Giving people back their independence in the airport

Dr Anna Wright explains how she’s making things easier for people with disabilities at the airport

Airports can be difficult to navigate at the best of times – and for the blind and visually impaired, they can be an even more frustrating experience. In October last year, Sunshine Coast Airport became the first airport in Australia to install BindiMaps, a navigation solution that uses Bluetooth beacons and smartphone sensors to offer map-based, audio, or text directions in real-time.

According to founder Dr Anna Wright, the technology can help visually impaired passengers find not only their gate lounges, but bathrooms, food and drink outlets, stores, and other important destinations in airports and other buildings like shopping centres and office blocks. Here, she tells us more.