Nine years ago, Roger purchased sophisticated hearing aides using the Alternative Financing Program operated by Easterseals Massachusetts. The hearing aids allowed him to continue his work as a sound designer despite significant hearing loss. Roger paid off that low-interest loan years ago, and last December he returned to Easterseals for assistance purchasing a device he'd been tracking for over two years: the Orcam MyEyes.
Roger is a technology enthusiast living in the golden age of assistive technology. Blind since birth, he uses screen readers and dynamic braille displays as well as high-tech hearing aids. He doesn't adopt technology lightly, but neither does he insist on doing things only one way. When he became aware of the Orcam, he recognized it could be a game-changer for his quality of life once the company worked out a few hiccups -- and assuming he could afford it.
The Orcam is best described as wearable OCR (optical character recognition). This means it can read aloud hard copy print. Clipped discretely to a pair of eyeglasses, it has a camera and speakers that audibly provide information it perceives (at the user's direction). Its other functions include the ability to read currency and bar codes and identify up to 150 faces. It can also tell a user if there's a person within the camera's field of vision (regardless of facial recognition). Roger would know if he were not alone.
Orcam's first version plugged into a battery pack and had no Bluetooth capability. Roger waited for the updated edition principally because it promised to pair with his hearing aids. When MyEyes hit the market, he arranged for a device demonstration with an Orcam representative.*
"I was so impressed," Roger says. "The quality of the voice had improved, as well as the speed of the processor. It reads so quickly and paired to my hearing aids, it’s discrete. It's really a joy to work with.
The price, however, was prohibitive. To own the Orcam MyEyes, Roger would need to borrow over $4,000. So he went back to Easterseals even though he wasn't sure he could get a loan again.
At Easterseals, AFP Coordinator Steve Crays reassured Roger that repeat customers are more than welcome. He also recognized Roger as an excellent "risk," proposing to the AFP Advisory Committee that Easterseals guarantee his loan so the bank would approve his application.
Roger was impressed. "I felt like Steve wasn't just doing a job. He clearly cared about what he was doing, the person he was working with, and the value in the technology."
Roger is delighted with both Easterseals Massachusetts and his new Orcam MyEyes. With the device clipped by his temple, he can now explore his environment in a way no other OCR technology allows.
"I know there are great smartphone apps, but this is hands-free, unobtrusive, and natural. I can sit down in a waiting room and pick up a magazine or catalog, learn what it is, and read it without drawing attention to myself. I can pull a jar from the refrigerator and find what I'm looking for. I can sit in my recliner and read my mail."
Roger laments he did not have a device like this while he was teaching college all those years and grading student papers. He imagines, too, the power of walking into a job interview now and showing how swiftly he can access hardcopy on the fly. To his surprise, he's even using it with his computer monitor, to help him figure out what has popped onto his screen to freeze his screen reader.
"There's almost no scenario where the Orcam isn't useful," he says.
The Easterseals Alternative Financing Program provides loans for the purchase of assistive technology and assistive technology services with a low-interest rate and favorable terms. There is also a no-interest loan option for amounts under $2,000 available to applicants with poor credit or no credit history. Both programs are designed to assist individuals with disabilities and their families to acquire the AT they want or need.
Roger says he's grateful for a way to purchase the personal wearable devices that are rarely otherwise funded. "This program is unique and more accessible than ever. Banking can be intimidating. Easterseals put me at ease and makes me want to work with them. Easterseals makes sure people have a good experience."
*The Orcam may also be seen at the Assistive Technology Regional Centers in Boston and Worcester as well as borrowed, free of charge, for a four week trial from the MassMATCH short-term device loan program operated by Easterseals MA and UCP of Western MA.
