Smart Restrooms Get Smarter: Throne Labs & NaviLens Partner to Champion Accessibility

WASHINGTON, D.C. + Murcia, Spain—June 6, 2025—In honor of Visually Impaired People Day, Throne Labs is proud to announce a new partnership with NaviLens to increase public restroom accessibility for individuals with vision loss. Throne’s smart restrooms across the country will be equipped with NaviLens technology to enable seamless navigation and access for people who are blind or visually impaired. The rollout will begin in Washington, D.C., and expand across the country.

NaviLens is an award-winning technology that enables individuals with visual impairment to navigate public spaces through audio cues. The NaviLens uses custom QR-style codes readable from up to 60 feet away without needing to focus or frame the code. Designed for individuals who are blind or have low vision, the system communicates information in over 30 languages and does not require users to touch the sign or know its exact location.“At Throne, our mission is to design public infrastructure that truly serves everyone,” said Jessica Heinzelman, COO and Co-founder of Throne Labs. “By integrating NaviLens, we’re making our restrooms even more accessible and intuitive for people who are blind or visually impaired. We’re thrilled about this partnership because it redefines what inclusive infrastructure can and should be.”

Throne restrooms are ADA-accessible and feature running water sinks, flushing toilets, baby changing stations, and free menstrual products. Each unit is equipped with 21 sensors that provide real-time data on cleanliness, usage, and maintenance. Through mobile or text-based access, users can experience safe, dignified, and well-maintained restrooms in parks, transit stations, and public spaces. Throne is currently available in greater Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Ann Arbor, and Washington, D.C.“Our goal at NaviLens is to break down barriers to independence by making public spaces truly navigable for people who are blind or visually impaired,” said Martin García-Ripoll, Client Relations & Projects at NaviLens. “Partnering with Throne allows us to bring our technology to essential public infrastructure—restrooms—and ensure they are accessible in a way that respects dignity, autonomy, and ease of use.”

The Throne-NaviLens Partnership comes on the heels of NaviLens’ launch of their NaviLens Bathroom Kit. The kit provides a series of QR codes for typical restroom features that can be applied by anyone wishing to make their restroom more welcoming to all. By incorporating NaviLens into every unit, Throne is ensuring that visitors with vision impairments can locate and interact with restrooms independently and confidently. The system will facilitate entry and provide wayfinding inside the unit to share where various features are located—all via an intuitive audio interface.

Importantly, NaviLens preserves user privacy by design: no images are saved or uploaded to the cloud—the system processes everything locally on the user's device without storing any visual data.

The Washington, D.C. deployment includes restrooms across popular parks, public plazas, and business districts. The partnership will scale to additional cities in the coming months as part of Throne’s nationwide expansion.“NaviLens and Throne are marrying accessibility tech to a mainstream solution. I think it's really forward thinking,” said Louis Do, Accessibility Consultant for the Carroll Center for the Blind. “I think accessibility is just a good customer service experience, so it would enhance my desire to travel back to that place. Everybody uses the bathroom. It's a universal experience, and it needs to be accessible. The difficulty when you're visually impaired and traveling is trying to find a bathroom AND the accessibility of that bathroom.”

Visually Impaired People Day is observed annually on June 6 to raise awareness about the challenges faced by people with visual disabilities and to advocate for inclusive design and equitable access to public resources.

To learn more about Throne Labs, visit: www.thronelabs.co.

To learn more about NaviLens, visit: www.navilens.com/en.

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‍About Throne Labs

‍Throne Labs is revolutionizing public restroom access with data-driven, inclusive smart bathrooms that prioritize cleanliness and user experience. Their innovative, utility-free units can be deployed rapidly at a fraction of traditional costs. Throne's turnkey service uses sensors and real-time user feedback to optimize cleaning and maintenance. The result is consistently sparkling restrooms backed by transparent performance data. Thrones serve parks, transit hubs and business districts, where they delight users and transform expectations for public restrooms.‍

About NaviLens

‍NaviLens offers a high-contrast accessible code that can be scanned from several feet away without the need to frame it in the camera. Readable in multiple languages, the free NaviLens apps announce real-time information—directions, schedules, package details—out loud, empowering blind and low-vision users while adding speed and convenience for everyone. From New York’s subway and VIA Metro Transit in San Antonio to Melbourne’s metropolitan rail network, thousands of codes already guide travelers and shoppers worldwide. NaviLens preserves user privacy by design: no personal data or video frames are stored or upload, while still delivering location-aware guidance and multilingual content that make any space or product instantly accessible.###Media ContactEvie Smith HatmakerEvie@thronelabs.co831-588-1174