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People with severe visual impairments have reflected on some of the technology that has improved their personal and working lives at Guernsey's first ever digital accessibility drop-in.
The event took place yesterday to celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day. The Guernsey Disability Association and Access For All organised the session so that people could share their experiences and showcase the apps and other technology they use.
The session was hosted by GDA member Michael Ellis, who uses a magnifier and screen reader on his laptop, a phone app that can read text and an in-built camera to describe the environment around him, identifying colour, people and even things like barcodes.
"These days, everybody needs to access the digital world for everyday goods and services," he said. "From a social, moral and economic perspective, everyone should be able to use it without unnecessary barriers.”
Pictured: Common digital issues include low contrast text, missing text around images and empty links.
Pete Torode has severely impaired vision which was made worse after he suffered a detached retina. He increasingly relies on technology to help him do the things he loves - such as reading - and to continue to work.
"My eyesight is like looking out of a dirty bathroom window after a hot shower," he described. "However I would rather have what I have - which is pretty vague - than nothing at all."
The discovery of Braille was a game-changer for him and he admits to "preaching evangelical" about this and other "gadgets" he has recently purchased.
"Digital is the way forward and I am finding more and more gadgets that work for me," he said. "I listen to lots of specialist podcasts and that gives me a lot of information about new products that have been launched. You can also get demonstrations from a blind person’s perspective, which is really helpful."
Simon De La Mare, who also has severe visual impairments, was chatting to Mr Torode at the drop-in about different apps, software and devices they use in their daily lives.
"Pete is far more up to date than me with keeping his finger on the pulse," said Mr De La Mare.
"I tend to stick to what I know I can use, such as the software on my computer which allows me to work and to keep stock of the budget at home, finances and emails."
Pictured: Pete Torode's Orbit Reader Braille display, which he uses at work and also during his leisure time, as it can interface with his Kindle via his phone to allow him to read books off the device.
The States' Disability Officer Gill Evans said the session was a good opportunity to get together and meet new people.
"It is quite a good learning opportunity as well – some of the technology we have spoken about are things that I was not aware of previously," she said.
From the States' perspective, she said it is vital that digital services are not only available to everyone, but easily accessible, even if you have an impairment or disability.
"This is important because if you cannot navigate around a website, you won’t go back there again." She believes the drop-in - the first of its kind in Guernsey - was a success.
"We hope that everyone will have taken something away from it that they were not aware of before."
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