Press coverage for WayAround continues to grow. Over the past year, we’ve been featured in podcasts, major media outlets, blogs, and more.
As we continue sharing WayAround with the world, we enjoy seeing how our product has had a positive impact on the lives of thousands of customers.
With that in mind, let’s look back at some of our favorite news stories from 2018.
Dallas Innovates Features WayAround as a “Life-Changing” App
WayAround was featured in the January 10, 2018 edition of Dallas Innovates, a print magazine dedicated to featuring innovative companies across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area.
In an article titled, “Dallas Architects Create ‘Life-Changing’ App for People with Vision Loss”, writer Jewels Clark explained the story behind WayAround. Clark described how our co-founders met each other during a college internship in the 1970s. The story mentions how one of our co-founders, Armand Fisher, started losing his vision more than a decade ago due to idiopathic ischemic optic neuritis, becoming blind within a few weeks. Our other co-founder, Darwin Belt, first lost his vision at age 30. He then had it surgically corrected, but has had low vision for many years.
As explained by Jewels Clark, the two bonded over their vision issues and experience as architects.
The two later teamed up to launch WayAround. The rest is history!
WayAround Was Featured on the Blind Abilities Podcast
Blind Abilities is a community of individuals with vision loss. In the summer of 2018, WayAround was featured in an episode of the Blind Abilities podcast.
The Blind Abilities podcast team met up with WayAround at the National Federation of the Blind Convention in Orlando. The team described WayAround as “a great way to identify just about anything” and praised WayAround for effectively using NFC technology.
You can listen to the full podcast episode with WayAround and Blind Abilities here.
Eyes on Success Explores WayAround Smartphone App
In July 2018, WayAround Founder Darwin Belt and Marketing Director Jessica Hipp sat down with the Eyes on Success team for an episode of Eyes on Success (EOS). In EOS #1829, WayAround was described as “a smart phone app that provides on-demand details about everyday things.”
During the 30 minute interview, hosts Nancy and Peter Torpey spoke with us about how WayAround works. We discussed the personal motivation Belt had to launch WayAround.
Vision Monday Praises WayAround’s Smart Assistant Technology
In December 2018, WayAround was featured by Vision Monday, a publication dedicated to exploring and featuring vision technology. The publication explained the benefits of WayAround before highlighting the upcoming launch of WayAround for Public Spaces:
“WayAround for Public Spaces complements navigation solutions by providing detailed orientation information, including room layout, available features and how they operate, and emergency information.”
WayAround for Public Spaces will be available for pre-order in 2019. You can view the full feature from Vision Monday here.
Blind Bargains Qast Highlights the Benefits of WayAround for Individuals with Vision Loss
Online community Blind Bargains featured WayAround multiple times throughout the year.
In July 2018, WayAround COO Jessica Hipp (formerly Marketing Director) chatted with the Blind Bargains team to discuss WayAround and how it works. The episode was part of a series of podcasts from the 2018 American Council of the Blind Conference and Convention. Jessica spoke about how WayAround is enhancing accessibility for individuals with vision loss worldwide.
The podcast episode was later identified as one of the top episodes of the year. In an annual roundup post later in the year, Blind Bargains listed WayAround’s podcast episode as one of the “Top Five 2018 Summer Convention Interviews”.
Closing the Gap Praises WayAround’s Simple, On-Demand Labeling Solution
In November 2018, WayAround was featured on Closing the Gap. Staff writer Marc Hagen described WayAround as a way to do “more of the things you want, with more confidence and more independence.”
Hagen particularly praised WayAround’s “simple tag-and-scan approach” that lets you “quickly and easily identify things around you” while also providing extra details, like how something works or when it expires.
You can listen to the full Eyes on Success episode here.
WayAround Chosen as One Of Top 5 Best Apps for Independent Living by New England Low Vision and Blindness
In January 2018, WayAround was chosen as one of the “Top 5 Independent Living (IL) Apps” available to individuals with vision loss today. WayAround was chosen alongside popular apps like Glucose Buddy, Color ID, and Color Inspector.
Staff writer Gloria Stuart described WayAround as “a great labeling app used in conjunction with your iOS or Android device [that] can greatly increase independence.” Gloria shared a personal story, describing how she used it with her grandfather:
“I used it with my Grandfather to give him a tag for his weekly appointments and put it on a magnet on the fridge, we also use it for Meals on Wheels menu, church activities and support staff. The ideas with this app are endless.”
Cool Blind Tech Publishes Feature Piece on WayAround
Cool Blind Tech is a publication dedicated to exploring assistive technology news and reviews. In September 2018, Cool Blind Tech published a feature piece on WayAround:
“WayAround is built with inclusive design in mind, and the app works intuitively for anyone with any degree of vision loss, on the user’s preferred mobile platform, according to Darwin Belt, cofounder and manager of WayAround.”
Accessible World Features WayAround in Tek Talk Meeting
Jessica Hipp sat down with the Accessible World team in a Tek Talk meeting, during which the team discussed how WayAround works and how it can make life easier for individuals with vision loss. We explained the technology beyond WayAround, including the innovative use of NFC to make WayAround work.
Health Data Management Praises WayAround for iOS and Android
In September 2018, Health Data Management received praise from staff writer Joseph Goedert and the team at Health Data Management. WayAround was featured in a piece on medical apps and patient engagement. Goedert discussed the launch of our Android app, which now allows users to enjoy WayAround for iOS and Android.
American Academy of Ophthalmology Features WayAround in Weekly Review
In January 2018, we were thrilled to find WayAround featured in a weekly roundup of assistive living technologies from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The organization described how WayAround could make lives easier for the visually impaired:
“Blind architects in Dallas have created a mobile app called WayAround,” explains the article. “The app communicates with palm-sized audio tags—available as magnets, buttons, clips or stickers—that can be affixed to any item, such as a can of food, and programmed to announce pertinent details when scanned.”
WayAround Highlighted in Accessibility Minute by Easter Seals
In October 2018, WayAround was highlighted in the Easter Seals podcast Accessibility Minute. The podcast features new and exciting developments form the world of assistive living technology.
The team discussed how WayAround uses NFC technology to enhance the lives of individuals with vision loss. We would like to thank Laura Medcalf with the INDATA Project at Easterseals Crossroads in Indiana for featuring WayAround in Accessibility Minute Episode 298.
What’s Next for 2019?
Looking forward to 2019, we want to continue our momentum. 2018 was a big year for us here at WayAround. We’re excited to see what comes next in 2019.