A new form of technology is helping people who are blind or visually impaired to travel with confidence. WeWALK’s smart cane allows them to safely navigate city streets.

Assistive Technology

According to the World Health Organization, there are 285 million people who are visually impaired and 39 million who are blind worldwide. This creates a huge market for assistive technology. (1)

And that market is growing. Experts expect its global value to grow from $14 billion in 2015 to $30.8 billion in 2024. (2)

People with mobility difficulties are 39% less likely to take trips outside of the house than people without mobility difficulties. Considering all of these numbers, there are many opportunities to help people with disabilities by developing new assistive technologies. (3)

WeWALK’s Smart Cane

Kürşat Ceylan, the CEO and founder of WeWALK, was born blind. He saw an opportunity to develop the cane that is often used by people with visual impairments into something better. (2)

“In these days we are talking about flying cars,” Keylan said in an interview with CNN, “but these people have been using just a plain stick.” (2)

The WeWALK stick is a smart cane that pairs with a phone application via Bluetooth. Users can request navigation from the cane without getting their phone out. They can control the smart cane with a touchpad or through voice control. (4)

The WeWALK stick also has obstacle detection. This feature makes it ideal for people with visual impairments to use while navigating city streets. The smart cane has an ultrasonic sensor that can detect obstacles above chest height up to 63 inches away. It warns the user with vibration so that they can avoid hindrances to their path. (4)

WeWALK’s smart cane has a battery life of up to five hours. It offers language support in English and Turkish. (4)

Financial Barriers

While new technologies like the WeWALK stick are exciting, they remain financially out of reach for many people with disabilities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 19.1% of people with disabilities were employed in 2018. In the same year, 65.9% of people without disabilities were employed. For people who are unable to work because of a disability, spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on new assistive technology is often not possible. (5)

Anna Lawson is the director of the Center for Disability Studies at Leeds University in the United Kingdom. “These are all really exciting initiatives that will make a huge difference to some people,” she told CNN. “But they are very expensive … they’re not going to be available to the vast majority of disabled people.” (2)

Although new assistive technologies like WeWALK’s smart cane may be expensive, companies should continue to develop them. As companies are able to produce more of them, the cost will likely decrease. And any solutions that allow people with disabilities to more easily navigate the world are positive.

WeWALK’s smart cane sells for $499. They have their own solution to the financial barriers faced by many people with disabilities. On their website, people have the option to buy a WeWALK stick for themselves or donate one to someone that needs it. (4, 6)