What were the goals of the project?
The purpose of the project was to provide blind and visually impaired students in British Columbia with a tool for independent travel.
The first goal of the project was to use a GPS system to enable older students to understand the physical area in which they were traveling thereby boosting self confidence, promoting independence and expanding their ability to travel safely. The accessible GPS system accomplished this by announcing street names, describing intersections and providing information about points of interest in the area as the student walked.
The second goal of the project was to help younger students develop cognitive maps of their immediate environment (e.g. the school and playground). The ability to conceptually “connect the dots” as young students travel from point to point is an important prerequisite to independent street travel. In order to provide the necessary information, the GPS system is comprised of a speech enabled PDA, a satellite receiver and a speaker.
Who participated in the project?
Eight to twelve students with their O&M instructor explored the use of GPS during January to June time period. Teams interested in participating in the project applied to the SET-BC / PRCVI provincial team in January submitting an application package to the SET-BC / PRCVI project leaders.
Who were the contacts for the project?
Applications were sent to SET-BC / PRCVI at:
FAX 604-261-2256
Mail GPS Project, #105-1750 West 75th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V6P6G2
Information about the project could be obtained from:
- Anne Wadsworth (PRCVI) at awadsworth@prcvi.org
- Dave Rathwell (SET-BC) at drathwell@setbc.org
What GPS systems were used?
O&M Instructors could choose between two accessible GPS systems. The first was the Trekker Pro. It is a full featured system designed for older students who are learning to travel independently in their community by creating their own routes. The second unit was the Trekker Breeze. It was used with younger students. The Breeze has fewer features and is not designed for independent street travel.