For a global pharma company, Healthskouts recently conducted a deep dive scouting exercise investigating digital innovations for blind and visually impaired people. This was a fascinating and deeply uplifting project because it rapidly became clear that we are in the middle of a technological revolution in this field.
This is largely due to advances in sensor technology and artificial intelligence, and most importantly, the way these technologies are exploited – specifically for visually impaired people – in smartphones, smartphone apps and smart eyewear. To get a glimpse of recent innovations have a look at Be My AI (from Be My Eyes).
The ‘must have’ toolkit for blind and visually impaired people has altered dramatically the last few years (although some traditional tools, such as the White Cane, remain key) and can be expected to continue evolving rapidly in the coming years, to the benefit of people with a visual impairment.