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All the gadgets
When you're blind or have low vision, doing things like reading in dim light or telling the colour of your clothes can be hard. There is software for the iPhone that can help you with these tasks.
There are apps to increase text size and to light pages up for easier reading. Other apps can even tell you what colour clothes you're wearing, or tell you if you have left on the lights.
This story looks at a few of these types of applications for the iPhone. There are many more, both free and available to buy from the iStore.
More information about Apple for the eye
Posted by: Graeme Turner, on 07/12/12
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If you are a person with a vision impairment it can be hard to keep up with the latest books, read bills or other documents. Machines that read books aloud have been available for many years. I now use a product called Pearl. It allows you to take a photo of a page of words that is then quickly read aloud by a computer. If you don't like using computers, the SARA reading machine is easy to use. You place a book on a scanner and press one button. It starts reading the words aloud straight away.
More information about Bit of a pearler
Posted by: Graeme Turner, on 09/11/12
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Arm and leg movement is usually essential to play lawn bowls. I have no movement from the neck down. But I wasn't going to let this stop me from playing lawn bowls. I spoke to the group Technical Aid for the Disabled Victoria. They are a volunteer group that make individual technical equipment for people with a disability. After months of hard work volunteer Bill Dooley made me a mechanical bowling arm. I use the bowling arm by pressing down on my chin and turning my wheelchair. I went lawn bowling with my friends. And I won.
More information about Lending an extra hand
Posted by: Anthony Bartl, on 20/08/12
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I'm blind and partially deaf in both ears and need hearing aids to get around. Reading about the history of hearing aids helps me appreciate how much they have improved over time. The first recorded use of hearing aids was in the 17th century. They were large speaking trumpets that made sound louder. In the early 1800s a trumpet shape was designed that could be worn by a person. The hearing aid was attached to a pair of glasses. In the 20th century, hearing aids continued to become smaller in size and better in hearing quality.
More information about History of hearing aids
Posted by: Bernadette Lancefield, on 09/08/12
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Years ago I used a scooter to get to work every day. I hired a scooter recently that was bigger than my old scooter. I had trouble getting off the train and getting into lifts. I wanted to know if scooters are larger than they used to be. My research found they can be. One reason scooters may be bigger is because they have to accommodate larger people. Many medium-sized scooters fit into today's lifts. But there is not much space left. I think buildings and lifts need to be built to fit scooters and wheelchairs of different sizes.
More information about Challenges of using a scooter
Posted by: Deanne Newton, on 02/08/12
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