McDonald’s in Israel is teaming up with RightHear, a startup that developed a system to assist the visually impaired in complex spaces. Idan Meir, the co-founder of RightHear, said, “The difficulty to orient indoors for a blind or visually impaired person—in a large or small environment—remains the same. The helpless feeling of, ‘where am I?’ and, ‘where is everything?’ remain the same feeling.”
After months of development, RightHear has installed its system in all of Israel’s 180 stores. Additionally, RightHear has also been implemented in 800 venues around the world.
The system is comprised of three main parts: an accessibility spot, a mobile app and a content management platform. The accessibility spot is a tiny, self-powered sensor that uses Bluetooth to detect whenever a user is nearby. They are easily installed and are usually located at entrances, bathrooms, elevators, stairs, etc. The app provides information about venues including opening hours, what they offer, special events, etc. Additionally, it also includes points of interest nearby and instructions on how to navigate there. The content management platform allows venue owners to update their store's details and manage their information.
Meir mentioned that working with McDonald’s had been a rewarding experience as McDonald’s was willing to collaborate and explore options thoroughly. McDonald’s employs a large number of people with disabilities and were eager to find ways in which they could assist the impaired.
