A new nature trail at Strathclyde Country Park is accessible to people with a visual impairment thanks to an innovative new app.
The myEyes app uses cutting-edge technology to assist individuals with visual impairments and mobility difficulties to move around locations such as museums, shopping malls, parks, stations and airports.
It was developed by Filipe Almeida Silva, a Portuguese neuroscientist based in Lisbon who formed iKi Technologies in Glasgow and Self Energy Ltd based in the UK and Portugal.
The companies worked with our Greenspace team to apply the app to a nature trail recently created at the Bellshill Gateway within Strathclyde Country Park.
myEyes guides visitors along the trail, which runs from the gateway site, crosses the South Calder River and takes in the woodland and grassland habitats of Strathclyde Park, and describes the wildlife and features along the route.
The myEyes app can be used in many languages and can be downloaded from the Apple App store: apps.apple.com/gb/app/myeyes/id1078083219
Convener of Environment and Climate Change Committee at North Lanarkshire Council, Councillor Helen Loughran, said, "The project initiated at Strathclyde Park will contribute to transforming the experience for visually-impaired individuals, enabling them to interact with and understand the natural world around them.
“We are delighted that this wonderful country park is being used to test such innovative technology with impressive and tangible community benefits.”
myEyes app was launched at Strathclyde Country Park and was showcased at the Royal National Institute for the Blind’s Inclusive Design for Sustainability conference at Glasgow Science Centre on 21 and 22 June.
Ana Sofia Antunes, Secretary of State for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities with the Portuguese government, has supported the development of the app and visited Strathclyde Country Park for the launch event.
Also attending was Miguel Matias, CEO of Self Energy Ltd. He said: “This app aims to promote independence, inclusivity, and a renewed sense of engagement with the world.
“It allows visually impaired individuals to explore this captivating trail and comprehend their surroundings within a stimulating natural environment, complete with the serene backdrop of a river and beautiful nature park.”
Fraser Fleming, CEO of TripleTapTech, made the first introductions of the My Eyes app and helped in the implementation of the app in the venues in Dundee and was very keen to have it put to use in his home town of Motherwell.
Fraser, pictured above with his guide dog Mabel, is registered blind and knows first hand the difference that technology can make. He set up TripleTapTech in 2018 to help the visually impaired community in Scotland access and use technology. TripleTapTech helped to map out the app on the nature trail and provided accessibility testing before the launch.
He said: “This app has already had a great impact on the helping people with a visual impairment access new locations and interact in the same space as those who are fully sight can do. We are looking forward to introducing this trail to the people we support.”
Elsewhere in Scotland, the app is installed in the V&A, Science Centre, Botanical Garden, a bus route, railway station and other parts of Dundee city centre.