Brandon Biggs is a Software Engineer at The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, CEO of XR Navigation, and a PhD Candidate at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Brandon is an inclusive design expert who is blind; he is also an opera singer who loves Italian chocolate.
Brandon graduated from California State University – East Bay in 2016, obtaining a music BA with a minor in marketing and music performance. He entered OCAD University, earning a master’s degree in inclusive design in 2019.
Brandon has been busy building his career while also advancing map accessibility for people who are blind or low vision.
A Passion for Inclusive Design
When speaking with Brandon, it is clear that improving access and removing barriers are prioritized counterparts, threading together his professional, academic, and personal goals. He is a change-maker and keen thinker on a mission, and the mission is making maps accessible.
Early Influences and Advocacy
Diagnosed with Leber congenital amaurosis in childhood, considered totally blind with some light perception, Brandon attributes his success in part to his parents. “They didn’t see my blindness as a limiting factor … they also were big advocates of me being my own advocate.”
Brandon’s Mother, Sonja, is a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) and a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS). A TVI instructs students with visual impairments in disability-specific skills related to the areas of the expanded core curriculum so students have access to the education curriculum and function independently to the highest degree possible. A COMS teaches individuals with blindness and low vision to orient and navigate their environment using nonvisual techniques and remaining vision and other senses. They also instruct in correctly using a long white cane and route planning indoors and outside.
Her guiding hand and knowledge likely lent to Brandon’s development into a confident and inquiring young man.
In 2015, Brandon, partnering with his mother, launched Sonja Biggs Educational Services (SBES) SBES provides vision-based services to assist in meeting the educational needs of students with blindness and visual impairment.
XR Marks the Spot
Brandon’s goal of making digital geographic maps accessible to blind/low vision users through innovative audio interfaces is no longer an item on a wish list, thanks to his software engineering position with Smith-Kettlewell, XR navigation, and his Ph.D. project being concurrent touchpoints.
Reality of Accessible Maps
XR Navigation maps enable blind and low vision people to read a map in real-time. The delays and expense of tactile maps and the limitations of hard copy maps will no longer cause a lack of instant access to educational tools.
For example, a sighted person reviews an indoor map or directory after entering a building. Likewise, a person may use a floorplan for the exhibit space when attending a conference. These kinds of maps can be digitized for access. Thanks to the development of inclusive software design, barriers to these traditionally visual-only images are no longer an issue.
XR Navigation states it is the only fully WCAG section 508, 504. and ADA-compliant digital map solution. Their maps give both blind and sighted users the freedom to access geographic relationships inherent to a map equally.
To learn about XR Navigation maps, please visit https://audiom.net.
Balancing a Busy Schedule
Working from home, Brandon structures his time to accommodate his stacked schedule. He uses time blocking to reach his daily goals. It is crucial for balancing multiple roles and projects. He maintains a prioritized task list in a text document.
All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination. Brandon Biggs is the person who can help you get there.
Invitation to a Career Conversation
To learn more from Brandon Biggs, join us for Career Conversations on April 3, 2025, at 6:00 pm Eastern. Register here.