Digital Real Estate Transformation for Social Needs: A Case Study on Smart Environment for Visually Impaired People

Smart sustainable development and inclusive growth policy in Europe have a significant social impact on the cities and regions. The investigation of the regions’ potential is a starting point for the social and economic development that leads to a higher quality of life. Together with developed smart infrastructures such as Industry 4.0, smart transport and cities have to be hospitable for people with disabilities. This concept is based on the combination of digital, economic, social, environmental, and other structures. Nowadays, digital technologies simplify the everyday activities of the blind and visually impaired (B&VI) people, their employment, and make the work conditions more B&VI friendly. The real estate facilities were drastically changed for the B&VI last decade. Internet of Things helps the B&VI to increase control over their lives and live independently. Examples of today available assistive devices are as follows: related to low vision (magnifiers; near/distance vision telescopes), for daily living (thermometers, barometers, and other meteorological sensors; lighting; color sensors; liquid level indicators; money handling devices), for information and communication (mobile communications; screen magnification software; Braille editing and translation software; web-browsers for non-visual output; computer vision), automatic doors and windows (smart locks; smart doorbells; smart curtains and shades), voice assistants (music and audiobooks; heating control; voice-activated phone calls; news and weather updates; calendars and reminders), home help (garden robots; robot hoovers). However, the standard smart assistive infrastructures have not been developed yet. The most prospect approach is the combination of the real estate facilities/services with the B&VI assistive soft-/hardware at the construction and facility management stage including related laws and standards.This paper discusses how the ICT technologies simplify the B&VI everyday activities and employment and make their work and living conditions in buildings more B&VI friendly and how it can influence on a real estate market and regional development. Even a small success rate implies a large socio-economic territorial benefit.