Leveraging Technology to Normalize Orientation and Mobility

By

Larry L. Lewis, Jr.

Objectives

• To identify O&M skills that must be mastered without the use of technology
• To identify mainstream technology components that complement the vision impaired travelers O&M efforts
• To learn strategies for combining O&M skills with technology usage to safely, independently, and efficiently engage within one’s Community
• To “normalize” independent travel through exceptional O&M training supported by technology solutions

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Introduction

• Who is Larry Lewis?
• My travel experience
• My desire that persons with vision impairments experience all this World has to offer through exploration and engagement.

My Love for Orientation and Mobility

• O&M in the 1970s
• O&M without any technology to rely upon.
• What does it mean to look “normal” to one’s classmates, friends, and family?
• How does having some functional vision impede the O&M process?

Three Questions Asked by the Vision Impaired Traveler

• Where am I?
• Where do I want to go?
• What to do when I arrive at my destination?

O&M Non-Negotiables

• Safety: ensuring that the means by which a person travels protects them from harm from external variables as well as unintended self-arm.
• Independence: the ability too navigate from point A to point B using one’s preferred O&M travel tool(s)
• Efficiency: Planning trips to arrive on-time by minimizing time spent in route.

Selecting the Right Non-Tech O&M Tools

• Cane vs. Dog?
• Benefits and drawbacks?
• My personal preference
• Variables to consider when assisting your students to make an informed decision:
• Current environment
• Economic considerations
• Student maturity
• Student’s level of responsibility
• How “safely” can the student travel using a cane? Service animal? Both?

Two Modes of Transportation

• Pedestrian
• Vehicle
• A combination of both
• Selecting technology usage to compliment O&M while utilizing various modes of transportation

Understanding Today’s Technology Landscape

• Platforms and Operating Systems
• Apps
• Assistive Technologies
• Artificial Intelligence

Platforms And Operating Systems

• Desktop = Microsoft/Google/Apple
• Mobile = Apple/Google
• Both platforms have “like” features and hardware such as “location series” and cameras
• But the different device footprints offers users options to assist wit their O&M journeys
• Platforms provide a foundation for operating systems to take advantage of functionalities of device components
• And serve as the launching pad for the deployment of applications.
• Desktop = stationary, robust web-browsing experiences
• Mobile = on the go interaction while exploring one’s environment.

Apps

• An app is a software development effort that has an overarching objective
• With “user journeys” designed to provide a means by which persons can complete specific tasks tied to accomplishing the app goal.
• User journeys are comprised of a series of “user stories” that define the types of users expected to utilize the app, and documents their specific needs.
• Many times in mainstream development of apps, the user with a disability’s needs are not taken into account during the design phase.
• This presents difficulties when persons with vision impairments attempt to use mainstream GPS apps.

Assistive Technologies (AT)

• The role of Assistive Technology (AT) is to provide an alternative way of “perceiving” information (speech, magnified text, Braille).
• And to provide an alternative method for interacting with content (keyboard, adapted mouse, speech input, or switch controls)
• Adaptive technology can be specialized software, software as a service
• Specialized proprietary hardware
• Sometimes, mainstream hardware can serve as a springboard for adaptive technology know-how.

The Intersectionality of AT and Artificial Intelligence`

AI is machine learning designed to perform tasks done by humans.

End goals of reasoning and problem solving.

Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses not only harnesses AI, but serves as AT hardware for some of today’s premier AT applications!

Developing a Blueprint for Independent Objectives Travel Using Technology

• Determining location using speech dictation and mainstream apps
• Exploring what’s around me using VoiceVista
• Indoor navigation using SeeingAI
• Locating lost items using SeeingAI
• Using Be My Eyes and AIRA as visual interpreting services for navigation

A Walk-Through of My Trip to Austin

• Planning My Trip
• Traveling to Austin
• Returning home

Planning My Trip

• Determining which airlines flies from Cleveland OH to Austin, TX using search engines and speech dictation.
• Selecting a flight using the airline’s search feature.
• Purchasing a flight.
• Booking my hotel using Marriot.com
• Packing using mobile apps.

Traveling To Austin

• Checking in using my iPhone the night before departure
• Getting from home to the airport using rideshare services
• Using Aira to navigate the Cleveland airport
• Boarding my flight
• Deplaning in Austin and finding rideshare
• Arriving at the hotel and checking in.
• Finding my room using AIRA

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Returning Home

• Checking in and getting my boarding pass on my iPhone
• Reverse and repeat process

Body Awareness And Self-Defense

• Traveling with confidence
• Setting firm personal space boundaries
• It’s not okay to arbitrarily touch or grab a person with a disability
• Intentional, focused, and proactive engaging with one’s environment (objects and people).
• Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the most optimal self defense system for persons who are vision impaired.
• Provides additional special awareness and control of one’s body

Conclusion

• Technology is not a replacement for learning O&M skills
• But does compliment the vision impaired traveler’s O&M efforts.
• Expanding travel possibilities
• And opportunities to engage with more places and people
• Creating a more “real” connection with Society.