The first solution Okeenea created was in the 90s to help visually impaired people to cross streets safely. “We developed audio signage installed on the traffic lights that are triggered remotely because we thought that to find push buttons in the street for blind people was quite weird. So we gave the push button to the end users through a remote control and they have the capacity to activate voice information all around the city, including accessible pedestrian signals,” explains Denoncin.
In France, dozens of thousands of users already have this free remote control or they can download an app for free. “We have some 300,000 pieces of equipment all around the country, starting from traffic lights in all the main cities in France. We also equipped all the railway stations in France, the metro station in Paris, in Lyon, etc. Some shops are equipped, just to bridge the gap for the last five feet. Let’s say you’re at the post office. The front desk is 5 meters after the automatic door. So you have the localization because the audio beacon is just installed above the entrance.”
Okeenea has also spearheaded disabled access to arts and culture. “We create exhibits for museums using universal design. Everybody wants to have a great experience in museums. One of the best ways to do it is to be able to touch something, to have a real physical experience. So we have a dedicated company called Tactile Studio. And we work with museums as a design agency and a workshop because we build those exhibits. So you can have visual information, audio information, braille, or embossed information. We can create 3D models that everybody can touch. Our exhibitions have a great impact on visitor numbers and they double the time people spend on certain exhibits.”
Denoncin says there’s no question that Okeenea’s innovations have made the world a better and fairer place.“There are 1.3 billion people with disabilities in the world. 60 million are wheelchair-users, 450 to 500 million people are hearing-impaired and another half a million have cognitive issues. So it’s a huge challenge. And we believe those people must have free and easy access to all the services provided by cities.”
