A Public Transit Assistant for Blind Bus Passengers

Public transit is the key to independence for many blind persons but, despite recent progress in assistive technology, remains challenging for those without sight. To this end, the authors developed a prototype mobile application that communicates information via Wi-Fi access points installed in buses and at bus stops to help blind bus passengers reach their destination. A user study of the system yielded insights into general accessibility issues for blind public transit riders as well as ways to improve the proposed system.