Getting directions to a destination is relatively easy. Knowing exactly where to go once you arrive can be much harder.
This research explored the last-mile navigation experiences of blind and low-vision users, particularly the moments when GPS says someone has "arrived" but they still need to locate the correct entrance, understand their surroundings, or figure out where to go next.
Through conversations with blind and low-vision participants, we looked at where existing navigation tools fall short and what could make the final part of a journey more predictable and independent.
How do last-mile GPS inaccuracies affect blind and low-vision users navigating unfamiliar environments?
We were especially interested in what happens during the final few meters of a journey, when traditional turn-by-turn navigation often stops being useful.
We conducted interviews with four blind and low-vision participants about their experiences using navigation tools and traveling independently.
Rather than focusing only on whether someone could technically reach a destination, we looked at what happens around arrival: how people orient themselves, what information they rely on, where uncertainty appears, and how they recover when navigation information isn't precise enough.
We analyzed the conversations thematically and identified six recurring themes across participants' experiences.
A navigation app may successfully guide someone to the correct address while still leaving them several steps away from where they actually need to be. Finding the right doorway or entrance can become a separate navigation problem.
Participants needed more than another left or right instruction. Information about entrances, pathways, landmarks, surrounding structures, and the immediate environment could help them understand where they were and what to do next.
When visual confirmation isn't available, being unsure whether an entrance is a few feet to the left or right can mean stopping, searching, backtracking, or asking someone nearby for help.
Navigation systems tend to focus on the ideal journey. Our research suggested that helping someone recover when directions become unclear or inaccurate is just as important.
The research pointed toward several opportunities for more accessible navigation experiences:
These aren't simply additional navigation features. They could give users more confidence and control during one of the least predictable parts of a journey.
This project changed the way I think about accessibility. A product can technically complete its primary task and still leave someone without enough information to actually accomplish their goal.
It also reinforced the importance of designing for uncertainty and recovery, not just the ideal path. Sometimes a small piece of contextual information can make the difference between reaching a location and being able to navigate it independently.