CanGo – An Empowering Wayfinding Tool for Persons with Disabilities

For many persons with disabilities, for example those living with cognitive or visual impairments, it is often impossible to drive a personal vehicle and to travel independently, whether to school, to therapy, to their work place or to visit their friends. Because of their challenges, they must rely on caregivers or family members for transport, or use disability transport services that are often limited and quite unreliable. In many cases, those with disabilities lack the confidence to use public transit systems moreover, their parents or caregivers are often very wary of letting them travel by themselves.

Our research will involve extensive engagement and consultation with users, the development of a range of customized tools e.g. tools that provide alerts or notifications to users and caregivers. The adoption of CanGo could lead to huge benefits and reduced costs to individuals with special needs (through their increased independence), their families and caregivers, and to support services.

Faculty Supervisor:

Drs. Yvonne Coady, Fayez Gebali & Stephen Neville

Student:

Dean Pucsek, Yanyan Zhuang, Chris Pearson, Antnony Estey & TBD

Partner:

CanAssist

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

Digital media

University:

University of Victoria