National Trust Saltram first outdoor cultural site in the UK to trial pioneering NaviLens technology to aid partially sighted people

The Trust is hoping that NaviLens will improve access to heritage and nature for visitors to Saltram, which will also be the first cultural venue on mainland UK to pilot the technology.

NaviLens is a free navigation app which can help give greater independence and freedom for users to navigate their way around places with less or even no aid.

The technology is currently in use on transport systems across Spain and in some parts of the USA and UK, as well as in some museums and food products in UK supermarkets.

The app uses QR-style codes that users can detect on their phones. Users point their phones in the general direction, and the NaviLens app picks up the codes in the vicinity. Each code has information loaded onto it, which is spoken out loud on the user’s phone (both Apple and Android), offering directions and warnings, and in this context, providing navigational and interpretative content relevant to Saltram’s historic garden setting.

The trial is designed for people who are partially sighted, with the aim of understanding how both blind and partially sighted visitors can be better supported to access Saltram in the future.

Natalie Haly, Project Manager for the National Trust at Saltram said: "This trial is incredibly exciting as it marks a first for the National Trust, and we are thrilled that it's happening right here in Plymouth. It allows us to explore how this innovative technology can enhance our visitors' access to heritage and nature. This initiative is a significant step in our ongoing journey to ensure everyone feels truly welcome at Saltram."

The codes are placed along a pre-determined route throughout the garden, allowing users to experiment with the technology in a controlled setting. This route was tested by the RNIB and a user tester group with lived experience in May. It has been found that the app provides blind and partially sighted individuals with greater independence in spaces they might not have otherwise explored.

Now, a public trial will run until 25 October. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, this trial aims to improve the National Trust’s understanding of how access to heritage and nature at Saltram can be increased. The results of the trial will inform whether the technology is introduced at additional National Trust locations.

A spokesperson for NaviLens said: “NaviLens is thrilled to be working with the National Trust at Saltram to enhance the visitor experience for those who are blind or partially sighted. By integrating NaviLens’ innovative technology, we are making Saltram’s rich history, architecture, and grounds accessible to everyone.”

“NaviLens codes can be scanned from much further away than regular codes and can be detected from wide angles and while on the move. Additionally, the information is automatically translated into 37 different languages, benefiting global visitors as well.

“This collaboration not only enhances inclusivity but also enriches cultural engagement for all visitors.”

The NaviLens pilot at Saltram is one initiative that the National Trust is introducing with a view to increasing access to nature and heritage for blind and partially sighted people. Also this summer, Tyntesfield in Bristol is offering sensory tours for blind and partially sighted people, inviting them to experience Tyntesfield in a new way. Volunteers take visitors on a gentle walk through the estate, explaining its interesting history, and inviting them to use senses other than sight to engage with nature.

In the last financial year the National Trust invested £5.5 million in improving physical access to Trust places for disabled people at more than 150 places in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Developments include the construction of new accessible pathways, the installation of facilities such as Changing Places toilets and new equipment such as all terrain mobility vehicles which open up the outdoors for more visitors to National Trust places than ever before.