Have You Heard the News?

OrCam MyEye has been generating a staggering amount of news. Such is the interest and excitement about OrCam that it has been featured on prime time news and current affairs for the last year and continues to feature in newspapers and on radio around the country.There is a very simple reason for this level of interest. It works!! Orcam offers a new way to access the written word, anywhere and at any time, independent of your age, eye condition or reading capability.

OrCam MyEye has been making a huge difference to the lives of people that have purchased one. People like Susie Barrington, who purchased hers with funding from the NDIS.

“The OrCam is incredible. It has made such a huge impact on my life” says Susie.

Unfortunately, the NDIS has been a mixed blessing with a number of people being

refused funding. If you need help with your NDIS application please contact us; we can work with you and your planner to make sure your application meets the NDIS requirements. We know that the Orcam is positively ensuring daily living goals are met.

Also in this issue we provide some reasons why OrCam provides such a unique opportunity for accessing information.

We bring news of some exciting new features for OrCam that will be made available to all OrCam MyEye V2 users.

What is Your News?People tell us that the articles they enjoy most in this newsletter involve people stories. For someone new to low vision or sight loss, it can be very encouraging to hear of others living successfully with Low Vision.

So please send us your stories, or just phone us and let one of our team members know that you would like to share your own story. It’s the very best news.

OrCam MyEye 2.0 Upgrade!

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Issue 43Autumn 2019 LIVEWIRE LOW VISION

The OrCam development team are powering ahead, and have recently released an up-date to the OrCam MyEye 2.0 and OrCam MyReader 2.0 which includes some amazing new features. This up-grade is a software only up-grade. If you would like some assistance in up-grading your unit please contact us. New features include:

1. Bluetooth capability - this will enable Bluetooth enabled hearing aids (or speakers or headphones) to connect directly to OrCam.

2. Speech commands introduced. Users can speak and ask;

Tell Date/Time Speak faster/slower Read QR Code

3. Improved support for Wi-Fi. OrCam now helps you get connected to Wi-Fi and prompts the user with questions and advice such as;

Are you in range of the router? The network is down Is the router plugged in and

connected?4. Bar-code learning. Create your own

labels!

OrCam has also released the OrCam App for iOS (Apple) with the Android (Samsung and others) currently in development. The App is an easy way to control menus and settings on the device, manage up-grades, and it has a FIND ME function if the OrCam is in range of the phone to help you keep track of your OrCam!

A New Stand for the Clover 10At last we have a large electronic magnifier you can fit on a lap cushion and read a book!

We have talked about the Clover 10 magnifier before. It now comes with a new "Assist" reading stand to transform it into a magnifier you can use at a desk, on your lap, or anywhere you want to read.

Great in the kitchen when you are cooking or very portable for out and about or travelling. A really versatile addition to make the Clover 10 a great choice.

There are other sizes available and please call us if you would like a demonstration or other information.

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Peter Cracknell recognised for outstanding serviceCongratulations Peter! We have always known about his fantastic customer service because you are constantly telling us. Peter always goes the extra yards to ensure everyone chooses the right product and knows how to use it.

Peter has lead our Queensland office since it was first established in 2005. Prior to that he worked at our head office in Sydney, following a successful career in the UK supporting people with vision loss.

Recently he was recognised by Optometry Queensland and Northern Territory and being awarded the BJ Skertchly Award for “Outstanding Contributions to Optometry from a Non-Optometrist”.

This is a remarkable achievement and all of us at Quantum are thrilled to have Peter on our team. Congratulations Peter!!

PC at Work BlogSometimes when we get a new product we read the instruction manual, but it only gives us half the information we need. Sometimes we discover a novel use for a product that we have been using in other ways for years. And sometimes we speak to an expert and learn more in a few minutes than we did in 12 months.

Welcome to Peter Cracknell’s blog! Peter writes a regular blog, which can be found at https://www.petercracknell.net/ . It provides an amazing array of useful and interesting information. Peter also passes on stories and tips from other users, mostly to do with living with low vision or blindness, but also information that is useful for everyone. Did you know that an iPad makes an excellent reading stand?

Help Us Go Paperless!Our newsletters play a vital role in providing the latest news about vision aids and sharing the experiences of others with vision loss. However, the cost of printing and mailing them is high.

If you have an email account and would like to receive your LiveWire Low Vision newsletters by email please let us know by sending an email to info@quantumrlv.com.au or phone us on 1300 883 853

Using less paper is also great for the environment!

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How Can OrCam Help You?Hear any printed text, in real time. OrCam MyEye enables you to read anything, even text on a computer or smartphone screen - the ability to access printed information at any time and in any location has never existed before.

Always On – Instantaneous AccessText-to-Speech traditionally occurs at a desk. More recent devices such as smart phone apps have provided mobility but require documents to be aligned and the camera held at a prescribed height. OrCam MyEye is hands free and can continuously scan the environment and read text as soon as it is encountered.

Equivalence of visually scanningTraditional text-to-speech devices and reading machines scan a whole page, and then reads the whole page. Using artificial intelligence OrCam MyEye recognises the shape of your finger, and will start to read wherever the finger moves to. This ability is unique to OrCam MyEye and is a major step forward for all people that struggle to read.

Read from any surfaceInformation in text form is everywhere, and not just on flat surfaces. Packaged foods and medicines come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and are fabricated from many different materials. With the appropriate light level text can be read on plastics, fabrics, bottles and cans - just about any surface!

Read information in the environmentThere is information all around us, things like posters, signage, safety information and business documentation. Reading devices in the past meant reading a page but the OrCam MyEye means reading anything, anywhere, anytime.

