Recently, MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) partnered with GoodMaps for a Fall engagement event to expand the mission of making MSU’s campus more accessible. The event took place on November 14, 2023, and spanned across two buildings—the STEM building and Bessey Hall.
GoodMaps creates indoor navigation apps that help bring a more accessible experience for anyone navigating a building. With the release of their new and updated Indoor Navigation App in late October 2023, it was the perfect time to capture students and staff using the app to find their way around the STEM and Bessey Hall buildings. Tyler Smeltekop, Assistant Director of Assistive Technology Innovation with RCPD said, “Here at Michigan state, we find that it’s very important to be able to provide an inclusive, equitable experience not just for a student that is registered with our office, but all students.”
RCPD, along with GoodMaps, was on site at each location to share information about the new app as well as to help students and staff download it and use it in real time. Beti, a mechanical engineering student who is a user of the Indoor Navigation app said, “I think it’s a really good app and it could have a lot of positive impact.”
The app has a lot of features allowing users to receive an accurate navigation experience that is reliable and precise. Users can have the independence to control their own experience. “I think it’s very user friendly. There’s a lot of features that are kind of intuitive, like the arrows that it has. I like that it has the built-in voiceover features,” said Annika, Student Manager of Assistive Technology with RCPD.
The GoodMaps Indoor Navigation app is free to download and provides real time directions and information for users to freely and independently find their way to their destination. For more information, check out this video from the event. To download the app and start exploring, click here.