Anyone who has used a GPS navigation system before will know just how useful it is, but unfortunately the blind are unable to take advantage of it until now. Il Village from Italy has developed the Easy Walk service that offers GPS navigation to the blind and partially sighted by combining a Symbian-powered cellphone, a Bluetooth GPS receiver, a text-to-speech software, and a 24/7 call center. Pressing one of two dedicated keys on the handset will let the user know their exact location, including the house or building number, while the other button will access the call center for assistance with navigation where an operator will then guide the person step-by-step to their destination. Hopefully this service will be able to roll out soon and be a boon to blind and partially sighted people worldwide.
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