Technology at Croydon Vision

We are really proud of our Tech for Good centre at Croydon Vision; it’s one of many provisions that make such a difference in our members’ lives.

It’s stocked with clever, life-changing devices aimed at making a visually impaired person’s life easier.

Learn more by booking a one-to-one appointment with one of our tech experts > 

In recent years the world of new technology has exploded, enabling blind people to experience things that were previously inaccessible to them, and encouraging:

• Greater independence
• Connectivity
• Confidence
• Employability
• Personal development

What technology is available for visually impaired people?

• Assistive technology
• Electronic magnifiers
• Text to speech machines
• Daily living aids
• VI-friendly clocks and watches
• Labelling equipment
• Games
• Kitchen equipment

How can you access the Tech for Good?
Simply book a one-to-one appointment with one of our Team member. They’ll talk you through what’s available and give you demos on the kit we have in stock. We will provide you with an unforgettable experience on technology and how its use can transform your day to day life.

What is Assistive Technology?

Assistive Technology is any item that aids in reading printed or handwritten materials. It also includes specific machines that enable blind and visually impaired people to listen to audio books.

At Croydon Vision’s Tech Hub we have everything from handy pocket electronic magnifiers, to larger desktop versions. We also have specific machines that convert text to speech and read printed materials aloud.

We stock specific devices that read content from USB sticks and audio books from Daisy Disks.

Mobility is also made easier thanks to our GPS devices, which are specifically designed for visually impaired people.

Making everyday life, easier

A lot of the equipment we have for daily living is labelling.

We have brightly coloured elastic bands, which are easy to tell apart as they have different tactile feelings depending on the colour. You can put these around bottles or jars to quickly be able to tell them apart. 

We also have marker pens, bumpons (sticky tactile dots). These can be used for labelling different heat settings on your oven, or different programs on your washing machine. 

There is also the Penfriend, which is a talking barcode labeller. You show the bar code to the unit, and you are then able to attach a recorded message, so great for telling CDs or DVDs apart, labelling your clothes or recording instructions for things.  

We also have a large selection of talking and larger clocks and watches. 

Life is more fun when you play games

We have a selection of large print and braille (or tactile) games so everyone can get involved and enjoy some friendly competition.

There are card games such as UNO, as well as, Scrabble, Dominoes, Connect Four and even a tactile rubix cube!

What’s Cooking!

There a variety of Kitchen Equipment in the Tech hub.

Two things that people usually come in to the resource room to see are the non-spill thermos mug and the talking microwave, which speaks out every button that you press.

As well as those, we have a tactile and a talking measuring jug and  liquid level indicators. 

The other big item of Kitchen Equipment we have is a Talking Induction Hob this is a one ring or two ring hob which is fully accessible. You can set the temperature using gas mark or degrees C, there is an inbuilt timer and the ring doesn’t get hot until it senses that there is a pan on it, which is really safe if you are nervous of hob cooking.