Vision Australia CEO Ron Hooton and legally-blind circus artist Sarah Houbolt, who was awarded a VA Award last year for her passion for disability rights

Australian low vision service provider, Vision Australia, has opened a new interactive site so people who are visually-impaired can experience the abundance of new technology available to help them today.

Located in Vision Australia’s new Parramatta centre in Western Sydney, the new Vision Store and Tech Hub showcases the latest specialist adaptive technology and how more mainstream devices can be optimised and used to support people who are blind or have low vision. 

"Whether it's living independently, being active in their community, finding employment or staying connected with family and friends, technology is often the key to unlocking opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision," said Ron Hooton, Vision Australia’s CEO. "Individuals have different circumstances and goals and what we have at Parramatta is a location where anybody who is blind or has low vision can come and be exposed to a huge range of technology that can support them and get expert advice about what is likely to best suit their needs.” 

Technology advice is provided by Vision Australia's staff plus representatives from tech organisation partners, including Samsung, Apple and Google, and specialist adaptive technology providers such as IrisVision and OrCam. 

Other highlights of the new space include demonstration home environments, including an accessible kitchen and cooking aids (both low and high-tech solutions); a living room with TV/voice integration home devices; workplace/home study tools; Google Home to control lighting and provide audio cooking instructions; and other tools such as Samsung’s voice-controlled screen magnification tech.

"Accessibility is a key consideration for people who are blind or have low vision and we've taken that into account with the design, layout and other features in the space," Mr Hooton said.