Travel Tech for Blind Travelers: A Practical Toolkit (Apps, AI, and Digital Systems) for Airports, Transit, and Cities

Contents / Description

This practical workshop is for blind and visually impaired travelers (and companions) who want to move more independently and confidently, from airports and train stations to public transit and unfamiliar city streets. We’ll build an “assistive-tech travel toolkit” that combines everyday accessible features on phones (iOS/Android), reliable navigation and orientation tools, and camera-based assistance, plus smart ways to use AI through mainstream products to solve real travel problems. The focus is not on perfect accessibility in theory, but on what actually works under pressure, that is finding the right entrance, locating gates/platforms, reading changing screens, handling last-minute rebookings, checking into hotels, and navigating safely at destination. We’ll also cover how to keep your travel life fully digital and organized so documents, reservations, and backup plans are easy to access offline and fast to share when needed, along with simple strategies for safety, battery/connectivity, and “what to do when the tech fails.” The session is grounded in lived experience from a blind traveler who has visited 17 countries, often solo, with a guide dog.

Speaker

Milagros Constabel

Milagros Costabel is a blind journalist, keynote speaker, and inclusion consultant from Uruguay. Despite numerous barriers, she graduated from the prestigious Harvard University and worked as a journalist—paths that no one thought she could take as a blind woman from South America.
Today, she is an international speaker and supports organizations in overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges and breaking new ground. In her lectures and workshops, she encourages young people in particular to see their individual differences as strengths and to tell their own stories with confidence.
A particular focus of her work is the promotion of inclusive tourism. With her guide dog Indio, she has already traveled to 17 countries—she was the first guide dog team to work legally in Egypt. She advises tourist destinations, hotels, and organizations on how to create genuine accessibility for guide dog teams and establish sustainable change.
Milagros Costabel impressively demonstrates how to not only overcome barriers, but also create new opportunities—for herself and for others.

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Participation

The SightCity 2026 workshops offer a diverse program for work, everyday life and leisure. From professional development and creative workshops to exercise and relaxation offers – here you will find inspiring sessions for your personal and professional development. Experience practical sessions under expert guidance, exchange ideas with like-minded people and discover new perspectives and opportunities.

On-site participation

You are cordially invited to participate in the workshop free of charge on site (unless it is a paid workshop).

The event room is located in Kap Europa, 1st floor, east side, on the workshop stage. When you exit the elevator, turn right and then immediately left. Follow the corridor to the end of the building, then turn right. The second door on the right is the entrance to the workshop room.

Please note:

Separate registration is usually required for workshops. If there are still places available, you can join at the start of the event.
Prior payment is required for workshops that are subject to a fee. Registrations are binding.
Access is only possible at the start of an event and only as long as places are still available.

Important information on registration:

Participation options:
- On-site presence (Kap Europa, Frankfurt)
- Online participation via livestream
Limitation of participants:
- On site: 30 people
- Online: 100 people
Participation fee: Free of charge

Registration process:

Complete the following registration form in full
Select your desired type of participation (presence/online)
You will receive a confirmation e-mail within 3 working days
The confirmation e-mail contains
If you are attending in person: Your confirmation of participation (counts as admission authorization)
For online participation: The access data for the livestream
Information on payment of the participation fee, if applicable
- For in-person participation: Your confirmation of participation (counts as admission authorization)
- For online participation: The access data for the livestream
- Information on payment of the participation fee, if applicable

Important notes:

Registration is binding
Places will be allocated according to the number of registrations received
If you are unable to attend, please cancel in good time so that other interested parties can move up
In exceptional cases, remaining places can be booked directly at the SightCity reception on the day of the event
The availability of last-minute places cannot be guaranteed

Please note: Prior registration is strongly recommended as capacities are limited.

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The exhibitor is solely responsible for the content of the exhibitor presentation both on the organizer’s website and on the website of the respective exhibitor. The organizer assumes no responsibility or liability whatsoever.