Category: Service

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Built Environment Digital Information Service

Aira: The Industry Gold Standard Empowering Inclusion for Small, Medium, and Enterprise Organizations 

Boost Accessibility, Inclusion, and Community Engagement by Partnering with Gateway Navigation to Offer Aira Explorer

For businesses, universities, and public service organizations, accessibility isn’t just a responsibility; it’s an opportunity to create a more inclusive experience for all. Integrating Aira Explorer as part of your business accessibility plan provides a concrete, measurable way to empower customers, employees, students, and visitors who are blind, have low vision, or are deaf. Gateway Navigation CCC Ltd. is dedicated to helping businesses implement Aira Explorer through social procurement, engaging communities, and developing impactful data on accessibility and inclusion. 

Here’s why offering Aira Explorer can transform the accessibility of your services and make a powerful impact on your community. 

Aira Explorer: A Proven Solution for Accessibility 

Aira Explorer is a cutting-edge assistive technology that connects users who are blind or have low vision to professionally trained agents who provide real-time, on-demand visual support. Aira is currently available across 250 businesses in the U.S., including airports, banks, retail stores, enterprise software companies, and government agencies. These organizations are leading the way in accessibility, empowering users to confidently navigate spaces, interact with services, and make the most of their experience. 

Some of the most recognizable brands offering Aira Explorer include: 

  • Airports such as Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), Toronto Pearson (YYZ), and Vancouver (YVR), where travellers can receive navigational support, flight information, and assistance in locating amenities. 
  • Retail giants like Target and Walgreens, enhancing the shopping experience for customers by helping them find products and navigate stores. 
  • Financial institutions like TD Bank and Bank of America that enable clients to independently manage banking needs both in-branch and at ATM kiosks. 
  • Aira also recently launched Aira ASL at Minneapolis, St. Paul Airport (MSP(, the first service to offer on-demand American Sign Language interpretation, making MSP a leader in serving both the BLV (Blind and Low Vision) and deaf communities. 

Gateway Navigation: Your Partner for Social Procurement and Community Engagement 

Through a partnership with Gateway Navigation CCC Ltd., businesses can integrate Aira into their accessibility strategies as part of a social procurement initiative. Social procurement means sourcing products and services with a broader social benefit in mind, particularly focusing on engagement with the community and inclusive service design. 

Here’s how Gateway Navigation can support your accessibility initiatives with Aira: 

  1. Customized Implementation: We work closely with your organization to identify areas where Aira can make the most impact, whether for employees, customers, students, or visitors. 
  1. Data-Driven Insights: By implementing Aira, you’ll collect measurable data on service usage, customer satisfaction, and overall accessibility impact. This data can be invaluable in refining your accessibility efforts and demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity. 
  1. Community Engagement: Implementing Aira with Gateway Navigation involves community consultation and outreach to ensure that services are designed with the input of those who rely on them. This strengthens your brand’s reputation as an inclusive and forward-thinking organization. 
  1. Expanding Accessibility Options: With Aira ASL, organizations can also serve deaf customers, providing on-demand ASL support to ensure clear, accessible communication. Aira currently offers support in English, Spanish, and French, making it adaptable for multilingual communities. 

Why Aira Makes Business Sense 

Aira is more than a technology; it’s a commitment to access, empowerment, and independence. By offering Aira Explorer, your organization can: 

  • Attract Diverse Customers: People who are blind or have low vision value businesses that cater to their needs and make their spaces accessible. 
  • Improve Employee Inclusion: Aira makes workplaces more accessible by helping employees independently access information, navigate office spaces, and participate fully in daily operations. 
  • Align with Accessibility Legislation: Many countries have accessibility laws mandating that public spaces are inclusive. Aira helps you meet these standards and stay ahead of future regulatory requirements. 
  • Build Brand Loyalty: Accessibility-friendly brands are seen as trustworthy, ethical, and forward-thinking, which can drive loyalty and brand recognition. 

