Technology is changing the way we do things and is helping to make life easier for people living with sight loss.
From specialist mobile phones to devices that give audio descriptions of your surroundings, there is something for everyone and our assistive technology team will help you find out what is best for you.
Assistive technology is the name given to a wide range of products that help people with sight loss to carry out day-to-day activities that may otherwise be difficult or even impossible. When we talk about assistive technology, we are mostly referring to electronic devices such as mobile phones, electronic magnifiers, computer software and smart speakers.
Technology can help enhance your day-to-day life and assist with your hobbies and leisure as well as work or studying.
There is a selection of devices to help you stay in contact with loved ones. These include large-buttoned mobile phones with simple-to-use features or smartphones and tablets with built-in accessibility options that allow you to change screen colours and font sizes or use voice commands.
Electronic magnifiers enable you to read text, even small print, by either reading the text aloud or magnifying the text to make it easier to see. They also allow you to change the colours on the screen to give a more accessible colour contrast. Electronic magnifiers come in a range of sizes from small, portable ones that can be taken out and about with you, to the larger desktop magnifiers. There are also free mobile phone apps that can read text aloud too.
Take a look at a range of video magnifiers and their specifications available via our online store.
Desktop magnifiers use a camera connected to a monitor to provide high levels of magnification. Not only does this make reading much easier but these magnifiers can also be used to help with hobbies and crafts such as making and painting models or cross-stitch, for example,
Software applied to computers, laptops and tablets can help you in a work environment or when studying. This can range from software that reads aloud from your screen or converts speech to text rather than requiring you to type. Software also allows you to choose the size of the text on your screen and can make navigation easier too.
You can use apps on a tablet or smartphone to read newspapers, do crosswords or watch television programmes at a comfortable viewing distance. Many modern televisions have built-in accessibility features such as voice-guidance which announces on-screen information like channel names and programme guides. In addition, audio description is available on all broadcast television and some streaming services. Audio description is commentary that is added to television programmes to describe the unspoken parts of a scene such as body language and character movements.
You can book a free appointment with our experienced assistive technology advisers to chat about your needs and find out what works best for you. You don’t need to have any previous experience of using technology because you will be given hands-on demonstrations with expert advice and instructions. Some of the devices are even available to borrow on a two-week loan so that you can try them out for a longer period of time.
An appointment with our assistive technology team at the Sight Centre in Truro is completely free. If you are housebound or have a large piece of equipment that you need support with, we can offer a home visit for a fee of £25.
If you wish to make a purchase, some devices are available to purchase from our online shop, others come from specialist suppliers that we can direct you to.
Alternatively you might find something you like in our pre-loved shop which sells second-hand items at a reduced cost.
To book your assistive technology appointment please contact us on 01872 261110.
We are the first centre of resource for all in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly who are affected by sight loss.
