{"id":99384,"date":"2019-08-29T16:23:22","date_gmt":"2019-08-29T16:23:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.microsoft.com\/?p=434195"},"modified":"2019-08-29T16:23:22","modified_gmt":"2019-08-29T16:23:22","slug":"7-ways-tech-is-helping-people-who-are-blind-or-have-low-vision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2019\/08\/29\/7-ways-tech-is-helping-people-who-are-blind-or-have-low-vision\/","title":{"rendered":"7 ways tech is helping people who are blind or have low vision"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It\u2019s estimated that there are about 36 million people in the world who are blind<\/a>, and a further 216 million who live with moderate to severe visual impairments. Although the World Health Organization points out that up to 80% of vision impairment around the world is avoidable<\/a> with better access to treatment, the number of people who are blind or have low vision is rising as the global population ages.<\/p>\n

But technology is playing a vital role in tearing down barriers, and artificial intelligence is making real inroads into improving accessibility.<\/p>\n

Here are seven examples of how smart technology can be a game-changer, allowing everyone to interact with the world in new ways.<\/p>\n

[Subscribe to <\/em>Microsoft on the Issue<\/a>s for more on the topics that matter most.]<\/em><\/p>\n

The eye in AI<\/strong><\/p>\n

As we\u2019ve reported<\/a>, Microsoft\u2019s Seeing AI is an app designed to help people with low vision<\/a> or who are blind. It enhances the world around the user with rich audio descriptions. It can read a handwritten note or scan a barcode and then tell the user what the product is. Point a camera at something and the app will describe how many people it can see and where they are in the image \u2013 center, top left and so on.<\/p>\n

3-D Sound Maps<\/strong><\/p>\n

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YouTube Video<\/p>\n