Ready to Lead in Accessibility? 

By partnering with Gateway Navigation, you’ll take a sustainable and strategic approach to accessibility that prioritizes measurable impact, community engagement, and continuous improvement. Together, we can help you integrate Aira Explorer into your accessibility plans, aligning your brand with today’s leading companies and putting the power of independence and accessibility into the hands of your customers and employees. 

Contact Us 

At Gateway Navigation, accessibility is our bottom-line. If you'd like more information or a quote, please email us. We’d love to earn your business and add value, but if cost is the only barrier to offering Aira Explorer to the blind and deaf communities, we are here to help make accessibility possible without letting a few dollars stand in the way. If you would prefer, we can also connect you directly with the Aira team and take us out of the cost calculation. We pride ourselves on removing barriers, not creating them.  

Looking forward to supporting your journey as an Inclusion Champion! 

David Brun 

Cofounder, Gateway Navigation CCC Ltd. 

Email: partners@gnc3.com 

 

Categories
Awareness Innovation Service

Gateway Navigation: Inclusive Audio-Based Navigation Systems

Who We Are and What We Do

Gateway Navigation CCC Limited is a unique social enterprise based in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Bringing together social innovation and for-profit sustainability. Founded in 2017 by individuals and organizations that share a lived experience in disability and a passion to make a difference in their community. Our social and business objective is to create a more accessible and inclusive world through applying human centred design in the use of accessible ABN networks in interior and exterior spaces.

Gateway Navigation applies a multifaceted approach in working with venues, suppliers, and stakeholders. This includes upholding principles of universal design, expertise in available assistive technology, stakeholder co-design, testing proof of concept, inoperability of technology and facilitating ongoing feedback by the venue's accessibility team, stakeholders, and users.

Gateway Navigation creates an accessible wayfinding assessment.  Mapping the venue's architectural elements, including auditory, tactile, high contrast and environmental features. Supporting inclusive wayfinding systems and universal design concepts. Starting at public transit or drop-off pick up points to the desired arrival point of a journey.  This assessment becomes the basis for potential audio-based navigation network solutions.

The desired outcome of reliable, consistent and impactful projects is achieved by viewing them through a holistic lens, That Integrates best practices and principles to create an orientation story that guides users with reliable and consistent information as set out in both the ITU and CTA standards for inclusive audio-based indoor and outdoor navigation systems for all persons.

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Categories
Innovation New Product 2020 IABN Service

LiDAR 3D Indoor Mapping: Inclusive Audio-Based Navigation Systems

3D Indoor Mapping the Evolution of Inclusive Augmented Reality

No matter whether you are a manager or customer at a venue. Being able to have people efficiently and safely reach a destination represents an economic and service value. Providing the opportunity to inform people about their surroundings and the choices available. The power of the digital marketplace to provide easily accessible information; is a service the built environment needs to duplicate to be competitive and relevant.
Twenty-two percent of people who are working age have a limitation. In which an inclusively designed environment. Provides accommodations that enable people to access and utilize the venue for employment, education, services or recreation. All generating an economic and service value for both venue owners and customers.
Although, inclusive indoor mapping will not change the physical accessibility features of interior spaces. It does maximize the availability and benefit of these features to users.
Until recently the use of 3D architectural modeling using LiDAR represented a substantial cost. But like many technical innovations the price of these scans and conversion to an opens source map data format. Now represent a cost-effective method to map and identify an interior space for accessible audio-based augmented reality apps.
LiDAR scan data is collected from site and processed via computer and converted into accurate, scaled, 3D models reflecting all physical entities/conditions. Any physical, visible object on site is recreated and included within the model (walls, doors, windows, stairs, furniture, etc.). In this format, the app developer can measure and quantify any set of points in the model with ease, and more importantly, provide accuracy for the end app user.
Gateway Navigation CCC Ltd is collaborating with Accessibuild to map interior spaces, working with O&M professionals and persons with lived experience, to create an open source map data file supporting a free inclusive audio-based indoor navigation system for all end users to efficiently, safely and independently navigate a venue and augment their understanding of the environment around them.
Contact us at partners@gnc3.com with your questions or for a quote to have your venue mapped and supported by the Accessibuild App.

