Eye Health Week 2018 Blogs – Day 4
As part of national eye health week Beacon is publishing blogs all week about eye health and what it means to different people. Matt Harrison has provided todays blog in which he focuses on advancements of tech which supports those living with sight loss.
I visited the British Museum a while back, and a member of staff informed me that we have more processing power in the smartphones today than in that of the lunar landing module of 1969. At the time I took this with a pinch of salt, and admittedly I have never delved deeper into this claim, but it did get me thinking about just how powerful mobile technology, that we often now take for granted, actually is.
As it is National Eye Health Week, I thought that I would take time to reflect on what the little gadget so many of us cannot live without actually does and how important it is to me as a visually-impaired person.
It’s only 07:05 a.m. and already my mobile has woken me up (intentionally); acted as a timer in the kitchen; notified me of the arrival of my taxi and informed me of the departure time and platform of my train.
Throughout the rest of today, I expect that my device will also read my book to me; allow me to send and receive written messages; listen to my favourite music; scan and read printed text; help me find my meeting location in London; check my emails; take photographs and, lest we forget, make and receive phone calls. That’s an impressive list, but perhaps more so when you consider that I am registered severe-sight impaired/blind.
Such is the power of my mobile device that all the above functions, and a whole lot more, are available to me along with the additional bits needed to allow me to deal with written and visual information on a small screen that I cannot see.
Using a new piece of technology can be daunting for anyone, but by learning a few basic gestures opens a new world of accessibility – and that chance to utilise certain features of mobile technology that those with full sight also enjoy.
These days, screen-reading and magnification features come as standard in most mobile devices. Most people do not know that they exist, but then most people do not need them. Once set up, and mastered, a visually-impaired or blind person can use a mobile phone or tablet without turning on the display. Yes, they will use their device in a slightly different way to a sighted person, but the net result is ultimately parity and independence.
Here at Beacon we have a dedicated curriculum written by ourselves and specifically for visually-impaired people. This takes people through all the taps and gestures needed to proficiently operate a smart device in order to perform a desired function, be that sending a text message, making a phone call or completing an internet shopping spree.
I have now worked at Beacon for just over a year and, during that time, I have seen learners progress in their use of mobile technology – far and beyond their initial expectations. The devices we carry around with us will only become more powerful and versatile but more importantly, so will their users.
For more information on technology to support people with visual impairment, please contact Matt Harrison, Technology Innovations Manager, on 01902 880111 or via email: Harrison@beaconvision.org