Enrique Lara Gómez
Smart Digital Signage: Contributing to universal accessibility
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Another article by the author: Inclusive technology for global tourism: Bridging the coverage gap and promoting territorial cohesion
Enrique Lara Gómez
Smart Digital Signage: Contributing to universal accessibility
How Bluetooth beacon technology is transforming access to information for people with disabilities.
In an increasingly connected world, access to information remains a challenge for millions of people with disabilities. Whether due to physical, technological, or cognitive barriers, obtaining relevant content in public spaces—especially in tourist, heritage, or rural settings—can become a frustrating experience or even entirely impossible.
In response to this reality, smart digital signage based on Bluetooth beacon technology emerges as an effective, inclusive, and frictionless solution. This technology enables the automatic transmission of proximity-based information, without the need to scan QR codes, rely on mobile coverage, or perform any action on the part of the user. Simply by having a compatible application installed, content is activated instantly within a range of up to 50 meters.
Technology that adapts, not demands
Unlike QR codes—which require visibility, manual interaction, and an internet connection—Bluetooth beacons work even without mobile coverage, making them an especially useful tool in places where signal is limited or nonexistent: narrow streets, the interiors of historic buildings, rural areas, or natural spaces.
Moreover, QR codes can be vandalized, hidden by obstacles, or even spoofed by hackers, posing a risk both to accessibility and user security. Beacons, on the other hand, transmit secure and automated information without relying on visible physical elements.
The Benefits for people with disabilities are multiple:
Visual impairment: Information is automatically transformed into audio, without relying on physical panels or third parties.
Hearing impairment: Content is presented in text or subtitles. To access videos in sign language, an internet connection is required.
Cognitive or auditory processing difficulties: The system allows adjusting the speech rate and simplifying the language.
Reduced mobility (PRM): Each point of interest includes prior information about its level of accessibility—accessible, accessible with assistance, or not accessible—allowing the user to plan their visit in advance.
Multilingual tourism: Content automatically adapts to the language of the device, facilitating cultural inclusion.
All of this is provided without the need for active interaction, without relying on mobile coverage, or on physical elements that may be damaged, hidden, or tampered with. It does not replace accessible physical signage, but it adds an immediate digital layer of information that reinforces personal autonomy.
OK Located: Innovation at the service of inclusion
OK Located has established itself as a global leader in smart digital signage solutions using beacons. Its technology is present in heritage cities, museums, natural parks, and public spaces around the world, offering an automated, accessible, and multilingual experience.
Among its main contributions are:
Deployment of beacon networks in tourism, cultural, and rural environments, without relying on mobile networks.
Compatible mobile applications that automatically detect proximity and display relevant information.
Content adapted to different disability profiles, including voice reading, subtitles, pictograms, and adjustable speed.
Advance information on physical accessibility, useful for people with reduced mobility.
Multi-language compatibility, with integrated translations that activate according to the device’s language.
Centralized and secure management, allowing real-time content updates without physical intervention.
Compliance with privacy regulations (GDPR/LOPDGDD), with strong anonymization and no individual tracking.
Collaboration with disability associations to validate and continuously improve the user experience.
Thanks to these capabilities, OK Located transforms public spaces into truly inclusive environments, where information flows automatically, without barriers or discrimination.
Towards a more human future
Smart digital signage through Bluetooth beacons not only overcomes the limitations of QR codes and mobile connectivity but also opens a new dimension in universal accessibility. It allows cultural, tourism, and civic experiences to be more inclusive, multilingual, and adapted to the real needs of each person.
tool aligned with the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) and the European Accessibility Strategy 2021–2030.
OK Located leads this change with a clear vision: to build a world without barriers, where technology serves autonomy, equality, and dignity for all people.
Author: Enrique Lara Gómez
CEO of OK Located
The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of Tourism and Society Think Tank and do not commit the Organization, and should not be attributed to TSTT or its members.
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