VIDBE-Q Volume 65 Issue 1
its launch, close to 1,000 individuals downloaded the app. Several
professionals, including those from national organizations praised our
efforts.
As a part of Parker's scholarly agenda, the topic of wayfinding apps
for travelers who are blind and deafblind has been under investigation.
Through a partnership with Dr. Martin Swobodzinski, a geographer at PSU,
Parker has been conducting focus group research along with a systematic
review of the literature to develop a more comprehensive understanding of
the ways and types of wayfinding apps that are used in largely urban
settings. Initial findings have been disseminated in this report: Electronic
Wayfinding for Visually Impaired Travelers: Limitations and Opportunities.
Swobodzinski and Parker have received a second grant from the National
Institute for Transportation Communities (NITC), a U.S. Department of
Transportation funded research and dissemination program. In a close
partnership with the American Printing House for the Blind (APH),
Swobodzinski and Parker, along with graduate students in O&M, are
investigating "seamless" wayfinding from indoor to outdoor environments.
Both Parker and Lawson have collaborated with experts in O&M to
design resource entitled: Maximizing O&M Services Through Distance
Consultation. This multimedia module is being field tested with students
