Ontario region switcher

Notice

For content relevant to your community in Ontario, Please select your region

On the left, the CNIB Foundation brushstroke logo. On the left, the MapinHood Logo: a small green hat with a red pin in the shape of a feather.

The CNIB Foundation announces partnership with accessible personalized navigation app, MapinHood

The CNIB Foundation is proud to announce their partnership with MapinHood, a personalized navigation app specifically designed to source accessible and safe routes in the city of Toronto.

Accessible navigation apps are often an essential tool for people with sight loss. They allow for independent, safe travel. But prior to the release of MapinHood, most navigation apps have been designed to meet the needs of drivers and transit riders, rather than for pedestrians.

The pilot registration for the fully accessible app, which launches today, uses crowdsourcing data to plot individualized routes so users can safely and quickly navigate the city. Now, especially during the time of COVID-19, the need for these tools that support safe and accessible navigation has never been greater. For people with sight loss, who rely on touch, technology, and companions to navigate the world around them, physical distancing can be practically impossible.

The app will allow users to access personalized navigation routes, and aid in avoiding hazards, locate amenities, and will even help Torontonians practice social distancing. The app will provide feedback and route users away from crowded sidewalks, aiding in safe, independent travel, as well as helping to minimize everyone’s risk of exposure.

MapinHood is currently seeking participants in the Toronto area to help pilot the new app. The pilot program will run from May 22, 2020 and will ask for feedback through a five-minute survey, once a month until August 2020.

To register, use the code CNIB2020 and visit https://mapinhood.com/pilotRegister

MapinHood is available for download on for iOS or android app store:

iOS - http://tiny.cc/23x0jz

Android - http://tiny.cc/e3x0jz

More News

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) went on strike this morning, Friday, November 15. CNIB is working to minimize the impact the strike will have on Canadians who are blind, Deafblind, or who have low vision, particularly as it relates to the delivery of alternative-format materials provided through our partners at CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Access).
At CNIB, we believe that everyone should be able to depend on public transit to get to where they need to go, when they need to go – from the first kilometre to the last kilometre. Join us in championing safer, more accessible journeys. Because everyone should be able to rely on public transit to travel door-to-door, safely and independently. Watch our Public Service Announcement and visit cnib.ca/transit to learn more.
The federal government recently launched a public consultation to gather feedback on the proposed Canada Disability Benefit Regulations (hereafter “the Regulations”) which, once approved by the Government of Canada, will set out technical details for the design and implementation of the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB). CNIB submitted feedback to the consultation, informed by an engagement survey distributed to our community members asking for their perspectives on key aspects of the Regulations. Our final submission brief made 14 recommendations to the Government and touched on topics including eligibility criteria, payment amounts, program administration, employment supports, and more.
We are thrilled to announce that registration is now open for Connecting the Dots 2024, Canada's largest conference focused on education, technology, and employment for people who are blind, Deafblind, or have low vision. This year, we're bringing the event to four dynamic cities across Canada, and we can't wait for you to join us!
The Canada Disability Benefit Act became law in 2023 and seeks to create a new federal benefit program that will strengthen the financial security and independence of Canadians with disabilities from coast to coast to coast. Now, the Government of Canada is seeking feedback from the disability community on its proposed Canada Disability Benefit Regulations, which will set out the design and technical details of the program, scheduled to launch in July 2025. CNIB is seeking the perspectives of our community members to inform our submission to the Government’s consultation, and we’re asking you to get involved by completing our survey.
Read more news