Technology? A window to a world of possibilities
In today’s entry, I will be sharing with you my thoughts on assistive technology and how I make use of it.
Assistive technology has gotten better with the passing of time. When I was a child I used Braille to read, write and label my things. At that time, assistive technology was giving its first, but big steps. My first device was the Braillenote, a computer with a Braille display and voice feedback. It had the basics of any computer system. Many academic issues were solved when I started using this computer. I navigated into the tech world while getting older. I used Jaws for many years, this is one of the most known screen readers for the blind. I started using <Voice Over when I started university, it was a life-changer for me. Many visual things started to become accessible and I was able to gather more information about academic topics, personal interests, and even mobility.
Mobility has always been one of the hardest challenges a blind person has to go through in order to have independence, each one in their own way. I learned orientation and mobility with the cane when I was about five years old. Then, I became a guide dog user when I turned 19. There are many amazing things about both tools, but one of the toughest cons of being a guide dog user is that your dog will eventually retire and there is no exact date for this. When I started to notice that Fitgy, my guide dog, wasn't working as great as I knew she could, I started to realize and tried to understand in my own way that her retirement was around the corner. It was at this exact moment when I found Sunu.
When I first touched the Sunu Band I was somehow amazed about it and with many questions on my mind. How will this device help me? How am I supposed to use it? Will I be able to learn this new orientation and mobility language?
It was very confusing at first, I must admit it took me practice and the desire to learn in order to understand all that the Sunu Band could give and add to my mobility. One of my first impressions was that it had a very friendly look, very comfortable and it is a device that has never made me feel disabled. On the contrary, it makes me feel capable of moving around with more independence and security.
I had to train myself how to understand this new language and how to differentiate between vibrations and situations. I can surely say it was a very interesting journey. It wasn’t difficult at all, it just took me bravery and learned how to be more confident in myself.