May 22, 2024

WiseNav: Overcoming the Barriers of Physical Signs for a more Inclusive Built Environment with Digital Wayfinding

multilingual wayfinding

In our pursuit of creating inclusive environments, we often overlook the accessibility challenges posed by physical signs. While they may seem like a simple communication tool, signs can inadvertently exclude a significant portion of our community. Let’s explore some of the barriers presented by physical signs:

1. Language Barriers: Signs are typically presented in a single language, which can be a hurdle for individuals who are not proficient in that language, including employees, customers, or visitors.

2. Vision Impairment: For those with vision impairments, physical signs can be inaccessible, as they rely solely on visual information. This can pose challenges for individuals who are blind or have low vision.

3. Interpretation Difficulties: Some individuals with learning difficulties may struggle to interpret signs, especially in stressful or time-sensitive situations. Clear and concise communication is essential for an inclusive environment.

4. Positioning: Signs are often placed at eye level for the average person, which can make them difficult to read for individuals in wheelchairs or those of shorter stature.

5. Colour Contrasts: Poor colour contrast can make signs challenging to read for individuals with visual impairments, such as colour blindness or sensitivity to high or low contrasts.

To foster a truly inclusive environment, we must consider alternative and accessible communication methods that cater to the diverse needs of our community. This could include leveraging technology, providing audio or tactile alternatives, and ensuring that information is presented in multiple formats and languages.

WiseNav is a pioneering technology that addresses many of these accessibility challenges posed by traditional signage and wayfinding systems. This innovative solution offers a multi-lingual interface, ensuring that language barriers are minimized for diverse users. Its landmark photo navigation feature provides a visual guide, making it accessible for individuals who cannot read or those with learning difficulties. Additionally, WiseNav integrates with text-to-speech functionality, allowing users with visual impairments to receive audible instructions, promoting inclusivity for the partially sighted. Remarkably, WiseNav also incorporates a feature that calculates accessible routes, taking into account the needs of individuals in wheelchairs, those with injuries, or even parents pushing strollers.

By acknowledging and addressing the limitations of physical signs, and embracing innovative solutions like WiseNav, we can create built environments that are truly inclusive and welcoming for all individuals, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds.

“Research acknowledges that indoor maps are a compromised interface for people finding their way in complex environments.”

Christoph Hölscher, PhD
Department of Cognitive Science,
ETH Zürich, Switzerland

“Landmarks are ideal wayfinding tools for directing a person from A to B as they allow fast reasoning and efficient communication.”

Stephan Winter, PhD
Department of Spatial Information Science,
University of Melbourne, Australia

“The use of landmarks is often linked with the quality of route instructions as they are related to the natural cognitive navigation process of humans.”

Daniel R. Montello, PhD
Department of Geography,
UC Santa Barbara