Summer the speaker, shares her personal experiences with assistive equipment that supports her daily life as a person with a visual impairment. She emphasizes how vital such equipment is for maintaining her independence and navigating both digital and physical environments.
Summer begins by discussing her use of a screen reader, specifically “VoiceOver,” which is built into her iPhone and iPad. This tool reads out loud the contents displayed on her screen, allowing her to interact with links and buttons using taps and double taps. This form of assistive technology is crucial for her digital access, enabling her to operate devices independently and efficiently.
Equally important to Summer is her long cane, a mobility aid she has used since primary school. This cane has a rollerball on the end and is used to sweep the ground, detecting obstacles in her path. It greatly enhances her physical mobility, allowing her to travel confidently and independently. She notes that her long cane was provided by her local authority and that she currently owns multiple canes stored in different locations for convenience.
Summer also reflects on other assistive tools she has used in the past. These include “Bumpons,” tactile stickers that help differentiate objects by touch, and a CCTV magnifier used during her childhood to enlarge printed text for easier reading. Although the CCTV magnifier was helpful at the time, she notes that advancements in technology—like screen readers—have made it largely obsolete for her needs today.
She still uses a product called “Tacky,” a paste that hardens into a tactile marker. For example, she applies it in her shower to mark the preferred water temperature setting. This practical adaptation allows her to maintain her routine tasks independently. Interestingly, the source of the tacky paste is unknown to her, as it was given to her by a support worker, and she remarks on how long-lasting and effective it has been—serving her well for over eight years.
Summer explains that most of her essential equipment was either provided by local authorities or comes built into mainstream devices like smartphones and tablets. She praises the accessibility features of iOS devices, highlighting their ease of use and portability compared to traditional computers. However, she also points out a limitation: her screen reader cannot read PDF documents, a shortcoming she believes should be addressed to improve accessibility.
The interview concludes with Summer’s strong affirmation of the importance of assistive equipment. She states unequivocally that such tools are vital to her independence and quality of life. Without them, she would not be able to navigate her world as freely or confidently. Her experiences underscore the value of continued support from public services and the potential of technological innovation to further enhance accessibility for people with disabilities.
Overall, Summer’s story provides a compelling insight into the real-life impact of assistive equipment and highlights both the strengths and areas for improvement in current tools and services available to visually impaired individuals.
Transcript
And There we go. So, Summer, could you tell me. Why equipment is important to you, what equipment do you use? How do you use it? So the sort of equipment I use, um, I mostly, does screen readers count as equipment? They, well they do count as equipment, but we're looking more less at technical equipment. No, it would be, wouldn't it? It's, I mean, it's technical, but it's not
Technical, technical, if you know what I mean. Yes, OK, cause, um, I don't use any actual physical equipment anymore. OK
Um, I used to though, but I do use, I do use a screen reader on my iPad and my phone. Yes. And
Yeah. Tell me, tell me about that and how you use it, why it's important. So, I use a screen reader on my phone called Voiceover, and it allows me to listen to what's on the screen when I'm navigating
And it's also, um. It also allows me to. So if I want to select, like, click on a link, I tap on it to hear what it is, and then I double tap it to select it, and assistive equipment is important to me because it allows me to navigate around my world better, um
And I guess the, the one bit of equipment I do use is, um, my long cane, if that counts. Oh yeah. What's that? Can you explain it to me? There are different types of cane for people with a visual impairment
So there's the long cane, which is what I use, and it's got a, a roller ball on the end of it, and you open it up, you pull the, um, elastic bit back. And it opens out and you, you move it from side to side, you sweep the ground with it as you walk. Yes, yeah
And it, it picks up any obstacles or anything on the ground. How long have you used that for since I was in primary school? Right, right. And, and
Um, how And what does it bring to your life? More independence, um, ease of travelling really, um, I can go out and about on my own with it. Um, it's, it has a great impact on my life. Great
That's, so you use a screen reader that helps you navigate around the sort of digital world, if you like. And you have the long, um, stick. Is it, what is it? Sorry, long cane
The long cane that helps you navigate around the physical world. Yes, that's right, Kath. Great
Is there any other, do you have, is there any other equipment that you would use, do you think? Or have used before? That I've used before, did you say as well? Mm. 00, OK, yes, I have. So I've used in the past, I've used things called bum ponds, which are, they're tactile stickers that you put on things that help you distinguish between different things, like you can have round ones and square ones
