In honor of “Blind Day,” last Tuesday the Knesset launched a new personalized audio guidance, developed by Israeli start-up RightHear, to assist the blind, visually impaired, and people with orientation difficulties in navigating the Knesset halls. The special event of solidarity for the blind and visually impaired community, took place at the Knesset building, considered to be one of the most accessible parliaments in the world. The hundreds of guests enjoyed using the successful navigation system for the blind in the Knesset, through the “RightHear” app. The company recently completed a fundraising round led by the international impact fund, Menomadin Foundation.
Experts at RightHear explained that the system connects a dedicated mobile application to strategically placed wireless beacons in public spaces and accessibility points. It provides audio descriptions of the environment and directly transmits them to smartphones or tablets. This is how the system enables blind individuals, visually impaired individuals, or those with difficulty orienting themselves to navigate independently and experience the world securely.
“The Menomadin Foundation has invested in our audio signage system which allows individuals with visual impairments and blindness to use the application for free, tailored to all mobile devices, alongside constant updates and development of the application,” RightHear said.
Moshe Chico Edri, Director-General of the Knesset said, “The Knesset will continue to work toward making the premises accessible to people with disabilities, and will enable all visitors to experience the best of visiting and democracy. On Blind Day, we are proud to showcase the technological initiatives that we implement in the Knesset, with an ongoing commitment to progress and innovation.”
