Mobile App Helps Visually Impaired Improve Their Photography Skills

You might not think a visually impaired person or even a completely blind person would care about improving their photography skills, but that line of thinking is outdated in today’s world. With the technology available, people with sight limitations can improve their photography skills just like the rest of us (and they can even use Instagram).

Although there are already some camera apps with audio cues which can help people, there will soon be a camera app specifically designed for the purpose of helping visually impaired people take better pictures. Dustin Adams and the team at the University of California at Santa Cruz have done a lot of research (through surveys, etc.) to find out which part of the photography process blind people have the most trouble with, and how they would like to improve their photography skills.

They used the information they gathered to create a mobile app. You can read the results of their research on the school’s website at UCSC. The app uses a series of advanced audio cues to help people with limited or no sight to take better pictures and improve their photography skills. They are still working on developing the app, and they will showcase the final version later this month.

Even before this app is finished being developed, blind people still have the opportunity to become fabulous photographers and even use Instagram. Tommy Edison, who has been blind since birth, demonstrates how he uses Instagram on the iPhone 4S in the video below. By tapping into the accessibility setting (which helps him navigate on a touchscreen) and Siri, he Instagrams and shares photos like a pro. This is inspiring, and it’s another example of how technology can truly enhance the lives of everyone who uses it.