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Read original article on the APH Blog GoodMaps is making everyday travel more accessible. Born as a spin-off of the work APH started with Nearby Explorer, GoodMaps has been hard at work creating and implementing their state-of-the-art mapping techniques, including mobile LiDAR scanners and Camera-based Positioning System (CPS) for incredibly accurate maps. Not only has this simplified the mapping process for venues, but it also makes the free GoodMaps Explore app fast, easy, and effective for travelers. Want to learn more about what makes GoodMaps tick? Read our introduction blog, and get to know the GoodMaps advantage: The GoodMaps Advantage promises: more accurate navigation; more simple implementation with little to no upkeep; to be more usable by providing free and intuitive apps for users; to be more secure for the venues that can control levels of information access. Now that you’re familiar with GoodMaps, let’s talk about all the exciting plans they have for 2021! APH Smart Cities Expanding on a previous APH initiative to make our hometown of Louisville, Kentucky an accessible city, GoodMaps is working with local venues to switch from the infrastructure-heavy beacons of the past, to their new and more accurate mapping system. Building on the great relationships APH has maintained in the community, GoodMaps is already transitioning previous legacy buildings that used the old Indoor Explorer technology to this new accessible tech. The goal of the APH Smart Cities initiative is to continue expanding the accessibility and safety of indoor spaces in the Louisville area with the mission to bring on more buildings so we can become a fully inclusive community for people who are blind or visually impaired. So far, the following buildings have committed to this technology transition: Kentucky School for the Blind (KSB) Louisville Science Center Floyd County Library Kentucky Museum of Arts and Crafts (KMAC) Actor’s Theatre of Louisville LouieLab (a civic innovation hub and coworking space) Louisville Metro Hall Speed Art Museum Muhammad Ali Center University of Louisville Student Activities Center With many more to come! GoodMaps Explore New Release Since our last check in, GoodMaps released a new version of their GoodMaps Explore app on both iOS and Android platforms. The new release contains improvements to indoor directions, outdoor to indoor transitions, and indoor location notifications. The full release notes can be found here: GoodMaps Explore What’s New. Plus, they introduced a great new audio tutorial featuring GoodMaps Chief Evangelist Mike May and J.J. Meddaugh from A.T. Guys! The audio tutorial is great for users who want to learn about the Explore app, covering both indoor and outdoor use. It’s even broken into chapters, so busy travelers who want to learn about one specific feature can do so quickly. Take a listen. Going Places We can’t give you any details yet, but GoodMaps is on the move. The team is hitting the road to expand its impact across the country and beyond! Stay tuned for updates as the year goes on.

GoodMaps is happy to be collaborating with Accessibility.com. They are on a mission to create objective and trustworthy information and resources to become a catalyst for equal access to the physical and digital worlds. Their website covers everything from Digital to Physical Accessibility as well as providing background info on disabilities and even influential lawsuits. Recently, GoodMaps was featured in their blog to highlight the benefits of creating accessible indoor spaces. The article, "Is Lack of Information Access Getting Between You and Your Customers?" discusses what business owners have to gain by mapping their building and implementing indoor navigation.

J.J. Medaugh interviews GoodMaps’ CEO, Jose Gaztambide on the Blind Bargins Podcast to learn about the evolution and exciting developments at GoodMaps. Tune in to learn more about GoodMaps’ indoor positioning technology, the philosophy behind developments, and their vision for the next five years. J.J. also gives listeners a detailed demonstration of GoodMaps’ free iOS and Android app, called GoodMaps Explore, with both outdoor and indoor functionality, by going through pieces of the audio tutorial that he and Mike May created. You can experience various features first-hand, to name a couple, location description, getting warmer, and customization settings.

Mike May and GoodMaps' Explore app were featured on Eye on Vision, WYPL-FM 89.3's, show for those with visual impairment airing each Sunday at 11 AM hosted by Janet Sides.