Dennis C. Hayes is one of the key reasons why we can search the digital world today.
As the founder of Atlanta’s Hayes Microcomputer Products, he built the modems that made it possible to get access to early versions of the internet. Now, decades later, the Atlanta-area tech legend is turning his attention to a different kind of connection…one that could transform how visually impaired residents experience the city of Peachtree Corners.
Through his nonprofit organization SpartansFirst, Hayes is offering Peachtree Corners businesses a free 30-month trial of Hear2There, an accessibility platform that uses Bluetooth beacons and a smartphone app to help blind and visually impaired individuals navigate the built environment with greater independence. The system delivers real-time, location-based audio guidance, directing users to entrances, exits, restrooms, elevators, and other points of interest in participating venues all through their smartphone.
Behind The Smart City Solution
The partnership between SpartansFirst and Hear2There is “designed to accelerate adoption of accessibility technology in communities by removing cost barriers and allowing businesses to experience the benefits of the platform firsthand,” according to a press release.
For Hayes, the project is more than a philanthropic venture. Hayes himself is visually impaired, as is Hear2There’s co-founder David Furukawa was a physician assistant who lost his vision due to retinitis pigmentosa. Hayes and Furukawa previously worked together to bring technology offerings to the visually impaired community in South Carolina.
Hypepotamus most recently caught up with Hear2There in 2025 as the startup joined ATDC. Hear2There’s co-founder David Furukawa was a physician assistant who lost his vision due to retinitis pigmentosa.
The rollout in Peachtree Corners is already underway. City Hall and several local churches and community buildings are among the early adopters, with a full list of participating venues available here.
The initiative is the latest in a string of smart-city deployments in Peachtree Corners, a city of around 40,000 located 25 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. The city was first incorporated in 2012 and is the largest city in Gwinnett County.
On the tech side, the city has made a name for itself as a proving ground for emerging technology through Curiosity Lab, its living laboratory and test environment for smart mobility, autonomous vehicles, and connected infrastructure that has attracted startups and enterprises giants alike.
