'AI' app breaks barriers for people with disability
Nick Allan is blind but he can tell who's sitting in front of him, what age
they are and if they are smiling or frowning. All thanks to his phone.
Nick Allan is totally blind, but he can still tell who's sitting in front of
him, what age they are and if they are smiling or frowning.
All thanks to his phone.
The 43-year-old, who is Vision Australia's Access Technology technical lead, is
using a new app, Seeing AI<http://seeingai.com/> which describes nearby
scenarios and people, and reads facial expressions, text and objects.
It can also read barcodes, allowing the vision impaired to pay their own bills.
Mr Allan says advances in technology are helping him navigate a world designed
for the able-bodied.
"I can't say that a lot of things are easy, but at least they are doable now,
whereas they weren't before," he says.
"You are more likely to try things you wouldn't have tried before, because it
is more likely to work for you now."
Seeing AI is one of many apps and devices helping people with a disability gain
more control over their lives and decrease dependence on others.
Guide Dogs Victoria recently launched a pilot program to help the visually
impaired navigate
inside<http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/new-technology-a-helping-hand-for-melbournes-vision-impaired-20171014-gz14u2.html>
public buildings.
Beacons installed at various locations inside Southern Cross Station connect to
Blindsquare, a free GPS app, which uses smartphones to provide directional
advice.
For those unable to use hands, a device allows the cursor to be controlled with
movement of the mouth. For those who have a learning disability such as
dyslexia, Word documents can read aloud with simultaneous highlighting,
increase text spacing and breaking words into syllables to improve
concentration and comprehension.
Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Microsoft's chief accessibility officer, is in Melbourne to
launch the Seeing AI app in Australia.
Ms Lay-Flurrie, who is severely and profoundly deaf, says technology can remove
barriers and create a level playing field for people with a disability.
She says Microsoft is building accessibility into its Windows operating systems
and Office suite to cater to the one billion people with a disability worldwide.
"Technology has got an incredible part to play," Ms Lay-Flurrie says.
"We have got features embedded into those products that could empower a lot of
people. We just put colour-blindness filters into Windows 10, we put
eye-control into Windows ... we are hoping it will help someone with MND [Motor
Neurone Disease] be able to communicate where you type using your eyes and it
will speak for you.
"I think we have come a long way, I think we have got a lot to do."
Ms Lay-Flurrie says she uses a variety of tools every day, including video
calling, real-time captioning and voice transcribers.
"I think accessibility is something every company should be thinking about;
every company should be looking for products that give the best experience for
all customers and employees," she says.
"We have the power to include, and that's what we should do; we have the power
to exclude, and that's no good for no one."
Almost 30 years ago Graeme Smith started Ability Technology, an organisation
geared towards finding the right technological help for people with a
disability.
Since then there has been enormous advancements in technology covering every
aspect of life for people with a disability.
"It helps people write, it helps people speak, it helps them organise their
life, manage their finances, education, recreation ...," Dr Smith says.
"People with disability sometimes use technology to develop music, to do
photography, to do artwork, write poetry."
Dr Smith says technology is also helping people with disability e
Beacons installed at various locations inside Southern Cross Station connect to
Blindsquare, a free GPS app, which uses smartphones to provide directional
advice.
For those unable to use hands, a device allows the cursor to be controlled with
movement of the mouth. For those who have a learning disability such as
dyslexia, Word documents can read aloud with simultaneous highlighting,
increase text spacing and breaking words into syllables to improve
concentration and comprehension.
Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Microsoft's chief accessibility officer, is in Melbourne to
launch the Seeing AI app in Australia.
Ms Lay-Flurrie, who is severely and profoundly deaf, says technology can remove
barriers and create a level playing field for people with a disability.
She says Microsoft is building accessibility into its Windows operating systems
and Office suite to cater to the one billion people with a disability worldwide.
"Technology has got an incredible part to play," Ms Lay-Flurrie says.
"We have got features embedded into those products that could empower a lot of
people. We just put colour-blindness filters into Windows 10, we put
eye-control into Windows ... we are hoping it will help someone with MND [Motor
Neurone Disease] be able to communicate where you type using your eyes and it
will speak for you.
"I think we have come a long way, I think we have got a lot to do."
Ms Lay-Flurrie says she uses a variety of tools every day, including video
calling, real-time captioning and voice transcribers.
"I think accessibility is something every company should be thinking about;
every company should be looking for products that give the best experience for
all customers and employees," she says.
"We have the power to include, and that's what we should do; we have the power
to exclude, and that's no good for no one."
Almost 30 years ago Graeme Smith started Ability Technology, an organisation
geared towards finding the right technological help for people with a
disability.
Since then there has been enormous advancements in technology covering every
aspect of life for people with a disability.
"It helps people write, it helps people speak, it helps them organise their
life, manage their finances, education, recreation ...," Dr Smith says.
"People with disability sometimes use technology to develop music, to do
photography, to do artwork, write poetry."
Dr Smith says technology is also helping people with disability enter the
workforce.
"You see people with disabilities who are judges, lawyers, politicians," he
says.
"As people become more competent partly through technology then there is a
snowball effect.
"... Because people may have pity, people with disability might be seen as
[being on] welfare ... [but] attitudes are forced to change."
Mr Allan says without technology he wouldn't be able to do what he does.
"Without computers that talk, mobile phones that talk you wouldn't be able to
perform any office job these days," he says.
For Mr Allan it is about not having to ask for help.
"It gets tiring to always rely on other people and other people's timeline," he
says.
"The use of technology means there is less reliance on other people to get
things done. And that's comforting for me ...and indpependence."
Seeing AI is a free app currently available for
Iphones<https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/seeing-ai-talking-camera-for-the-blind/id999062298>.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/technology-breaking-barriers-for-people-with-disability-20171116-gzmlbc.html?btis