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Having access to technology can enhance almost every aspect of our lives. Being included
is very much about being connected. Whether it's for online shopping, Internet banking,
or simply staying in touch with friends or family, technology plays a pivotal role in
everyone's lives. It's very, very simple to get started with
technology. You can learn bit by bit and day by day. So in this short series of videos
we've broken down all of the popular topics and questions around technology and we've
made it really simple and user friendly and we hope that you find it to be a very valuable
resource. Hi, I’m Robin Spinks. I’m 39, I'm partially
sighted, I'm a gadget enthusiast, and I use technology to help me get about in a number
of ways. Hi I’m Ellie Southwood. I don’t have any
useful sight. So when I go out and about I rely really, really heavily on technology
as well as on other people. Hi, I’m Ian Jentle. I’m 67. I use my memory,
I use my white stick, but I do use some of the technology that's out there in the public
domain. Robin Spinks: So we're going to talk about
technology for travel and helping us to get around. There are loads of applications available
for smartphones. That’s only one option. There are, of course, hardware devices, purpose
built for the job navigation, and then, of course, there's good old fashioned human help.
Ellie, how do you use technology to travel? Ellie Southwood: The main things I use are
apps on my iPhone. So there's one called Navigon, which I use to plan routes, and to see where
I am when I’m on the move and I also use apps which tell me when I'm at the bus stop,
which bus is due to come next, so kind of live timetable apps. It’s brilliant because
it’s so practical; it's part of the phone that I'd have with me anyway.
Robin Spinks: What about you, Ian? Ian Jentle: Well, I think that the basic kit
for a blind person is your memory, and your voice. But also then you can add on a white
stick or a guide dog. I use to, at least once a fortnight, get put off a bus at the wrong
stop. In London that's now a thing of the past because all the buses talk. They tell
me every stop as we go past it. The same thing is true on the underground.
Robin Spinks: And then, of course, there are hardware devices too, like the Trekker Breeze.
They’re all using GPS, which is actually guiding you toward a destination from one
point to another. Ellie Southwood: And I’ve heard as well
about some really interesting vibrating canes and eyeglasses.
Do you know anything about that, Ian? Ian Jentle: I do a little bit I think the
problem with a hi-tech cane, they're very expensive, a couple of hundred pounds at least,
and if they break down what you've got is a stick.
Ellie Southwood: What do they actually do though?
Ian Jentle: They bleep when you're getting near something. What I don't understand is
how you get them to shut up. Robin Spinks: So there are ranges of options
to consider. Everything from dedicated hardware devices, specialist apps, and, of course,
the canes and goggles that were mentioned, too. Summing it all up, it's really important
to get people's opinions, Get other people’s opinions
Find out what works well And above all, get the opportunity to try
some solutions and find out what works best for you. You might also want to consider the
British Computer Association of the Blind. It's a great place to find answers and suggestions
to your technical queries. Ellie and Ian, thank you both very much indeed.
Ellie Southwood: Thank you. Ian Jentle: Thank you.