STARTUP
RightHear
Since they launched in March 2016, more than 800 venues have turned their public spaces into accessible environments for people with low-vision or orientation challenges. RightHear users can now independently access hundreds of places that used to be inaccessible for them, in 26 different languages.
Every day, new places are joining their network of accessible environments and more and more users are joining their growing global community of independent travelers.
The RightHear story started in Israel in 2015 with Gil Elgrably and Idan Meir, who were initially working on another shopping-related startup. During their work, they found an indoor micro-positioning technology that allowed them to provide coupons precisely in-store and were amazed by the endless opportunities it could provide in other fields.
As both of them are very socially aware, they decided to leave that startup behind and build a new one that would be focusing on utilizing this new technology for the benefit of people with low vision and other orientation challenges. This is when RightHear was born.
RightHear's Story
The mission of RightHear is to make the world more accessible for people who are blind and visually impaired. With over 4,000 Accessible Spots installed worldwide, and an ever-growing user base, their vision is becoming a reality every day.
But at what cost to our community of app users who are blind or visually impaired? The answer is simple – 0.
Why is this important?
At RightHear, when they say universal access, they mean universal access. Their beacon technology removes physical barriers to access. But that’s not enough – they also want to remove financial barriers to access. This is why their app on iOS and Android is 100% free to users today, and always.
This is their pledge. It reflects their commitment to Universal Access as a core value in everything they do.
This is important for the blind and visually impaired community.
As they continuously orient our development towards the community of blind and partially sighted people that they serve, they know that being able to navigate independently using a way-finding app that is free really matters to you. How do they know this?
If their app is free for users, then who pays?
The growing network of RightHear accessible locations is funded by the store owners, employers, municipalities and social impact investors who share their commitment to making the rights of persons with disabilities enshrined in the UNCRPD a reality.
According to Article 19 of the Convention, the rights of persons with disabilities are violated when “the burden is placed on people with disabilities to fit into public services and structures rather than these services and structures being designed to accommodate the diversity of the human condition.” By funding their growing network of accessible locations, their partners demonstrate their commitment to the goals of full inclusion and participation in society for people with disabilities.