Prototype app helps diners with visual impairment find hawker tables
Singapore has launched the Inclusive Design Challenge to develop accessible digital tools for citizens with disabilities. One prototype, the LetsGo app, uses audio guidance to help visually impaired diners navigate hawker centers.
Why it matters
It highlights how government-led innovation can improve accessibility and social inclusion for vulnerable populations in urban environments.
(From left) Tay Yu Qing and Genevieve Yip, product designers from the Skills and Workforce Development Agency; Ho Yin Mei, a principal design lead from the Ministry of Social and Family Development; and Jeffrey Ang, a principal architect from the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
Listen Summarise Singapore launched the Inclusive Design Challenge to create accessible digital solutions. Minister Josephine Teo said services must work for all citizens, and GovTech is piloting real-user “Mystery Shopper” checks. LetsGo is a prototype app for diners with visual impairement. It uses audio or smart glasses to say “occupied table” or “empty table”, helping users find seats at hawker centres. Teams also tackled payment and language barriers. GovTech plans to follow up on some ideas, while tools like EasyTranslate and Polyglot now translate government webpages into Chinese, Malay and Tamil. AI generated
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