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In April 2003, the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology Transfer (T2RERC), partnered with the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute to begin the Demand-Pull
Project on Technology for Vision Impairment. The goal of this Project is to identify unmet
needs related to technology for visual impairment and to facilitate the transfer of technology
from Federal Labs, research institutions and other advanced technology developers to meet these
needs.
The Project on Technology for Visual Impairment focuses on four technology areas: Access to
consumer electronics, access to graphics, access to textual information, and wayfinding
technologies. Technology needs identified within these four areas represent important and
unmet customer needs that offer a significant business opportunity for manufacturers. The
technology solutions outlined in these pages offer innovative solutions to current customer needs
and are likely to spur advancement within current industry capabilities or resources.
The success of the Project on Technology for Visual Impairment depends upon the participation
of a wide variety of disability specific stakeholders. These stakeholders include consumers,
clinicians, clinical researchers, manufacturers, technology developers, and representatives from
various governmental agencies. Full stakeholder participation helps to ensure that:
- Unmet needs of consumers and manufacturers are clearly identified;
- The technological state-of-the-practice for current products is well characterized; and
- Reasonable design and performance parameters are established for both short-term and
long-term technology solutions.
All stakeholders benefit from this process. Product customers shape the design and performance
characteristics of next generation products. Scientists, engineers and clinicians become aware of
research needs and transfer opportunities. Product manufacturers are introduced to business
opportunities and advanced technology solutions. The members of these groups who attended
the Stakeholders Forum on Visual Impairment have provided invaluable information that
allowed the T2RERC to identify the needed technology for people with visual impairments
defined in this publication. It is our hope that this primary market research can guide technology
developers and manufacturers in creating the much needed technology to assist people with
visual impairments to obtain full inclusion in employment, education, and community
environments.
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