Author: Pan Shaoying Source: IT Times
Now is the season of spring, and everyone is willing to take advantage of the spring to go out for a walk, including the "wheelchair crowd" who are inconvenient to travel.
"But one of our common minds is the fear of bothering others. Even though I've run marathons, I used to think about going out into the neighborhood for a long time. Now that there are more and more barrier-free facilities, I have been to Guangzhou and Beijing with wheelchair navigation, so it is easier to find my destination, and I am no longer so afraid to go out. Ruan Cheng, a wheelchair dancer at the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, once said.
In recent years, with the support and guidance of the China Disabled Persons' Federation and the Zhejiang Disabled Persons' Federation, AutoNavi Map has joined hands with Alibaba Public Welfare to promote a social welfare environment shared by the whole people, and has continuously expanded the coverage of barrier-free wheelchair navigation services, which have been expanded to 50 cities across the country, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Hohhot, etc., and the number of barrier-free route planning services provided has exceeded 51 million times.
Users use AutoNavi wheelchair navigation to take the subway
According to reports, in November 2022, with the support and guidance of the China Disabled Persons' Federation and the Zhejiang Disabled Persons' Federation, AutoNavi Map and Ali Charity launched a barrier-free wheelchair navigation function specially developed for the disabled and vulnerable groups to alleviate the "trouble" and "fear" of going out as Ruan Cheng said - on the basis of the digitalization of barrier-free facilities, with corresponding route planning and navigation strategies, avoiding steps and steep slopes, and giving priority to planning routes with complete facilities.
It is worth mentioning that Guo Bailing, an engineer from Alibaba, who participated in the project, is also a wheelchair user. Initially, to make it easier for him and other employees with disabilities to travel, Alibaba's office campus has been made accessible in more than 50 locations since 2020. Through his introduction and introduction, the product R&D engineers had a more intuitive and detailed understanding of the ideas of the wheelchair population, so as to quickly start the product design of AutoNavi wheelchair navigation and complete the launch.
AutoNavi wheelchair navigation R&D engineers conducted a road test with Ruan Cheng
As a wheelchair user for many years, Hu Xionghua, president of the Zhejiang Association for the Promotion of Barrier-free Environment Construction, has first-hand feelings about the anxiety of the disabled group when going out. In the past, ordinary people were comfortable navigating, but when they arrived at wheelchair users, they had to refer to cycling and walking navigation, and they had to find ways to avoid underpasses and pedestrian bridges, and they also needed to ask for additional information about barrier-free routes when taking the subway. "I am very happy and pleased to see the emergence of wheelchair navigation, which will bring more confidence to people with disabilities to travel, and I hope to arouse more attention to accessibility. It is hoped that the forces of the whole society will participate in and improve together. ”
In 2023, AutoNavi Map and Ali Public Welfare also jointly launched the wheelchair navigation "Love Report" volunteer action, advocating that the majority of netizens participate in the construction of a barrier-free environment. Netizens can easily upload information about barrier-free facilities and barrier-free routes around them by searching for "Love Report" on AutoNavi Map, and Alibaba Charity has also launched a "Love Report" volunteer activity on the "3 Hours for Everyone" platform.
AutoNavi map search "love report" to participate in volunteer activities
In recent years, the level of barrier-free facilities, information barrier-free and service-free construction in mainland China has been continuously improved, and on September 1, 2023, the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Construction of Barrier-free Environment was officially implemented. It is clearly mentioned that the state encourages map navigation and positioning products to gradually improve the identification of barrier-free facilities and the navigation function of barrier-free travel routes.
In the future, AutoNavi Map and Ali Charity will continue to cooperate, taking technology as the cornerstone and user needs as the guide, to help build a barrier-free society, so that more wheelchair users can travel with confidence and dignity every time.