The Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation and Vodafone CR have received the prestigious VIA Bona Award, which the VIA Foundation presents to corporate donors every year. Vodafone received the award in the “Support of an Innovative Project” category for its support of the GPS/GSM Navigation System for the Visually Impaired project, which is being carried out by the United Organisation of the Blind and the Visually Impaired (Sjednocená organizace nevidomých a slabozrakých – SONS).

The GPS/GSM navigation system for the visually impaired enables immediate location recognition and navigation for the visually impaired within the Czech Republic. The Vodafone Foundation supported the construction of the navigation centre that ensures the proper operation of the navigation system and, in co-operation with Vodafone Czech Republic, it also contributed to the operation of the navigation centre.

“The project of navigation for the visually impaired with the aid of a mobile phone and GPS satellite navigation finally enables modern communication technology to help those who need it most, which is one of the strategies of our foundation,” says Grahame Maher, CEO of the Vodafone Czech Republic, adding, “What pleases us most about this award is that the foundation received it after the first year of its existence.”
At this time, our navigation centre is being used by several dozen visually impaired individuals during test operations,” says Zdeněk Bajtl from SONS, adding, “Our objective is to ensure that the navigation centre offers a comprehensive portfolio of services for the visually impaired; therefore, in addition to navigation, we are also providing various information services, such as assistance finding public transportation connections or phone numbers.”
GPS/GSM navigation system for the visually impaired
The satellite navigation system for the visually impaired enables immediate location recognition and navigation for the visually impaired in the event that they lose their orientation. The system uses GPS satellite navigation for recognizing the location of the user, and mobile transmission of voice and data with the aid of GPS and GPRS technologies for communication between the user and the navigation centre. The system was developed by ČVUT students. Within the scope of its VPOHYBU program, the Vodafone Foundation provided SONS (ČVUT) with support in the form of a grant in the amount of CZK 1.8 million towards the construction of a navigation call centre and making the system operational.

The Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation
The Foundation was created in 2005 and focuses especially on providing support for young people (the Vpoho and Vpohybu grant programs) and connecting communication technologies to assistance for those in need (the Vpohybu grant program). The Foundation is financed by Vodafone Czech Republic and the Vodafone Group Foundation, which coordinates Vodafone’s charity activities globally. The founding of a local Vodafone foundation and investments into charity projects is mandatory for all Vodafone branches. The Vodafone Group was rated as the world’s most socially responsible firm in 2006 (http://www.accountabilityrating.com).