Daily Mail

Struggle to read? Audio device makes it simple

Discreet aid is great if you have dyslexia or tired eyes

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WHEN Suzy Taylor was four, she became very ill with meningitis, experienci­ng swelling on the brain — a trauma that ultimately led to her dyslexia.

Although she later did well at science and creative subjects, she struggled with English studies and reading.

In primary school she was held back a year, while in secondary she needed extra support.

Despite these hurdles, she never gave up and is now studying for a degree at the Open University as a mature student, while also volunteeri­ng for dyslexia charities and blogging. Suzy heard about an innovative new reading device through her dyslexia campaignin­g network and has been impressed by its transforma­tive features.

She explains: ‘This is a great tool for reading large amounts of text. It reads a whole passage and even a full page with one simple point-and-click, turning it into audio.

It is quick, easy and discreet to use, making it excellent when in public, particular­ly if reading cafe menus, product labels or newspapers.

‘Another great feature is that once the text is captured, it allows you to replay it as many times as you want at your choice of speed, without having to rescan the document.

‘This really helps me with my studies, while saving me time.’

The first-of-its-kind handheld device is for people who struggle to read, have reading fatigue or dyslexia.

It has a smart camera that seamlessly reads text to the user from any printed surface or digital screen.

Wireless, lightweigh­t and fully operationa­l offline, it comes with Smart Reading, a feature that allows the user simply to use voice commands to ask for the text that interests them.

Just say to it ‘find the headlines’ or ‘start from the desserts’ — and it will only read the text you need.

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 ?? Picture: ORCAM ?? Device: Helpful for study or use in a cafe or shop.
Picture: ORCAM Device: Helpful for study or use in a cafe or shop.

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