To coincide with the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, supermarket Asda’s flagship store in Stevenage was integrated into the GoodMaps smartphone app, that has been designed specifically for the blind or partially sighted.
Retail Gazette reports that while the GoodMaps app provides obvious benefits to disabled users, the usability of the software is not limited to those who are blind or visually impaired, as the supermarket says to is striving to be an inclusive business and to make it easier for all its shoppers to visit its stores.
“We hope that by working with GoodMaps we can understand how we can make the in-store experience better for our blind and partially sighted customers,” said Kane Stephenson, Inclusion Manager at Asda.
The app can pinpoint the user’s location within a meter of accuracy and then communicate directions to an object or area via audio, enlarged visual, and touch commands.
Users will be able to search the app for key landmarks in the storm such as the pharmacy, bathrooms, and tills, as well as being able to search for particular groceries and items on the shelves, with the aim being to be able to direct the customer to as close as possible to the item they are searching for.
Stephenson added that the Stevenage store is the ideal location for trailing the app, as it has already undergone several technology trials in the past, and looks for ways to make shopping easier for its customers.
GoodMaps aims to make a leap in the quality and scale of accessible navigation. The GoodMaps mission is to improve the accessibility, safety, and inclusivity of indoor spaces.
This is achieved by creating and maintaining accurate digital maps, providing indoor positioning technology, and delivering a simple and intuitive wayfinding experience to all users.
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15 January,2022
