John Mandrak, a helpline adviser, talks about how assistive technology enabled him to return to work after becoming visually impaired. Using a variety of technologies, John is able to assist older and disabled people seeking advice about equipment for independent living (picture courtesy of photographer, Chris Moyse).
"Assistive technology liberated my life after I became visually impaired. It enabled me to develop new skills and return to work full time at the Disabled Living Foundation. As a helpline adviser, I can speak with conviction to older and disabled people when they seek advice on equipment solutions for independent living. The specialist ICT equipment that I use includes a large 21 inch display monitor with a screen magnification software program on my PC. This enlarges the computer-based information I use when talking to callers. More in-depth screen data can be read out to me using a speech synthesiser. I also have a device called a CCTV as part of my workstation. This is a camera electronically connected to a screen and is used for magnifying hard-copy printed material and improving its colour contrasting."
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