Life changing device for young people with dyslexia and literacy issues

Aaron lives in Brisbane with his guide dog Nulah. Though not totally blind, Aaron has no vision in his left eye and only 1-2% in his right eye. Aaron has worked in large corporate organizations, as an assistive technology advisor in the Department of Education, and as a disability support worker for NDIS.

Currently he is supporting children on the Autism Spectrum (ASD). For fun, he is an active horse rider and a serious computer gamer. Aaron is very tech savvy and a bit of an Apple Evangelist – he uses every kind of iPad and an iPhone with Siri and VoiceOver.

Aaron’s most recent assistive technology is OrCam Read text to speech device. He uses it mainly for distance reading for signage in shopping centres and also in restaurants where he finds it quicker and most precise, mainly because of the red laser box that shows him exactly what he’s aiming at.

“The hands-free aspect is also handy especially when I have Nulah’s lead in one hand-to whip out the OrCam and point at a sign and instantly hear where I am” says Aaron.

Aaron works with many autistic young people, and he explains that many also have dyslexia or at the very least literacy issues. They also love computer gaming but struggle with the flow of instructions and messages that pop up constantly during gameplay. With OrCam, they can quickly point at a chat box or message or weapons inventory and have it read out loud.

As Aaron says, “For many young people with dyslexia, or ASD, this could be life-changing”.