Institute for Human Centered Design

Join us on Tuesday, December 10 at 12pm EST for a webinar with Sylvain Denoncin on multisensory wayfinding at the Paris 2024 Olympics! Learn more about this webcast and RSVP using the link in our bio.

Sylvain Denoncin is a French accessibility expert. An international speaker, he has been sharing his expertise in wayfinding and mobility assistive technologies for 15 years. He chairs the Okeenea Group, which encompasses several verticals (building, technology, and digital), a leading French company in accessibility and inclusion. For six years, he served as President of AFPAPH (French Association of Professionals for Accessibility to People with Disabilities) and is currently the association’s Vice President.

In partnership with the French Olympic Committee and Solidéo, Okeenea Group developed a concept for a tactile, sound, and visual orientation table to help people navigate the Athletes’ Village. Placing universal accessibility and quality of life at the core of their approach, they aimed to go beyond mere compliance with standards and regulations, by integrating sensitivity to accessibility issues through different criteria such as considering the needs of the entire population, addressing various perceptual needs, seamlessly fitting into pedestrian pathways and fostering a positive connection to the evolving community.

Descriptive Text:
This event graphic features a headshot of Sylvain Deconin smiling. He has short brown hair and is wearing rectangular glasses and a blue collared shirt. To the right of his photo is a photo of a woman and man smiling at each other while engaging with a multisensory wayfinding map. On the left of this image is a woman with a white cane touching the tactile parts of the map with her hands. She has straight brown hair below shoulder level and is wearing a red and white spotted dress. The man to her right is also touching the map and holding papers between his fingers. He is wearing a brown beret and a navy blue full-zip jacket.