Vision Australia is set to give Orange residents who live with low vision the opportunity to experience one of the newest pieces of technology designed to help them access written material.
Orange has been chosen as a participating location for a national roadshow for the OrCam MyEye, a wearable device designed to support people with vision loss and other print handicaps to access written information.
The MyEye is a wearable device with a smart camera that clips onto a regular spectacle frame. The camera is able to recognise text and can then relay that to the wearer.
Vision Australia Occupational Therapist/Access Technology Specialist Vivian Chan said the development of technology such as the MyEye has the potential to play a major role in supporting people with vision loss to live the life they choose.
“When you think about the amount of written material you come across each day you can start to realise how making that more accessible can improve the quality of life for people who are blind or have low vision,” Ms Chan said.
“It’s something that that will make education and employment more attainable for people who have low vision and support them with everyday tasks like reading the mail or identifying medications,” she said.
The MyEye can also assist people living with low vision to recognise faces or identify products when shopping. Ms Chan said all of that will go a long way to supporting people with low vision to lead independent and inclusive lives.
Along with allowing residents with low vision to experience the MyEye, the roadshow will also be an opportunity for Vision Australia staff to familiarise themselves with the product.
“It’s important that we know the ins and outs of these sorts of things so we can recommend the best piece of technology to our clients and also assist them to get the most out of it.”
The roadshow event in Orange will be run by Quantum, the Australian distributor of the product, who will be able to provide professional advice on the MyEye as well as accounts of how it has supported people.
For more information on the seminar or to register for the event, click here.