"Visually impaired" - Google News - Thursday, March 14, 2019 at 12:12 PM
All McDonald's in Israel install beacons to help the visually impaired - From
the Grapevine
[Our Friend from Israel podcast] <https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/podcasts>
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[The RightHear sticker is displayed on a McDonald's door in Israel.] [The
RightHear sticker is displayed on a McDonald's door in Israel.] The RightHear
sticker is displayed on a McDonald's door in Israel. The system allows visually
impaired customers to navigate through the store independently. (Photo:
RightHear)
RightHear, an app-and-sensor-system for the blind, will help locate a store,
order a Big Mac and much more.
by Jaime Bender<https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/authors/jaime-bender> |
Thursday, March 14, 2019
by Jaime Bender<https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/authors/jaime-bender>
Thursday, March 14, 2019
When co-founder Idan Meir launched a startup called RightHear in March 2015, he
and his team intended to turn large, complex spaces into accessible
environments for the visually
impaired<https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/health/how-blind-helping-understand-brain>.
"Hotels<https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/travel/why-norman-tel-aviv-was-ranked-best-hotel-israel>,
shopping malls,
airports<https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/travel/ramon-airport-israel-asaf-mann>,
etc.," explained Meir, who previously founded Hubanana, a leading nonprofit
hub for startups. "We thought that the bigger the indoor space is, the more
difficult it would be to find your way inside of it for the blind or visually
impaired users of ours."
Turns out they were wrong.
"The truth is that it doesn’t really matter ... the size of the space," Meir
said. "The difficulty to [orient] indoors for a blind or visually impaired
person – in a large or a small environment – remains the same. ... The helpless
feeling of, 'Where am I?' And, "where is everything?' remain the same feeling."
So they started to think about small environments that are well-distributed
across the country, he said. McDonald's, naturally, came to mind.
After months of development and planning, RightHear has installed their system
in all 180 McDonald's stores in Israel. It's now the first chain in the country
to do so. RightHear is also implemented in some 800 venues worldwide, Meir said.
[embedded content]
The system has three key components:
* Accessibility spot: A tiny, smart, self-powered sensor that uses
Bluetooth technology to detect whenever a user is nearby.
It can be easily installed anywhere, indoor and outdoor, and can typically be
found near entrances, restrooms, elevators, stairs or any other point of
interest in the venues.
* Mobile app: Packed with information about the venue such as hours of
operation, services, nearby obstacles, venue description and special events. It
also includes points of interest nearby with clear details about their
direction and distance.
* Content management platform: Allows the venue’s owner to manage the fleet
of accessibility spots and easily edit the accessibility information in
real-time.
In developing the technology for McDonald's, Meir said he was impressed by the
company's commitment to finding
solutions<https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/innovation/eyecane-eyemusic-help-blind>
for its visually impaired customers. Part of that commitment, he said, lies in
the fact that the chain employs a large number of people with disabilities.
Some of those people worked on the collaboration with RightHear.
"When inclusion is a strong part of your company’s DNA, you hire the best
talents regardless of ethnicity, disabilities, gender, religion or anything
else," he said.
[RightHear founders, from left: CEO Idan Meir, and CTO Gil Elgrably.]
<https://media.fromthegrapevine.com/assets/images/2019/3/righthear-founders.JPG.824x0_q71.jpg>
RightHear founders, from left: CEO Idan Meir, and CTO Gil Elgrably. (Photo:
RightHear)
* Author Profile
* Latest Stories
Jaime Bender<https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/authors/jaime-bender> is a staff
writer, copy editor and web producer at From the Grapevine who also manages
Israeli Kitchen, From The Grapevine’s food channel.
MORE FROM THE GRAPEVINE:
[Photos and Slideshows][Photos and
Slideshows]<https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/photos>
Related Topics: Apps<https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/tag/apps>
All McDonald's in Israel install beacons to help the visually impaired
RightHear, an app-and-sensor-system for the blind, will help locate a store,
order a Big Mac and much more.
[Our Friend from Israel podcast] <https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/podcasts>
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