DURATEQ® ATV Extends Accessibility of Flight 93 National Memorial

June 30, 2016 — Houston, TX — Flight 93 National Memorial, part of a new National Park unit created to honor the heroes of September 11, 2001, who courageously gave their lives, thereby, thwarting a planned attack on the U.S. Capital, and Softeq Development Corporation, a seasoned provider of embedded software development services, proudly announce the completion of the DURATEQ® assistive technology system installation in the Visitor Center and Learning Center of the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The implementation of the DURATEQ® assistive technology solution allows Flight 93 National Memorial visitors to seamlessly follow self-guided tours through the 6,800 square foot exhibit area of the Visitor Center, which tells the story of how an ordinary Tuesday morning was transformed when United Airlines Flight 93 and three other commercial airliners were hijacked. The tour starts following checkout of the DURATEQ device at the Visitor Center desk. Placement of infrared (IR) emitters in proximity to each major exhibit in the Visitor Center allows automatic triggering of pre-recorded audio description content on the DURATEQ handhelds. Included in the exhibits are recordings of phone messages by passengers and the crew to loved ones, recovered fragments, including a boarding pass and the touchpad of an Airfone. One entire wall of the Visitor Center is dedicated to the photographs of the passengers and crew, provided by their family members.

The Learning Center, adjacent to the Visitor Center, is also equipped with two infrared (IR) emitters to allow the room to be partitioned into two separate meeting rooms to accommodate presentations for smaller groups. What is unique is that when the wall between the two sides of the room is open, the two emitters send out the same location code. That way, all devices will tune to the FM output for the main projector audio. However, when the room is split (wall is closed), each emitter outputs a unique location code allowing DURATEQ users in each room to automatically tune to different program material.

Originally developed for the Walt Disney World theme park, the DURATEQ Assistive Technology handheld devices featuring SyncLink™ Technology and its ALiCE (Assistive Listening and Captioning Engine) software makes the visitor experience accessible to anyone requiring audio or visual assistance. The system provides audio description (AD) for visitors who are blind or have low vision, and assistive listening (ALS) for visitors with hearing loss.

“We were honored to provide our DURATEQ assistive technology solution to support the National Park’s efforts in extending accessibility of the Flight 93 National Memorial and to help keep the story of September 11, 2001 relevant to its numerous guests of all abilities,” commented Paul Fruia, VP Engineering of Softeq Development Corporation.

About Flight 93 National Memorial

On Sept. 24, 2002, Congress passed the Flight 93 National Memorial Act. The Act created a new national park unit to commemorate the passengers and crew of Flight 93 who, on September 11, 2001, courageously gave their lives, thereby, thwarting a planned attack on the U.S. capital. The memorial is outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 crashed, with the loss of its 40 passengers and crew. For more information about the Flight 93 National Memorial, please visit https://www.nps.gov/flni/index.htm.