WEST BOISE, Idaho — The city of Boise is prioritizing accessibility with new technology that helps visually impaired visitors navigate the Boise Watershed through special QR codes and an app called NaviLens.
"It brings it to life, it brings the Boise watershed or a space to life to me. It gives it dimension, and I can kind of picture it in my mind's eye what's around me," said Dianna Willis, a member of the City of Boise Disability Task Force.
Watch to see what this new technology is offering to those who need it:
Willis is totally blind, but she and her guide dog, Babbs, can still experience the Boise Water Shed using these special QR codes.
"Using NaviLens, I am able to be a part of the community and get the information and just feel like, it's a place for me to be too," Willis said.
The technology works through special codes placed throughout the exhibit hall. Using the NaviLens app, visitors can scan them to hear wayfinding directions and information about the exhibits.
"Without NaviLens or accessible digital technology, it would feel in a way kind of flat," Willis said.
The app can also translate the material into 38 different languages, including American Sign Language.
"We are one of the first centers and museums in the United States to utilize this technology," said Cindy Busche, who leads the Water Shed education program.
She says they wanted to use this new technology to make the experience more accessible to all.
"It helps with anyone who is visually impaired or blind, to be able to navigate and understand some of the content, to have an equal opportunity in experience within this exhibit space," Busche said.
The Water Shed teaches visitors all about the Boise River and how water works in the region with plenty of interactive panels and activities.
"Well, this is an example of a facility that would be difficult to navigate, and to know what was in it if it didn't have the NaviLens codes," said Carol Baron, who has low vision.
She says expanding technology like this helps everyone enjoy what Boise has to offer.
"Boise's city motto is a city for everyone and if people can't access different facilities and events, then it's not for everyone. So having the NaviLens technology installed here at the watershed makes it accessible for everybody," Baron said.
Visitors can try using NaviLens during the Hands Around the Capitol event on Friday, July 25.
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