“Beacons for the visually impaired and blind are devices used to improve the accessibility and independence of people with visual impairments. The beacons use technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for short-range communication, allowing precise localization and reduced energy consumption.” This was stated by the municipal councilor of Foggia, Nunzio Angiola. Precisely tomorrow, June 12, in the City Council, the administration’s response to an interpellation filed by him is expected.
“Here are just some of the functions performed by radio beacons, as experienced in many cities in Italy and around the world, orientation and navigation: radio beacons emit signals that can be detected by a receiver device, such as a smartphone or a special portable device, helping the user to orient themselves in a specific environment, such as buildings, public transport stations, shopping centers, etc.”.
And again: “Real-time information: can provide information via voice or text readable by screen readers regarding the user’s current location, directions to reach specific destinations, descriptions of places of interest, services available nearby, etc.; safety: they improve user safety by providing warnings about potential dangers or obstacles in their immediate vicinity, such as steps, sliding doors, works in progress, etc.; improved accessibility in public events and places: in environments such as museums, exhibitions, conferences etc., beacons can offer accessible information on exhibitors, works of art, ongoing presentations and more, enriching the experience of visually impaired users; independence: the use of radio beacons allows visually impaired users to move with greater confidence and independence, reducing the need for personal assistance for navigation in public and private spaces”.
According to Angiola, “the public buildings of the Municipality of Foggia do not offer this type of aid, although it may open up new possibilities for social inclusion and the mobility of people with visual disabilities. For this reason we expect the administration to want to give a positive response to the visually impaired and blind, including their families, through the activation of radio beacons in municipal buildings open to the public, with the gradualness that is appropriate. The associations we contacted welcomed our initiative very positively”.
And he concludes: “With the request for the activation of the figure of the Guarantor for Disability, with the request for the installation of radio beacons, with the request for the establishment of ‘barrier free’ routes for people with motor disabilities, in view of the Jubilee of 2025, we at the Cambia political movement are without a shadow of a doubt, at this stage, the political party present in the city council that is most attentive to the needs of people with disabilities. The facts speak for themselves,” commented the city councilor.
