A revolutionary new app, aimed at transforming public transport for commuters who are blind or vision impaired is scheduled for limited trials in South Australia, Queensland and NSW.
The See Me app lets users alert bus drivers of their presence at a stop, ensuring they’re not missed. Once aboard, the app notifies them of upcoming stops, eliminating guesswork and anxiety. Designed to support people who are blind or vision impaired, it offers a more inclusive and stress-free public transport experience.
The app was developed by Cassie Hames, a software programmer who is legally blind and employed by the SAGE Group in Adelaide, that has secured a $500,000 investment from the iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre to proceed with the trials.
“The See Me app was an organic idea based on my experiences, and the experiences of many in the blind community, using public transport independently,” Hames said. “Going out into the community shouldn’t be less of an experience from one person to the next, regardless of ability, disability, or anything else.”
iMOVE CRC managing director Ian Christensen said “iMOVE CRC’s mission is to drive forward-thinking transport solutions, and the See Me app stands out as a testament to what’s possible when innovation meets necessity.”
According to SAGE Group managing director Adrian Fahey: “It’s important for us as an industry to help drive an initiative like this, and to bring greater awareness for what future mobility can achieve when embedded in the community.”
Hames’s recently earned international recognition for her idea when she won the Holman Prize and accompanying US$25,000 grant from San Francisco’s Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Photo: Cassie Hames