Lazarillo app in Chile

Before you read the story of René, the founder of the Lazarillo app, watch this video. It explains what Lazarillo is and how it works.

René Espinoza, founder and CEO of the Lazarillo app, that won the Award of Excellence by public vote in 2019 (Accessible Travel Foundation), shares his story.

Assistive technology

“While I was studying Electrical Engineering I also worked at a medical institution CETRAM in Chile, doing low cost assistive technology. There I learned a lot and came across a project for people with low vision and blindness. For this project I needed to develop a smartphone app.”

Accessible mobile apps

“At that time I didn’t know anything about apps accessibility. Doing research and interacting with over 30 people with different visual disabilities, I not only discovered how to create accessible mobile apps, but also their challenges for traveling through the city by themselves and going to new places.”

Thesis

“I thought there should be a better way and I dedicated my thesis to search for a solution, with the help of Miguel Gonzalez, a teacher of assistive technologies, who is also blind.

He helped me develop the first prototype of the app. We tested the app after a year of iteration with 7 people in a shopping center.”

The results were incredible, and in 2016 Lazarillo was founded.

Lazarillo – a navigation app for the blind and visually impaired

Now it provides orientation everywhere in the world having more than 250.000 users in 29 countries, anyone can download Lazarillo and start using right away.

On top of Lazarillo we have a platform that we use to map locations that doesn’t exist on any map, like University campuses, hospitals buildings, shopping centers, tourist parks and more.

A way finding solution

“We sell our indoor/outdoor way finding solution to public and private institutions, this is how we finance our operation. We want to grow Lazarillo working with local entities that can use our platform to offer accessibility services.”

Lazarillo is not only for people with visual disabilities, it can also provide the accessible route for people using a wheelchair.

People can reach Lazarillo staff directly at hello@lazarillo.cl and download the app at the Lazarillo website.