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AccessNow uses artificial intelligence to map accessibility in cities

By Francisco Arvilla

In 2015, Maayan Ziv, a woman with muscular dystrophy (SMA), developed AccessNow, an application in which information was shared collaboratively on how accessible buildings and public spaces were.

At the end of June, it was revealed that the developer – The Daniels Corporation and AccessNow, joined forces to begin mapping, reviewing and classifying the accessibility of companies and public spaces in Toronto's Regent Park, Canada's largest social park.

This social network, which started a few years ago and is now described by Ziv as a "low-tech approach", has just taken a leap towards the new technologies that are being developed today, building a connected ecosystem.

The company says its technology uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to understand and predict how accessible the world really is based on a variety of data from different sensors. “We work closely with our community to train our models to accurately learn from the lived experience of people with disabilities in order to develop ethical and inclusive AI.”

The community has already spread to 35 countries, they have classified more than 200,000 buildings and places, as they continue to grow. It is a great example of how to apply new technologies to make life more accessible to everyone.

The app works in Ireland and the UK, and already has a number of locations classified. Hopefully this technology company prospers and continues to grow, mapping the rest of the world, with the aim of improving everyone's experience of buildings and places across the globe.

You can see a short video of a presentation given by the company's founder, Maayan Ziv on their website here.

And you can also download the app from Apple and Goole app stores below.

AppleApp Store
Google Play App Store

For more information on AccessNow, you can visit their website by clicking here.

 Original article on which this is based.

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