Springfield's Blind Community Thrift Store looks much like any neighborhood resale shop — racks of clothing, shelves of books, and rows of furniture.
“Signage is a barrier for people that can’t see,” Lee said. “Unless you know where the Braille sign is, you have no way to get there without someone accompanying you.”
But a closer look reveals something unusual: colorful, square codes posted throughout the store. They resemble QR codes, but stand out with their bright blocks of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. One is mounted outside the entrance; dozens more line hallways, clothing racks, bookshelves, furniture displays and even restroom doors.
A sign near the entrance invites shoppers to download the NaviLens app and scan the codes.
Once scanned, the app immediately begins describing the surroundings in a synthetic voice.
“Clothing section … jeans $8 … regular pants $6 … shorts and skirts $5,” the robotic voice announces.
The thrift store operates as a nonprofit, with proceeds supporting people who are blind or visually impaired. In addition to retail sales, the organization accepts donations to fund services such as a radio reading program, free assistive tools such as magnifiers and Braille materials, and rehabilitation and job training programs. Participants can gain work experience at the store while preparing for employment elsewhere.
Matthew Eliff, who was born with a condition called retinopathy of prematurity, has no vision in his right eye and limited vision in his left. He has worked at the store since 2016, starting in the donation department and now producing audio content and managing streaming services.
Though he knows the layout well, he still relies on the app to find specific items.
Walking from his office toward the music and audiobook section, Eliff scans codes along the way. The app provides step-by-step directions.
“Go ahead … take a right … right … left … music section selected … DVD price as marked, CD $1, VHS 25 cents,” the app says.
“It tells you what the information on the code says,” Eliff said. “If there’s more detail, you can access that too — what’s on the racks, what’s in a section. It depends on where you are.”
NaviLens is a wayfinding system that uses high-density, color-coded markers instead of traditional black-and-white QR codes. The app can detect the codes from up to 60 feet and at angles, then translate them into audio directions, location details or other information. It also supports more than 30 languages.
The goal is to help people who are blind or visually impaired navigate spaces independently, without relying on others.
At Services for Independent Living in Columbia, staff have installed NaviLens codes throughout their office for the same reason.
“Signage is a barrier for people that can’t see,” Executive Director Patrick Lee said. “Unless you know where the Braille sign is, you have no way to get there without someone accompanying you.”
He said widespread use of the codes could transform accessibility.
“Imagine if these codes were everywhere — on buses, in buildings,” Lee said. “People could navigate on their own. That’s an unprecedented level of independence, and it eliminates so many barriers.”
What are these colorful markers?
Rick Orr, general manager of the Springfield thrift store, discovered NaviLens in 2024 while searching for an affordable, flexible navigation solution.
“We’re a retail store like Walmart. We change our shelves around and move display,” Orr said. “So we needed something that was very easy to adapt to fit what we needed every day or every month whenever we made changes.”
After contacting the company, Orr received about 1,000 unique codes.
“The codes identify everything in our store — from doorways and hallways to item prices, rack sections and office locations,” he said.
NaviLens codes come in two forms: static and dynamic. Static codes provide fixed information, such as room labels. Dynamic codes can be updated digitally without replacing the physical marker, allowing stores to change prices or directions in real time.
The store now uses both types. After purchasing the system, staff programmed the dynamic codes, printed them and installed them throughout the building.
“Something I was really proud of was seeing people like Matt navigate the store on their own for the first time,” Orr said. “They didn’t have to rely on someone else to show them where things were.”
The store now has about 1,700 codes installed. Orr said it may be the first retail location in the world to implement the system at that scale.
NaviLens was developed in Spain and launched in 2017. The technology has been widely adopted across Europe, particularly in transit systems, museums and public spaces. In the United States, one of its largest deployments began in 2021 on the New York City Subway.
The company is now expanding further into the U.S., including the Midwest, with an eye on major upcoming events such as the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in Kansas City.
“Often what a company is required to do can limit what it prioritizes,” Thornhill said. “The financial incentives are usually tied to solving larger societal problems, not necessarily accessibility, so requirements are often as far as some companies are willing to go.”Scott Thornhill, Executive Director of American Council for the Blind on challenges of digital accessibility in the US
One regional partner is Mary’s Braille International, a Springfield-based Braille transcription service.
Project coordinator Frank Taylor said the technology could benefit not only people who are blind, but also older adults experiencing vision loss.
“It’s not traditional GPS,” Taylor said. “It’s information embedded in a printed code that your phone can interpret. That opens up access both inside buildings and out in the community.”
Taylor’s organization helps facilities purchase, install and maintain the codes, as well as train users.
Adoption in the U.S. has been gradual. Taylor said one challenge is visibility.
“The more people see these codes in public spaces, the more they’ll understand how to use them,” he said.
NaviLens also offers a limited number of free codes through its website, allowing individuals or small organizations to create and print their own markers.
Amy Wilson, who leads the blind advocacy group the Safety Positive Foundation, has installed them throughout her home.
“The codes are on things like seasoning containers and in the bathroom because I have blind friends who visit, and they can use them to navigate those spaces,” Wilson said. “They’re small enough that they don’t take away from the aesthetic of my home, but still make it easier to find things.”
Who are some other players?
Despite its growth, NaviLens remains one of the few technologies of its kind in the U.S.
Mainstream navigation apps such as Google Maps and Apple Maps are widely used but are not designed specifically for blind users navigating indoor spaces.
American Council of the Blind Executive Director Scott Thornhill said the U.S. has made progress in physical accessibility through the Americans with Disabilities Act, but digital accessibility still lags behind.
“In Europe, accessibility standards — especially digital ones — are often more developed,” Thornhill said.
He said U.S. regulations can sometimes lead companies to focus only on minimum compliance, rather than innovation.
“Often what a company is required to do can limit what it prioritizes,” Thornhill said. “The financial incentives are usually tied to solving larger societal problems, not necessarily accessibility, so requirements are often as far as some companies are willing to go.”
Still, the potential need is growing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 4.2 million Americans aged 40 and older have vision impairment that cannot be corrected — a number expected to double by 2050.
“Due to diabetes, chronic diseases and other factors, the number of people with vision loss is increasing,” Thornhill said. “With the baby boomer population, you’re seeing more people experiencing some level of vision challenge, and that trend is growing.”
