Nonprofit gifts life changing visual aid technology to locals
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Sight Savers America has a simple goal – giving individuals who are visually impaired independence.
On Tuesday, several people received life changing assistive technology aimed at giving them freedom in their daily life.
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Sight Savers America offers two devices: a text to speech holdable and wearable piece and a video magnifier. And both of these devices operate the way you would imagine.
“The text to speech device, so they can have text put in front of them and it will read it pretty flawlessly out loud to you,” said Sight Savers America CEO Dawn DeCarlo. “If you can benefit from magnification, then we tend to use devices that magnify and we have different devices that magnify up to 120 times.”
About 10 individuals were selected to get these devices through the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB), and Sight Savers American provided them at no cost to the individual.
With this technology, those who are blind or visually impaired can go about their lives more confidently and with greater freedom.
“It just gives them in the independence to do the things they want to do, without having to call a family member or have somebody else do it for them. Like I want to make a cake, how much oil do I need, how many eggs do I need? These devices you can magnify you can listen to it,” DeCarlo said.
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Jessica Edmiston, AIDB chief adult & field services officer, said this technology enhances life in a number of ways for those who receive it.
“It does mean quality of life, quality of independence. It doesn’t just benefit the individual being served, it benefits their family unit. So it really is empowering,” Edmiston said.
Sight Savers America will also follow up with the recipients and fix or replace any broken equipment as needed.
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