In an Australian first, digital technology has been introduced in Australia to give the vision-impaired instant access to over 140 newspapers and 40 magazines.
With less than five per cent of people with print disabilities having easy access to printed information, a gap was identified in today’s technological market.
With the assistance of a grant provided by The J O & J R Wicking Trust (a charitable trust managed by ANZ Trustees), Vision Australia developed i-access ® with the aim of improving the quality of life and independence of the vision-impaired.
The i-access program is based on the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) technology, which enables a vision-impaired person to easily navigate a document, like a person with perfect vision would.
The technology employs a digital playback device or personal computer to enable users to read and/or listen to a wide range of newspapers, magazines and best sellers, and even new recipes!
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This advancement in technology facilitates social inclusion and provides a platform for more effective study, work and travel. It removes the frustration associated with juggling cassette tapes or CDs, as the retrieval of printed information is undertaken with ease on one handheld device.
Clients have embraced this technology. There are currently 15,772 digital playback devices and 736 portable handheld online devices in circulation, with 94 per cent of the 18,000 members of Vision Australia’s Information Library Service using these devices. There are also over 15,000 DAISY titles available to choose from, in addition to 140 newspapers and 40 magazines.
About the J O & J R Wicking Trust
Notable philanthropist John Wicking had extensive involvement with Vision Australia during his lifetime, and it was important to him to support organisations that were client focused and truly benefited the community.
Established in 2003 by John and Janet Wicking under the terms of the will of the late John Wicking, the J O & J R Wicking Trust provided $180,000 in seed funding to Vision Australia in August 2004, and has provided a further $5.7 million since March 2006 to implement the i-access project.
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