LiDAR Scans: Learn More
Categories
New Product 2020 IABN Service Transportation

Remote Sighted Assistant: Inclusive Audio-Based Navigation Systems

Be My Eyes and Aira Remote Sighted Assistant

Acts of kindness with global impact. Was the genesis behind the launch of “Be My Eyes” in 2015, The app connects people who are blind or visually impaired with one of the over two million sighted volunteers worldwide via the user’s smartphone and camera.  The user can connect with a volunteer to receive assistance ranging from matching sock colour to a description of their surroundings. The global make up of the volunteer pool offers connections in over one hundred languages.

In 2018, Be My Eyes, partnered with Microsoft Accessibility Group to offer expert connections for app users requiring technology support. This program is expanding with additional technology companies.

This tech for good model has also had significant financial investment in 2019 / 2020. The quality of this service continues to expand and develop.

To get started with Be My Eyes or to find out more information click on the following link: https://www.bemyeyes.com/get-started

Aira also a remote sighted assistant service is viewed by many as the gold standard in this market segment. Rather than enlisting sighted volunteers. Aira, hires and trains agents to assist explorers (app user) in tasks ranging from reviewing written correspondence to navigating unfamiliar or complex environments. The app also utilizes the user’s smartphone sensors enabling the agent to more accurately and confidently provide wayfinding information to the app user.

The main wayfinding limitation with Aira and any remote sighted app. Is that the agents navigate interior spaces by reading signs using the smartphone or smart glass’s camera. A process that can be challenging for both user and agent. Presumably, as the technology advances and more venues provide inclusive audio-based navigation systems. Either the live agent or developing artificial intelligence will utilize digital mapping pinpointing the user’s location. Enabling greater indoor and outdoor wayfinding with a high degree of accuracy and reliability.

Currently, exterior GPS under perfect conditions offers accuracy within five metres but common signal interference within cities can reduce accuracy to only fifty metres or no signal at all. Interior systems that rely on radio frequencies, such as Wi-Fi, beacons and G5, also have limitations to accuracy due to interference variables. Good news is that recent innovations utilizing body movement is improving accuracy and consistency in digitally mapping users in interior and exterior spaces.

That being said, Using Aira to navigate situations such as queuing up for check in, security or baggage pick up; an Aira agent’s assistance at an airport can be very helpful. In addition, if your travelling companion is over editing their descriptions of your surroundings or seem exasperated with your questions. Aira’s agents are paid, trained and delighted to provide descriptions or answer your questions. A very useful feature and marital aid.

Aira is a fee-based service and even with recent promotions can be financially out of reach. Aira and partners to address this barrier of access have developed Aira Free Zones. Where persons attending a venue, can download the app to their smartphone and access the service free of charge within a geofenced area.

In Canada and Internationally, Aira Free Zones are made available free of charge at a number of airports including YVR Vancouver and YYZ Pearson Toronto; internationally, LHR London Heathrow and a number of US Airports.

Download the Aira App directly on your mobile phone from Google Play or the Apple App Store. After downloading the app, you can register as a user with your phone and email address, and you will be asked to agree to Aira’s Terms of Service. Aira will then send you a four-digit code to verify your mobile number. Upon verification you are ready to connect with an Aira agent.

You do not need to subscribe to an Aira plan to access promotions or free zones.

Both, Be My Eyes and Aira, do not replace the need for blind or visually impaired users to have good orientation and mobility training. The services are an accessibility tool and have limitations.

For more information on how remote sighted assistance can support a venues accessibility and inclusion objectives. Contact us at Gateway Navigation via email partners@gnc3.com

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