VisAble Video Telescope Project
Today, four Resource teachers for the Visually Impaired, (whose students were specially selected for this project), will explore an innovative new vision technology - the VisAble Video Telescope. The VVT300 combines the features of a CCTV and a room viewing camera into a lightweight hand-held unit, enabling those with visual impairments to perform a variety of daily tasks. |
|
|
In partnership with Betacom/Bridges, the Portable Low Vision Technology project, or VisAble Project, was established to evaluate the VVT300 for educational purposes. Five students of
varying ages and grade levels, with significant vision loss, will test the device in their schools for
three months. School staff will monitor progress, making suggestions for improvement and
implementation.
Lorna Klashinsky and Cindi Johnson conducted the in-service. The room was set up for a variety of viewing scenarios, binders were filled with technical and reference materials and batteries were charged and ready. Starting with an introductory presentation, Lorna reviewed device features and led us through a morning of zooming to various magnifications, adjusting focus and viewing in low, bright, and glaring light. We tried freezing a scene and reading a book from the reading stand. One resource teacher even tested it outside in bright daylight. |
| We were particularly impressed with the assessment and training pack that displays what the student is viewing. |
|
|
The consensus was that the VisAble is comfortable to hold, easy to use and highly versatile (with a zero dork factor), and that the student and staff involvement provided invaluable feedback.
Submitted by Micki Nakashima |
|
