Interactive technology has become so integral to our lives we often wonder what we did without it before.

With mobile phones, self service checkouts and laptops at the forefront of our daily lives we can begin to see how the rest of our future will pan out.

Well think about the new changes technology has made for visually impaired people, and how interactive technology has changed the way they live and work on a daily basis.

With the help of interactive systems such as touch screen kiosks out and about the town, visually impaired people are able to access a wide range of activities and events with the help of technology.

Talking Kiosk at Penn Station NYC

The launch of this kiosks began in New York City’s Penn Station in July 1999 when the city launched the first permanent way-finding kiosk for Visually Impaired People.

This talking self service kiosk was funded by Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and is situated within the LIRR terminal on the lower level floor.

The Talking Kiosk runs on an internal computer and combines a tactile/talking map with a standard telephone style keypad.

Travellers use one or both to access the cleverly crafted way-finding information service to enhance their freedom and independence in this complicated public space.

Information from the kiosk is delivered simultaneously in clear, human speech and high contrast large print video display.

To ensure that Visually Impaired people know the exact location of the kiosk, a bird song can be heard from 150 feet away even during peak traffic hours.

The user then follows this song and once within 10 feet of the self service kiosk, the voice of the kiosk greets them and invites them to use the system.

At 2 feet the kiosk’s voice welcomes him and begins his session by letting him know what is in front of him, and exactly how to use it. If a user is already familiar with the system, the individual can hit the star key on the keypad and be immediately diverted to the kiosk’s main menu.

Transit users without visual impairments are also able to utilise the Talking Kiosk. Many find it is clear, friendly and easy to use.

Talking Kiosk at Whitehall Ferry Terminal NYC

Another kiosk for the visually impaired sits also within NYC in the Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Lower Manhattan in 2008.  

The Talking Kiosk is from the same family as the kiosk in Penn Station and Karen Gourgey, head of Baruch’s Computer Centre for Visually Impaired People, was at the centre of its development.

Gourney describes the Talking Kiosks as, “basically a talking tactile map with some buttons that give the user access to various menus that allow him or her to glean particular types of information.

“The user explores the map with his hands and when he presses a particular point, the system speaks and announces what has been touched. Information is also available in large print to accommodated people with low vision.

The applications that the self service kiosk offers is beneficial to the visually impaired for many reasons. “It describes how to find various points within the facility where it is located, [...] it can point people to ticket counters restrooms, shops whatever the major amenities are withing any given facility,” says Gourgey.

According to Gourgey, the self service kiosk is great for visually impaired people to navigate space as the descriptions are clear and precise.

“[The descriptions] are crafted in such a way that they are easily understandable to the person who doesn’t necessarily use vision as the primary source of information when travelling.”

Gourgey further explained that it was, “originally conceived as a system to assist with way-finding in transit facilities. The original funding was in the form of a grant from Project ACTION, a federally-funded organisation with the mandate of working to improve access to public transit for individuals with disabilities.

The first kiosk launched at Penn Station was assessed by a group of individual uses who arrived at the terminal and used it to find particular destinations. “Their success at finding these were recorded, as well as the time they spent using the kiosk and their self reports of their experiences.

“Suggestions were incorporated into later version, but to a person, they expressed the hope that such kiosks would soon make their appearance in other large service facilities whether for transit, shopping or other needs.”