After a three-year hiatus, Vision Australia has released a new video series detailing current tips and tricks that also showcase the ingenuity of people living with a disability.
The new hacks include how to navigate an ATM, using a phone’s zoom feature to read small print, taping rugs to the floor to avoid trips, using rubber bands to identify items and using pre-recorded audio to read a child’s bedtime story in real-time.
Vision Australia general manager for Corporate Affairs and Advocacy Chris Edwards said the series highlights how small changes can have a big impact.
“When we first launched it in 2022, our aim was to empower our clients and provide them with work arounds for common barriers that they face daily,” he said. “With the new series, this aim remains the same. However, we’ve updated the hacks to reflect current times and received greater collaboration from our community.
“People who live with vision loss, or any type of disability, should be given the tools and support they need to live their lives independently – and who better to create these hacks than those who share similar experiences,” he said. “We are innovators and creative thinkers, because we have to be. When there isn’t systemic change, we have to take matters into our own hands to overcome barriers.
“As someone with lived experience, I would have loved these life hacks when I first received my diagnosis. While our society isn’t completely accessible, we now have access to more tools, such as assistive technology, that equip us to live independently.”