Sight Village - blind tech show
Post categories: Technology
| 09:35 UK time, Wednesday, 15 July 2009
It's Wednesday - middle of the week, not a trough, it's a peak. But today also sees the middle day at the - the blindie tech exhibition in Birmingham. The website more properly refers to it as: "... the premier European event showcasing technology, support and services for people who are blind or visually impaired". It's at a new venue this year, The New Bingley Hall, Hockley.
Blind people love their tech. Maybe it's cos the Ouch team sports two blind members of staff, we don't know, but we reckon blindies get all the best gizmos. I mean, grab sticks? Hoists? We know they're important but you wouldn't get them out and show them off in the office, would you. Not like, say, a talking colour detector that tells you if your clothes are blue, red or dark olive? Woah I'm salivating just thinking about it. Don't go feeling bad if you're not blind, though.
Anyway, cutting to the chase now. We dispatched gizmo crazy Emma Tracey to the event today so visit Ouch's home page in the next couple of days to see what grabbed her attention most of all.
Personally speaking, I'm quite happy with my talking basket weaver kit.
If you went to the event, tell us about what you saw in the comments space below. Or maybe you have a fave gizmo you're dying to tell us about.
Comment number 1.
At 15th Jul 2009, jyotikajoe wrote:blindie tech exhibition I don't know about it just have to check.
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Comment number 2.
At 18th Jul 2009, cazzie wrote:I like the name blindie tech exhibition, but there more to just tech there loads of new and cool stuff at sight village, things to help us read and get on with life, it is the best place out, for blind tech did not go this year but planning on going next year, cannot wait i been before so i now what it all about
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Comment number 3.
At 21st Jul 2009, Albion86 wrote:I'd go but I can never afford any of the equipment there! I've only been once but I found some of the sellers to be a bit pushy 'Oh yeah, it's only £500 - bargain'! I don't like the Sight Villages message which seems to be predominantly corporate - about big business (you can have comfort, an easier life and accessibility as long as you're willing to pay top Dollar for it). The Companies are selling the dream to VI people but it's a dream that's unobtainable if you're living on a low income. Not all of us have good, full time jobs or have a job at all. Sorry for the anti-Sight Village rant but I wasn't that impressed with it to be honest. I can appreciate that it is a great place to network with other VI people though and a great forum for charities to promote themselves. I'm partially sighted so many of the equipment isn't relevant to my needs anyway. I've never been much of a 'techie' though so perhaps that's partly why it doesn't hold much of an attraction for me. The only way I would go to Sight Village again is if I was volunteering for one of the charities or organisations that I support.
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Comment number 4.
At 21st Jul 2009, cazzie wrote:yes you are so right, but it can and gives us ideas on what is out there, there are allways cheap ways to get the equiment we needed if you need to scan your post you could buy a namal scanner and the solftware not half as much it be if you went out and brought a scanner that talks i have a namal scanner and the solftware from the rnib i'm sure there are some batter solfwares i think i have to have another look, so it can be good to get adive on all the new things out there, i would go again there one in nottinghamshire soon
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Comment number 5.
At 24th Jul 2009, schoohoo wrote:Its a bit heavy on the jargon, but theres an interesting new paper
" From Web Accessibility to Web Adaptability" /cgi-perl/signon/sl.pl?u=4a6987804e83112a981484ebbc9a33b0%29
which discusses current approaches to Web accessibility issues, includes case studies and highlights the changes that will need to be made.
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Comment number 6.
At 28th Jul 2009, blindyachtie wrote:cazzie1984 is right. If I like the look of a product, excuse the pun, then I go and search on a non-disability shop's website for the same product and find exactly the same thing cheaper. We do get ripped off. You can't always find cheap stuff like that but I can quite a lot of the time - Claire
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