Blind Ian can read his favourite paper
The OrCam scans words then voices them
An ex- cabbie who lost his sight is now inspiring others to ‘ read’ using a digital camera.
Ian White’s life changed in the blink of an eye when he suffered a stroke six years ago.
A digital camera attached to specs can read things put in front of peoples’ faces.
It means for example if Ian puts an Ayrshire Post in front of him, the revolutionary OrCam will read out the words in all our top stories.
The Troon dad- of- two was so impressed by the £ 2000 device he is now travelling the country to give others a new lease of life.
A small camera lens that attaches to reading glasses transcribes everything from newspapers to railway station signs for the visually impaired.
Ian, 55, said: “When I lost my sight, it all happened in the space of a few days and was absolutely terrifying.
“Losing your independence is the worst thing that can happen.
“So when I discovered I might have some hope with a product like this, it was an overwhelming feeling.”
Ian is now a fully qualified trainer for Israeli- designed OrCam.
He said: “I travel everywhere from Dumfries to Wick telling people my story.
“I used to be an ice hockey referee and loved reading my sports in the newspaper.
“It was a huge shock having that taken away from me, but now I feel alive again.”