Merton Centre

The MertonVision Centre is quietly located on a quiet road in Colliers Wood where the entrance is already visually impaired friendly with bright handle bars, wheelchair access friendly and a bright red coloured door. When I press the buzzer for assistance I am greeted and then hear a voice speaker telling me how to open the door. Wendy Walsh kindly shows me to the resources room and notifies that their centre does not have hold all the equipment thats available to a person with low vision but they do have some.

I am first shown to the most expensive equipement which is the CCTV where users can magnify an object onto a TV screen to read better. Colours can alternate for their own preference. I am also shown other equipment such as other types of magnifiers, talking devices (i.e. calculators, alarm clocks, watches) and equipment to help write. I am also shown a blind cane and the different types; I was able to dissemble and assemble one which made me do it again with my eyes closed... I wanted to experience well the cane was made for someone to operate the cane themself. An elastic strap is wrapped around the cane and when this is pulled off the whole cane falls out into pieces and then can all 4 sections can be slotted together to form the cane. One great discovery was a braille typewrite... I had never thought of a braille typewrite to exist! If we notice how braille is formed, it consists of 6 dots in a 2 x 3 structure. If the dots were numbered 1-6 reading from top line first, then this correlates to the typewriter in the order of 5 3 1 2 4 6 and that is how a braille typewrite works. The shock of seeing a braille typewriter made me realise how when someone with able vision sees something that is accessible friendly, it makes them think of the difficulties one might have with everyday products.

Blind cane

Enlarged buttons for dialing

Hand held magnifying instrument to help read better

Braille typewriter

CCTV with optional colours to adapt for the individual

At the end of the resources tour asked for the questionnaire to be filled out. The questionnaire was then given feedback to me and she explained each answer. At the end of the questionnaire it asks "Lastly are there any suggestions that could help towards my project" for which I explained that I am planning on making a interface for a "to-be" invented device which could navigate someone in any location. However, she told me that a device like that has already been invented and it cost about £1000 to get it installed onto someones phone. She then said that one of the difficulties for someone with low vision is reading off tinned cans and the ingredients it contains. This then got me thinking about how some people who have developed low vision from diabeties need to make note of what they are eating and how much. Wendy had also said that most old aged visual impaired people are widowed as they tend to outlive their husbands and often live by themselves so will cook a ready made/oven meal for one. If someone struggles to read the ingredients off current packages then this could lead to a everyday constant strain with every meal- not only tinned cans but also medication, detergents, cat food etc...

I am planning to change the project to focus on packaging solutions for the partially blind, as I feel this is more simple than the navigation device solution that was in thought process. The packaging solution can also become a possible realistic product in the future and can create an awareness for some viewers. I hope from the product some viewers will double think how some everyday objects are a constant struggle for others and how something simple can help it become easier.