWare

Current Technologies: Sendero GPS

Hardware: BrailleNote, VoiceNote or PK (PDA made by HumanWare)

• 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 LookAround

Sendero Group: iPhone and AndroidAnnounces 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

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: StreetTalk VIP

Freedom Scientific: PacMate (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

Humanware: Standalone • Few buttons• Speech output • GPS only• $$• 1.1 lbs• 499 g

Current Technologies: Trekker Breeze

GPS@SenderoGroup.com

www.SenderoGroup.com

The future looks bright for accessible navigation, where ever life takes you