We were lucky to catch up with Idan Meir recently and have shared our conversation below.
Idan , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Any advice for creating a more inclusive workplace?
This is a great question. Much of the discourse around workplace accessibility focuses on digital accessibility, which is obvious a critical part of the story, certainly in 2023.
However, I see accessibility in somewhat broader terms, and this starts from the physical accessibility of workplaces. It is fundamental to workplace inclusivity that the physical workspace is accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. This can involve modifications to infrastructure, technologies, or processes to accommodate various needs.
Our goal at RightHear is to ensure equitable physical access to offices, buildings and all types of workplaces
At RightHear, when we say universal access, we mean universal access. Our beacon technology removes physical barriers to access. But that’s not enough – we also want to remove financial barriers to access. This is why our app on iOS and Android is 100% free to users today, and always will be free, it is vital to us to ensure that the benefit of accessibility and independence for users should not come at a cost.
Throughout my career, I’ve encountered both inclusive and non-inclusive workplace environments. In instances where inclusivity and accessibility was lacking, I saw firsthand the negative impact on morale and productivity. Conversely, in workplaces that prioritized accessibility and inclusion, I witnessed the positive effects on innovation and collaboration. These experiences have shaped my commitment to building a product that can have long-term positive impacts on the blind community, helping them integrate into the workforce and levelling up the playing field.
Idan , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am Idan Meir and I am the Co-founder and CEO of RightHear, an innovative startup on a mission to turn public spaces into accessible environments for people with spatial orientation challenges, including people who are blind or visually impaired. I am originally from Israel but relocated with his family to Rockville, Maryland in 2021. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Business from The Open University of Israel. I love building companies, running, and eating hummus, but not necessarily in that order!
RightHear provides real-time audio descriptions to help the blind interpret and understand their surroundings. We have a free app on iOS and Android, over 2,500 accessible locations worldwide, and an ever-growing user base and community. RightHear has partnered with leading international brands like McDonalds, Microsoft, and Costa Coffee to improve accessibility compliance as well as promote inclusion. Here is a video of the app in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJg2z1LF6ck
The technology pairs a smartphone app with strategically placed Bluetooth beacons or accessible spots to provide detailed and customizable audio wayfinding information for all kinds of public indoor environments. RightHear mimics the function of a venue’s directory board, whether that’s a sign reading “Macy’s this way, restrooms that way” in a mall, or orienting a visitor inside a university’s administration building.
When users with the RightHear app on their phone approach the virtual sign, the app speaks to them about what’s nearby. For example, it might say, “The admissions office is 100 feet ahead to the right. Hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday,” or “Restrooms are 50 feet to the left.”
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
I can tell you about how my business partner and I started RightHear, and it happened almost by accident. Along with my partner, Gil Elgrably, we had created a technology to offer virtual on-the-spot coupons to shoppers based on Apple’s iBeacon technology. iBeacons are small self-powered Bluetooth transmitters that can be placed on walls and roofs in a retail location. But the business model wasn’t making sense.
We needed to build a very large user base for this to work and that was turning into a very large challenge. Then, during a 24-hour hackathon sponsored by the Ra’anana municipality, the Tel Aviv suburb in which RightHear is based, we had an insight. Rather than marketing the app to end users, what if we pitched it to the venues as a way of making their space accessible to people with visual impairment?
We didn’t even know if blind people used smartphones or apps since they’re so visual, but we put together a prototype in the hackathon and, the next day, the Ra’anana municipality connected us with several blind people in the city. They were blown away, they were so excited about it, even though we didn’t have a product yet.
And RightHear was born!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Happy customers bring more happy customers, and while it might sound simple, there is clearly a lot of work that goes into delivering best-in-class product and service for our clients. But by investing in this and making it central to our business strategy, then we ultimately see the benefits.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.right-hear.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RightHearApp
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idanmeir/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/righthearapp
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmJeNPsSM-lMk1zp7o-k_0A
- Other: Facebook Community Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/RightHear