community relations
MAPPING SUCCESS
Stockland picked up a PEXA award for its mobility project .
If Stockland ever needed encouragement to continue to operate its shopping centers in ways that aligned with its CSR mandate , it got it at the close of last year . That ' s when it picked up a PEXA Award for Project Innovation from the Property Council of Australia for its work with BindiMaps whose app allows the blind or those with low vision to navigate indoor spaces . Stockland partnered with the Aussie tech startup to make retail town centers more accessible to the public and therefore more inclusive .
BindiMaps relies on a network of Bluetooth beacons installed throughout the retail town centers and its app determines users ' location to first describe their surroundings and then provide directions to their destination of choice .
" Our partnership with BindiMaps is part of Stockland ’ s ‘ Accessibility Pathway ’ strategy , which is focused on identifying the challenges and barriers that people with vision impairment face during their shopping experience , and aligns with our purpose of creating a better way to live ," explained Amy Hogan , Stockland ' s national manager , group sustainability . " Mobility , orientation and navigation within retail spaces can be difficult for anyone , regardless of ability . The scalability and usability of BindiMaps makes it an innovative solution for our customers ’ pain points , providing independence and mobility for people with vision impairment and convenience for everyone ."
Stockland debuted the BindiMaps app service at its Wetherill Park property in Sydney back in 2019 and has since expanded it to retail town centers in Burleigh Heads , Rockhampton , Forster , and Nowra . As far as the company is concerned , the more widespread the use , the better .
" One in five Australians lives with disability . Many rely upon a carer or family member to accompany them on a shopping trip or forgo the experience due to the inherent difficulty ," noted Greg Johnson , national sustainability manager of commercial property .
" This year ’ s theme from [ the ] International Day of People with Disability ( IDPwD ) is about increasing the opportunities and participation for people with disability as we begin to re-open in the wake of COVID-19 . BindiMaps plays a fundamental role in helping Stockland to realize this objective by enabling people to access indoor spaces safely and confidently . We are currently looking at ways that we can build on our insights and successes from the past two years , to explore new opportunities with BindiMaps that will further improve the customer experience at our retail town centers ."
Amy Hogan ( r .), a proponent of driving organizational change to reach CSR goals , is all smiles after picking up a PEXA award as Stockland ' s national manager , group Sustainability .
... an innovative solution for our customers ’ pain points , providing independence and mobility for people with vision impairment and convenience for everyone ."
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