UrBC, Yekaterinburg, November 30, 2016. The world’s first interactive 3D map available to over 4m people who come to Koltsovo Airport every year was introduced in Yekaterinburg recently. The map was developed and installed as part of Multimobility Project coordinated by Belaya Trost (‘White Cane’), a non-profit organization for the visually impaired, and the telecommunications provider MegaFon, the company press service reports.

The map will be useful for everyone, including people with vision disabilities, who can use the map’s sensor surface and an in-build audio support system.

The map and the software to go with it were developed by young Yekaterinburg-based engineers, while the team of 2GIS was responsible for the design. Visually impaired people were in charge of the tactile components and the symbols on the map, with support from Sverdlovsk Region Library for the Visually Impaired.

‘This is an example of inclusive interaction we are aiming at. People with vision disabilities contributed to the development of the map, helping make it useful for all the locals and visitors to the city. The launch of this map is one of the first steps in preparing for the 1st World Congress of People with Disabilities that will be held in Yekaterinburg next year,’ says Belaya Trost’s President Oleg Kolpaschikov.