Released in April 2007, Wayfinder Access was the first GPS application that was accessible for blind and low vision users on their mobile phone.
A breakthrough! an affordable product that made blind persons more independent by informing them about their surroundings and allowing them to walk any route they wanted.
Vodafone recently bought Wayfinder Systems and discontinued Wayfinder Access.
Most blind users don't have an alternative, so they will lose access to all the freedom GPS navigation can offer them.
The few alternatives to Wayfinder Access are at least twice as expensive and often don't run on a mobile phone, requiring the user to carry around and maintain a lot of extra expensive equipment.
In many countries, no alternative for Wayfinder is available at all.
As you will see, discontinuing Wayfinder Access would put thousands of blind pedestrians off track!
Please help us make clear to Vodafone that they are heading the wrong way and sign our petition! Please also pass on the link to this page to other persons to ensure we get as many signatures as possible!
Signing the petition is no longer possible.
Listen to the audio promotion of the petition and hear Wayfinder Access in action!
Read more information and the full petition.
In responce to our petition, Vodafone is offering Wayfinder Access users a refund of &euro 300. In addition, the Wayfinder Access code was released as open source (although given the shutdown of the underlying server infrastructure a successful open source future for Wayfinder Access seems unlikely). While a positive development, this solution still requires users to buy a new mobile phone, and still leaves users in India and other countries without any alternative to Wayfinder Access. We had worked out an exchange program alternative, which would not have cost Vodafone more than the current refund; but this solution was unfortunately rejected. Read the full statement as posted to the Wayfinder Access user list
Wayfinder Access servers will go offline on april 1, 2011. Wayfinder access users can apply for their &euro 300 refund at http://access.wayfinder.com.
3025 persons have signed this petition so far!
View the list of public signatures!
If you are on facebook, please join the Save Wayfinder facebook group! It's the place to stay informed and get in touch with other people who want to ensure the continued availability of an affordable GPS solution for the blind.
Our campaign has been featured on
BBC radio 4 In Touch
Listen to an interview with Neil Barnfather about our campaign on the Infosound website!
Listen to an in-depth interview with Neil Barnfather about the Wayfinder Access Protest Petition in the march 2, 2010 episode of innovations podcast!
The petition is featured on the BlindCoolTech podcast!
German article about our campaign at heise.de
Dutch article about our campaign on webwereld.nl.
If you have any questions regarding this petition, please send an e-mail to service@talknav.com. This petition is being organized by Neil Barnfather (text), Tim in 't Veld (developer / webmaster / text contributions) and Paul Hopkins (text contributions).
This petition is powered by: