How assistive technology can transform the lives of people with vision impairments
“Just because a man lacks the use of his eyes doesn’t mean he lacks vision.” — Stevie Wonder, American singer-songwriter
Tap. Tap. Tap. That’s the sound of freedom. The freedom to follow your heart. The opportunity to access public places. The pursuit of striving for equal rights at work, just as any other sighted person. The hope for a better—and more disability-friendly—tomorrow.
White Cane Safety Day
In 1964, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson marked October 15 as White Cane Safety Day to recognize the growing independence of people with vision impairment and celebrate their movement from dependency to active participation in society.
The white cane—a symbol of blindness as well as a tool for independence—came with a mission: a mission to educate the world about blindness and how the visually impaired can live and work independently and also give back to their communities. The white cane does not just symbolize a movement or a federation. Instead, it stands for the growing wish and the will to be free, the spirit and determination to be self-reliant, and the hope for the prospects of blind people to be bright.
Since its inception, White Cane Safety Day has been celebrated worldwide to bolster awareness, foster advocacy, and make a case for the increasing use of assistive technologies to improve lived experiences. A good example is mobility devices like tech-enabled smart canes and digital maps that have made traveling easier.
The world of assistive technology
Blindness is not at odds with independence. Srinivasu Chakravarthula, who leads product accessibility at Freshworks, elaborates:
People have often asked me, ‘How do blind people use computers? Do they need a special keyboard or a special computer to work?’ Before answering this question, I have always given the example of an efficient typist who can type quickly and accurately without needing to look at the keyboard. How do they make it happen? It’s simple: training and practice! The same applies to people with vision impairments. They don’t need a special computer—all they need is training on assistive technology.
According to Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA), “Assistive technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities.”
Assistive technology can be both high-tech and low-tech—from canes and lever door knobs to voice recognition software and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. AT can be software as well as hardware—prosthetic devices, mounting systems, positioning devices, wheelchairs, walkers, braces, educational software, power lifts, eye-gaze and head trackers, and much more.
“A blind person walking on the streets on their own, working in an office with a computer, or operating machinery in a factory was an unusual sight even a decade ago. But times have started to change,” says Chakravarthula, who believes that every problem in the world comes with a solution–and the potential for innovation.
Thanks to better technologies, equitable workplace policies, and a greater awareness of disability in society, consumer markets are seeing an increasing number of assistive technologies. Also called adaptive technology, there has been an increase in demand for screen readers, magnifiers, and braille displays. Mobility aids like smart canes, wheelchairs, and walkers are improving the lives of disabled people by removing barriers to their growth.
Assistive technology for vision impairments: categories and kinds
“When we think of technology from the perspective of people with vision impairment, we generally group them into general technology and assistive technology since they use a mix of both,” explains Chakravarthula. General technology includes everything from computers, smartphones, and GPS devices, which empower people with a better working experience. Assistive technology, on the other hand, is specifically designed to help people with disabilities be more independent.
Chakravarthula explains that there are usually two kinds of vision impairments: total blindness and low vision.
Empowering people with total blindness: A person with total blindness can use computers with the help of screen readers or refreshable braille displays.
A screen reader identifies and interprets what’s being displayed on the screen. The application presents this interpretation to the user through text-to-speech, sound icons, or a braille output device. Screen readers are useful for visually impaired people and people with learning disabilities.
A refreshable braille display or a braille terminal is an electro-mechanical device that displays characters by raising dots through holes in a flat surface. Owing to their complexity and the possibility of wear and tear, these devices are quite expensive and less popular.
Empowering people with low vision: Most people with low vision prefer using screen readers to avoid straining their eyes.
Others use computers with the help of screen magnification software. Some salient features of such devices include the ability to zoom in and out of the screen, set the desired contrast for foreground and background, increase the font of the elements, and magnify the size of the mouse pointer.
Assimilation of assistive technology into mainstream markets
Aimed at improving customers’ lives, technology companies have also started to incorporate assistive or adaptive solutions into mainstream technology. A direct result of this has been the proliferation of features like verbal command functions, text-to-speech capabilities, and closed captions for videos. It goes to say that what was initially developed for a niche set of people has since been transforming the daily lives of all people.
If you think the strong link between mainstream and assistive technology is surprising, it’s really not. According to Valuable 500, “all technologies are by their very nature assistive.” They help people use their varied abilities to do the things they want to do.
Assistive technology and empathy: The road ahead
The road to an inclusive society can only be built on the bitumen of equal opportunities for all its members. But more often than not, people with disabilities (including visual impairments) are discriminated against and stigmatized for their reliance on others—a factor that’s increasingly taken care of by the advent of newer and better technologies. With the help of assistive technology, disabled people can now work on all kinds of applications—Word documents, spreadsheets, presentations, web design, programming tools, and the internet.
But as technology advances and continues to transform the way we think about life and work, it’s also essential to do our part in breaking down barriers, showing empathy, and supporting one another. It’s not just technology but our attitudes that need to change. Only then can we really embrace the full spectrum of human diversity.
As Hellen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much.”