Travel Hands: Revolutionising Mobility for Visually Impaired People with AI & Private Industry Support

London, UK – May 2025– Travel Hands, a London-based charity, is transforming how Visually Impaired People (VIPs) navigate the city by providing access to trained sighted guides, known as Travel Hands Volunteers. Through its website and dedicated mobile app, Travel Hands enables VIPs to book guided assistance for safe and independent travel, fostering accessibility and social inclusion.

With a mission to make urban travel seamless for VIPs, Travel Hands is leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance its services. The organisation is currently working on integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its application, aiming to provide a more intuitive and efficient user experience through an audio-based interactive itinerary planner. This feature empowers VIPs to book a journey simply by speaking into the app, describing their destination, time, and preferences. The AI then interprets their request, identifies available Travel Hands Guides nearby, plans the best route, and provides real-time updates—all through spoken feedback, creating a smooth and user-friendly journey-planning experience for those who rely on audio over visual interfaces.

Additionally, our new AI-powered feature helps us transform:

✅ Smart matching – AI ensures VIPs are paired with the most suitable guides for a smoother experience.
✅ Real-time journey tracking – Stay on course with live updates for VIPs and guides.
✅ Optimised route planning – AI minimises detours and enhances travel efficiency.
✅ Enhanced coordination – Volunteers and VIPs can connect effortlessly for reliable assistance.


Meet Anna, a VIP living in London. She opens the Travel Hands app and says:

“I’d like to go to the British Library on Wednesday, 24th June at noon. Can you help plan my journey?”

Here’s how the AI responds, activating every smart feature in the process:

• The AI calculates the safest and most efficient route from Anna’s home to the British Library, considering step-free access, train schedules, and quiet travel times.
  
  
• It identifies and recommends the top three trained Travel Hands Guides near her for the first leg — from her home to the nearest train station.
  
  
• The app finds another available guide near King’s Cross Station (her arrival point) to accompany her from there to the Library.
  
  
• Anna receives live audio updates as the journey unfolds — from guide confirmations to train arrival changes. Her guides are also updated about her location and ETA, ensuring smooth transitions at every stage.

All Anna had to do was speak her request — the AI handled the rest, making her journey stress-free, secure, and fully supported.

Travel Hands operates exclusively in London, offering a platform where individuals can sign up as either a volunteer or a VIP. Volunteers undergo training to ensure they can provide effective support, helping VIPs reach their destinations with confidence and ease. Since its launch, the organisation has facilitated countless journeys, strengthened the independence of visually impaired people and promoted community engagement.

The impactful work of Travel Hands has garnered strong industry support. The European Space Agency (ESA) has been instrumental in supporting the development of its journey-tracking technology, enabling real-time monitoring and improved coordination between VIPs and volunteers. This collaboration ensures the highest levels of safety and efficiency in guided travel.

Travel Hands has also been selected by JPMorganChase’s Tech for Social Good team as a specialised project in the Force for Good program, which started in mid-March and extends to November 2025. Travel Hands will be supported by a team of talented and experienced software developers and data experts from JPMorganChase to create tech solutions that help advance our mission.

“At Travel Hands, we believe that accessibility should not be a privilege but a fundamental right. With AI integration and continued support from esteemed partners like ESA and JPMorganChase, we are taking significant steps toward a future where VIPs can navigate cities effortlessly,” said Ishan Jha, Founder and CEO of Travel Hands.

This work further reinforces the importance of inclusive mobility and the role of technology in empowering visually impaired people.

As the organisation continues to grow and innovate, Travel Hands invites individuals and corporations to join its mission. Join us in making urban travel more inclusive by signing up as a volunteer, supporting our cause, or helping spread awareness.

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Travel Hands