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A new mobile app from GoodMaps brings audio, visual and language support to improve navigation at the airport for people who are blind, deaf or for other reasons may have a difficult time getting around at the terminal.
The Eugene Airport has entered a partnership with the mapping technology company GoodMaps, bringing accessible airport navigation to local travelers.
Travelers can download the GoodMaps app, which offers services such as audio guidance, augmented reality visual guidance, and translation into 18 different languages. The app is particularly aimed at travelers who might have low vision or hearing difficulties or are not native English speakers.
Kevin Kline serves as the community engagement representative for GoodMaps. During the early part of his life, Kline had perfect vision. At age 23, he lost his vision over the course of six months from a condition called Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, a rare genetic condition that causes rapid and painless vision loss.
In his current role, Kline travels a lot, and he knows just how inconvenient it can be to navigate new surroundings, especially airports.
“As someone who had vision for 23 years of my life, I want to be independent, and I want to be able to go to the restroom, grab a sandwich, whatever I want at any time,” Kline said. “Walking into an airport is quite scary, especially for a blind individual. Whether it’s construction or a large airport or a new airport, all of those can be a different, scary challenge.”
With this mapping service, Kline’s goal is to have everyone who walks into Eugene’s airport meet the challenge.
“As a blind individual (using the app), I have sight like anyone else would,” Kline said. “Whether someone speaks a different language, someone who is deaf or low hearing, neurodiverse, we have step-free routing for wheelchair users, and we’re getting people wherever they want to go within 1 meter and really making it to where I can access anything in the airport.”
To use the mobile app, the user first opens the camera and takes a panorama. From those images, the app determines the user’s location. It then offers different forms of notifications, such as vibration or narration, to guide users to their chosen destinations.
The app isn’t limited to Eugene’s airport. This year, the service expanded to 30 airports, including Portland International Airport.
The Eugene Airport spent about $5,200 to set up the project and will pay the same amount each year.
Cathryn Stephens, director of the Eugene Airport, said the app is an essential addition, considering the growth in airport passengers with diverse needs.
“It’s really been an initiative that we’ve had over the past several years to make sure that our passenger experience is the best it can be,” Stephens said. “And that includes everybody, and making sure that we have tools in place that allow folks who need to traverse public areas differently, a better way to get through.”