Until recently Linda, who has Macular Degeneration leaving her with minimal sight, could not read anything. She relied on her brother to read her mail, she could no longer drive and she had to carry a heavy reader around her neck which she jokes “nearly killed me it was so heavy”.

That all changed when she tried a new wearable reading device that sits discreetly on the side of her glasses.

The OrCam MyEye is designed to assist anyone who struggles to read, recognise faces or objects and helps users become more independent. A small camera is mounted on the user’s eye frame converting visual information into the spoken word.

Linda said she only has to point at text on a piece of paper and the OrCam MyEye will read it to her. 

“I got in contact with Vision Australia and they organised a meeting and I bought one. I can look at your face and say your name and then every time I see you it will tell me who I am talking to.”

Linda encouraged others with low vision to take the opportunity and use the OrCam MyEye.

“When you lose your vision, you get it in your head - you can’t do anything,” she said. You are put in a box and you are not allowed out… but the MyEye just gives you that little bit more independence.

“...it is worth every cent to get the freedom I’m getting, and my brother is happy he doesn’t have to read all my mail anymore,” she said.

Linda said she was looking forward to seeing what the future held.

“I’ve told them (the distributors) this already, but it does make life that much easier, it’s made me a happier person,” she said.

“If you don’t try, you don’t know if you can do it or not, like I play bowls, work at Vinnies one day a week, I’m going ten pin bowling next week. I go to museums now and I can read the little pieces of information next to displays. 

“I’ve not had one problem with it, they update it every year with more features so I’ll just go with the flow and see what they do and try everything out,” she said.