In Episode 160 of White Canes Connect, host Simon Bonenfant sits down with brothers Dirk VanderWilt and Neal VanderWilt of Heritage and Harmony to explore Audio Vista, an innovative service designed to provide real-time audio descriptions of the world around you.
Recorded at the 2026 National Federation of the Blind National Convention in Austin, Texas, the conversation explores how Audio Vista could give blind and low-vision travelers something traditional navigation apps often leave out: a sense of the scenery, buildings, neighborhoods, businesses, and other surroundings that make a place unique.
More Than Getting From Point A to Point B
The idea for Audio Vista grew out of Dirk’s own experience with vision loss and his love of exploring.
Before becoming blind, Dirk enjoyed walking through cities and experiencing whatever happened to be around him. As his vision declined, he realized that something was missing. Navigation technology could tell him where he was going, but it couldn’t recreate the experience of simply looking out a window or walking down a street and taking in the surroundings.
That became the inspiration for Audio Vista.
Rather than requiring users to continually point a camera and ask an AI service to describe what it sees, Audio Vista is intended to provide what Dirk calls a “passive listening experience.”
Think about riding in a car or train and listening as the scenery goes by. Instead of seeing the buildings, neighborhoods, restaurants, parks, and landmarks outside the window, Audio Vista describes them.
How Audio Vista Works
Audio Vista combines GPS information with existing imagery and information available through sources such as online mapping, street-level imagery, satellite imagery, and other internet data.
Artificial intelligence helps interpret that information and transform it into a natural-sounding description that can be read aloud to the user.
During the episode, Dirk gives Simon a live demonstration from the JW Marriott in downtown Austin.
Audio Vista identifies their location and begins describing the surrounding streets, buildings, architectural styles, storefronts, trees, and other features nearby.
Rather than simply announcing an address or nearby intersection, the description paints a picture of the environment.
Descriptions That Move With You
Audio Vista currently divides the surrounding environment into areas of approximately 50 feet. Moving roughly 50 feet can trigger the system to gather information about the next location.
The experience also changes depending on whether you’re moving or standing still.
If you’re traveling through an area, Audio Vista can continue providing updated information as your location changes. If you remain in one place longer, the service can dig deeper into the details of your surroundings.
And the narration isn’t designed to suddenly stop halfway through a sentence just because you’ve crossed into another area. Audio Vista finishes the thought before moving on to the next description.
Bring Your Own Accessibility
Perhaps the most exciting part of Simon’s conversation with Dirk and Neal is where Audio Vista could go next.
Dirk describes a future in which businesses, museums, historic sites, theaters, and other organizations can provide their own customized content through Audio Vista.
Imagine walking into a museum and automatically receiving descriptions of the building, exhibits, artwork, and history.
A business could provide its own description of the facility or services. An organization could even take existing material, such as a brochure or flyer, upload it to the system, and use it to generate a location-based audio experience.
When someone arrives at that location, GPS could trigger the customized information automatically.
The idea is to create another layer of accessibility without requiring every venue to develop its own app or hand visitors a separate piece of specialized equipment.
As Dirk describes it, users could essentially “bring your own accessibility.”
What About Movies and Live Experiences?
Dirk sees possibilities beyond describing streets and buildings.
In the future, the same concept could potentially be used in a movie theater or other entertainment venue. Instead of checking out a dedicated audio description receiver from guest services and returning it afterward, a visitor could potentially access that description through a device they already have.
It’s an ambitious vision, but it demonstrates how Audio Vista could evolve from an environmental description tool into a broader platform for delivering accessible information wherever someone happens to be.
Built by Brothers
Neal VanderWilt, president of Heritage and Harmony, has been working alongside Dirk as Audio Vista develops.
Neal has served as a beta tester and sounding board, bringing a different perspective to the project as the brothers continue refining the experience and exploring where the technology can go next.
What’s Next for Audio Vista?
At the time of Simon’s conversation with Dirk and Neal, Audio Vista was available as a web app, with plans to bring the same experience to both iOS and Android.
You can learn more about Audio Vista and the work of Heritage and Harmony at HearTheView.com.
Want to experience Audio Vista yourself? Visit AudioVista.app.
You can also contact the Audio Vista team at info@heartheview.com.
Listen to Episode 160 of White Canes Connect to hear Simon’s complete conversation with Dirk and Neal VanderWilt, including the Audio Vista demonstration recorded in downtown Austin.
Have a comment about the episode or an idea for White Canes Connect? Email whitecanesconnect@gmail.com or call 267-338-4495.
