OGDEN, Utah — A student at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind (USDB) recently became the first student in the United States to use a specific piece of technology.
It is called the Tactonom Reader. The technology makes it easier for blind and visually impaired people to work independently with graphic information.
19-year-old Cami Cordero is a senior in the Utah School for the Blind Bridges Program.
"I can see out of my left eye, but not with my right... Everything is just blurry," said Cordero.
Cordero added that she can't see things from far away.
She became the first blind student in the entire country to give the Tactono Reader a spin at the school's campus in Ogden.
"I've, like, never even used a device like this before," said Cordero.
"We don't necessarily think of graphics being all that important or something to even think about as a sighted person, but visually impaired folks need a great deal of graphic representation," said Keri Ostergaard-Welch, the department head of the Access Technology Team at the Utah School for the Blind.
Ostergaard-Welch says she came across Inventivio, a German-based company that makes the Tactonom, at a technology convention in California last year.
"They had not sold anything to a U.S. audience, but they were there, and I hit the roof because I said we really need something like this for our kids," said Ostergaard-Welch.
She said the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind footed the bill for two of the devices, which normally cost $5,500. She said they got a $500 discount.
Ostergaard-Welch and Cordero showed FOX 13 News on Friday just how the device works.
"It has streamlined the experience for the reader in that they can locate an item on the graphic and push enter, and the camera — if you will — will be able to locate what it is that they're wanting to know about," said Ostergaard-Welch.
It's something she says was never available before.
"It's always been up to the Braille reader or the low-vision graphic user to figure it out on their own, which is very difficult, especially if the graphics are busy," said Ostergaard-Welch.
Quintin Williams is a former student who became an employee at the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind 15 years ago.
"It really is groundbreaking and puts the world at the fingertips of our students," said Williams.
Williams and Cordero, are excited about what this kind of technology can bring for the future.
"It's a huge catalyst for independence, but it also opens the doors for students to explore new career opportunities, new fields that they may not have thought of before," said Williams.
Those who use the Tactonom Reader are able to access a large database of graphics. That allows them to explore a wide range of things, from maps to 3D-printed models.
The reader also provides voice information and sound effects.
