A growing number of local governments in Japan are using a smartphone app to help visually impaired residents access critical information in the event of a natural disaster.

In response to requests from visually impaired people, the service, which uses the app to read out the names of evacuation centers and other necessary information, was launched in April this year under the supervision of a nonprofit organization.

"Municipalities need to take action to ensure that people with disabilities can access vital information," a person in charge of the app project said.