The Ghana Blind Union (GBU) yesterday launched a remote controller, a new device for smartphone and tablets to improve their use by people with vision impairment.
Dubbed ‘Hable One’, it is a small piece of device that can be attached to a smart phone or tablet.
The device costing 200 Euros (approximately GH¢ 2,500) empowers people with vision impairment to write papers and complete work assignments, hence providing autonomy and independence.
The device could be used with ease both by braille proficient individuals and those without mastery over braille.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Peter Obeng-Asamoa, Executive Director of GBU, said the device had been tested by a number of people within the association, and that relevant feedback provided by the GBU had been incorporated into how to use it, adding that the GBU was also available to support potential users.
“Hable One is extremely suitable for people who want to be able to type in any situation without making mistakes. Because of the small size, you can take it anywhere you go, and you will never have to take your phone out of your pocket,” he said.
“The Hable One is also very suitable for people who have problems controlling VoiceOver or TalkBack. The physical buttons of the Hable One allow you to fully control the phone in a much easier manner. This gives you the ability to use the entire phone without help from others,” Dr Asamoa said.
He, therefore, asked the government to ensure that such devices were made accessible to the visually-impaired.
For support and maintenance, he said, each unit comes with a 2-year warranty and that in the unlikely event there is a hardware malfunctioning, the device could be exchanged for a new one for free, during this period through the importer in Ghana.