After Losing My Sight to Stargardt Disease, I’ve Read 12 Novels With My OrCam MyEye 2

Michael Atkin lives in Immingham, just outside Grimsby, in England. He recently started using the OrCam MyEye 2 device. A wearable, lightweight, miniature device that uses a mini camera to translate visual data into audible information for its users. It has helped him to rediscover his love of reading after he started to lose his sight to Stargardt disease. Since obtaining then the device, he has been able to get back to reading the books he wants to, all by himself.

Effects of Stargardt Disease

I used to be a prolific reader, but that all changed when I started to lose my sight to Stargardt disease. he says about his new condition that “I can’t see anything at all now on a bright day, and on a dull day, I can only see blurry outlines of shapes and people. Without help, I couldn’t read anything smaller than about three inches across!”. As a book lover, Michael was devastated. He began looking into reading devices and assistive reading technology. He quickly found OrCam Technologies.

Using Artificial Intelligence, and Machine learning, OrCam produces the most advanced assistive technology for people who are blind and visually impaired. One of the most convenient attributes found in OrCam’s devices is its lightweight and wearable attributes. “I have tried other technologies to help me read but they were so heavy and awkward I couldn’t keep using them. With the OrCam it’s so light that you don’t even know it’s there half the time.” Michael stated.

Michal Reads Again With His OrCam MyEye 2

Many blind and visually impaired organizations help people who have visual impairment find the right assistive technology for their condition. Many visually impaired individuals suffer from cataracts, glaucoma, Stargardt disease, and many others. Michael attended a meeting at the Grimsby Macular Society Support Group. That is where he first discovered the OrCam MyEye 2.

“I got an OrCam MyEye 1.5 after I had a demonstration at my local Macular Society meeting in Grimsby. I really liked the technology, but the cable connecting the device to the base unit bugged me, so when OrCam released the wireless version I wanted it straight away. It’s only been a few months since I got my OrCam MyEye 2 and I’ve already read 12 novels cover to cover – it has opened up a new world for me. My wife and I have started sharing books again, and when my grandson asked me what I wanted for Christmas I just gave him a list of all the books I wanted.”

“My favorite thing now is being able to go and sit in my conservatory and relax with a good book. I use a book rest that a friend made for me, and I love that my OrCam can read two pages of a book at a time. The pause and rewind functions are also brilliant because I can just swipe backwards to go back a few lines if I missed something, or double-tap pause it in the middle of the page if I need to go off and answer the door.”

Additional Features Improving the Quality of Life

People who have lost their sight due to Stargardt disease can change their lives in more ways than reading again. OrCam MyEye 2 features include recognizing barcodes of shelf-products, colors, and money bills. Faces of friends, family, and co-workers can also be saved into the device’s memory for identification. Personal items can be saved for identification as well.

Thanks to these capabilities, thousands of users from around the world have been able to complete degrees, get back to work, and change their lives in various ways. OrCam devices have been featured on mainstream media from around the world.