Yeah. And also I've used, when I was a child, I used to use a CCTV. Right
Um, and you put, so basically, it was a CCTV magnifier thing, um. So say for example, I wanted to read a document. Um, the support worker would put the piece of paper on the little platform and you'd turn a little dial that was on the screen and it would magnify it for you
Right, OK. So it's a bit like a basic screen reader that you have now. Yes, yeah, but you'd need to actually look at it
Um, this one didn't used to talk. Right, OK. Um, it used to, it used to make it bigger to see
Yes. Do you think that, um, Technology has improved that now, you wouldn't. Oh yes I do
Yeah, massively. Yeah. So the screen reader's sort of taken over that
Yes, it's taken over the magnifier, definitely. Yeah. And with the, did you call them the bumpons, the bumpons, B U M P O N S bumpons
Quite a good name. Um, so I, I presume they must have been very useful. Do you still use those now, or? No, I don't
I don't, I don't use them now. Um, I tell you what, I do actually use still though, and I forgot to mention it. It's
It's, um, it's something called tachytherm. And it's, it's like a paste, and it's in a tube, and I'll, I'll give you an example of how I use it. So in the shower at home
I have it too, so I can feel where the temperature I have my shower is. Oh wow. Right, OK
And you, what you do is you, you squeeze a thin line of it where you want it, then you have to let it dry and harden. And then it does it, it's like a tactile. Um, like where the controls are and all that
Yeah, yeah. It sort of leaves a, a, a lumpy residue, if you like. So like a, yeah
Like a glue almost, which you can just leaves an impression. Um, a little bit like that, yeah. Yeah
Great. And, um, I take it that you, this. That, uh, you know, that must really help you with your daily
Yeah. Where do you normally get your equipment from Summer? Uh, I did get them. Um, I've got my long, I've had my long cane that was given to me by my, the local authority I was with
When I was at school. Um, I've actually got 2 canes. Um, I think I've got 2
I've got one here at the day centre that I'm at at the moment. Yeah. And I've got one at home, and I think I've got one at my mum's, I can't remember
Right. And I've got them from previous local authorities. Yeah
And do they, do they differ at all, or are they the same? Do they work? Yeah, OK, so they're standard. They're, yeah, the standard model, yeah. Do you think they could be improved at all? Um, I don't think so
Um, I'm quite happy with mine, to be honest. Brilliant. So it does what it needs to do
Yes, it does what it says on the tin, as they say. Yeah. And in terms of your screen reader, where does, where did you get that from? That's built in
That's built into the computer. Uh, iPad and phone. iPad and OK, right, OK
I don't use a computer. I'm not, I'm not very good with actual computers. Yeah
That's OK, isn't it? It's whatever works for you. I mean, it's the same. Essentially, the phone and the tablet is the same as a computer, isn't it? Yes, it is, but a bit more modern
Yeah. Easier to portable, more portable. Easier to navigate as well, I find
So is the screen reader, is that like an app which is in the. It's, it's a software. Software, right, OK
And do you, did you need to pay for that? Does that come from? No, thankfully that comes, that comes in every, every iPhone has put it. That's really good then, isn't it? Yes, definitely. Right
And could that, could it be improved upon at all, do you think? Yes, I think there is one thing it could be improved on is I can't access PDF documents with it. It doesn't. It doesn't allow me to read PDFs
Hm. OK. That's really specific, isn't it? It's weird
Yeah. That'd be interesting to find out why, and if it could be improved. I know, that'd be really good
Yeah. Yeah Um, and with the, um, tachyfirm. Where does that come from? Where do you get that? Does that, is that? Oh my gosh, um, that I don't know because, um, a lady who I used to see, a support lady who I used to see
Had some spare. Right. And I don't know where she got that from, I'm afraid
Yeah. Yeah, sorry about that. No, that's OK
It's just to, so we can get a, a, a bit of an idea, um, around what, what you find useful and where, where people are getting equipment from, you know, whether people are getting equipment from their local authority, and it's providing them a good service, or whether people are having to outsource and go and spend their own money to find, you know, so it's kind of, that's sort of what we're, we're looking at really, a little bit. You know, um, and so. In terms of the taco firm, might be quite interesting to find out for you where it comes from
So like that, um, yeah, you know. You might need, I don't know how long, I don't know how much you need, how long it lasts or. Well, it's lasted me since
Basically since I moved in with my nan and granddad. Yeah. Is that a year or? Oh wow
That's brilliant then, isn't it? I know. It sounds like it doesn't need any improvement. No, it does not
Good golly, no. No. Oh, that's really good
Yeah. Great stuff. So Summer, is there anything you'd like to add to equipment, what it means to you? How you use it
If it wasn't for assistive equipment to help me with my day to day life, I would not be as independent as I am today. Yeah. OK
Yeah. So it's really important. It's really important, yeah
It's vital. Yeah. Great
Thank you so much. I'm going to stop the recording there. My gosh, is that done already? It's done
Oh my gosh. That was so quick. It's very quick, isn't it? Yes
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