Distinguish people in your proximity OrCam MyEye can recognize that there are up to eight faces in front of you—a handy feature if you're standing in a line, or if you're at a party wondering if you're speaking to a person or a floor lamp.

Recognise known facesOrCam MyEye uses the very latest in biometric analysis to perform facial recognition. Once captured the OrCam MyEye will recognise and announce the name of the person that walks into view.

Identify MoneyOrCam MyEye will accurately identify all Australian and New Zealand bank notes. Simply point at the note and the denomination and value will be read out.

Accurately identify a wide range of consumer productsOrCam MyEye will read bar-codes on products and can store and recognize up to 150 items you choose to identify and label. Social InclusionOrCam MyEye supports social activities such as volunteering, social clubs and community involvement. The OrCam MyEye provides an additional level of access to incidental information that would otherwise be inaccessible, such as hand-outs, minutes and notices.

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Compact 6HD – A new mid-size portableBuilding on their strong tradition of innovation, Optelec have proudly introduced a portable magnifier that can also read text back to you.

The Compact 6 HD is more than just another electronic magnifier. It has amazing screen clarity, and being only 14 mm thin, it is a pocket-sized, touch screen magnifier that you can use wherever you are.

With the Compact 6 HD, you can read magnified text in high contrast colours and view objects from a small distance. Thanks to its large 6-inch screen, you can fit more text on the screen and it is ready to use in seconds. The Compact 6 HD comes in 2 varieties; one is for magnifying only,

and a second has speech output, enabling any text to be scanned and read out to you. Both models have two cameras, customizable touch screen buttons and a reading stand to read more comfortably at a desk or table.

Optelec have also just introduced the Wear accessory*, which lets you clip the Compact 6HD into a head set, turning it into a wearable device, suitable for tasks where you need to use your hands and have magnification at the same time.

The Compact 6 HD joins other portable solutions from Optelec, including the Compact 7HD and the Traveller HD, which now comes with a reading stand and enables full page magnification.

If you need a portable magnification solution give us a call, and our Low Vision Consultants will help you choose a model that works best for your individual needs.

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*Important: The Compact 6 HD Wear is not a mobility aid and should never be used for any mobility or navigation activities, such as driving or walking.

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The Very Model of a Modern Low Vision Artisan

One of the great pleasures of working at Quantum is meeting the many wonderful people who rise to the challenges that life has sent them with great determination and aplomb.

Losing your vision can be a traumatic event that shapes the rest of your life. For many people it marks the end of the things they most enjoy doing. But it is often the start of a journey of re-learning and finding a way around the obstacles that vision loss can raise.

David Mathieson, an “80-something” resident of the mid-north coast of NSW. David has had a long and varied career, starting and building his own successful geo-technical services company, of which he remains a Director.

Macular degeneration has taken much of his central vision and David is legally blind. He has been an avid user of assistive technology and a long term client of Quantum. He uses several generations of the ClearView magnifiers as well as the OrCam wearable reading aid.

He is also undeterred by a challenge. Faced with the prospects of designing and building a new home, David first wanted a model to check how all his ideas would work. So he built one!

A scale replica of what was eventually built; a multi-story model complete with stairwells, balustrades and an unbelievable level of detail. David is pictured below with part of the model. There is also a detachable roof!

David designed and fabricated the model by himself, with only the assistance of his ClearView magnifier. For many of us, the

thought of making such an intricate model would be hard to imagine, but doing it with very limited vision is truly astounding.

David is a great example to many people, especially those who are just experiencing vision loss for the first time, of how life can remain a rich and rewarding experience.

David is pictured above writing under his ClearView. Reading, writing and model-making – all with Low Vision!

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A Magnifier and talking ComputerMercury 12 is the first Windows based tablet PC and Video Magnifier combined.

It’s ideal for anyone who wants one portable device that functions as a full featured laptop as well as a scanner and Magnifier. Everything you need in a compact, easily carried package.

Ideal for use in a class room, meeting room or lecture hall, Mercury 12 is available with an optional Distance Camera allowing up to 21X zoom to read the work in front of you or from anywhere around the room.

Mercury 12 is compatible with all your existing Windows software including ZoomText and JAWS.

A large 12 inch screen provides plenty of viewing area in a compact, easily portable package.

The stand has been designed to be sturdy and to hold the tablet without any risk of it falling. The legs of the stand are far apart so that you can move an entire A4

document on the base with ease. The stand can fold up easily into a bag with the tablet. This means the tablet doesn’t have to be removed or inserted into the stand repeatedly.

Mercury 12 can scan and read a full page as the stand legs are high enough to move the tablet into optimal position to see the entire page. Accurate text recognition and natural sounding voices allow you to have any document read to you with ease. An integrated LED light ensures consistent lighting to provide a good image regardless of external lighting conditions.

Specification:

• 12 Inch HD Display• Live Magnification• Accurate Full Page OCR

• Multiple Colour Schemes• 8 MP Camera With LED• Natural Sounding Voices• Integrated Foldable Stand• Optional Distance Camera• Multiple Languages• Windows Based Tablet• Up To 6 Hours Of Continuous Use

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Mercury 12 with distance camera attached

Qld State Library Supporting Clients with Low VisionThe State Library of Queensland in Brisbane provides wonderful resources for anyone with Low Vision to assist them access the Library services.

There are electronic video magnifiers as well as five computers fitted with the Zoomtext Magnifier Reader program and the OpenBook scanning program for scanning documents and reading them out loud (using headphones or earbuds, so that other patrons are not inconvenienced). Library members can use all of these facilities and tap into Trove and other fantastic search tools, as well as for general reading and research.

Recently one of our clients visited to check out what might suit her needs.

Joan, 90, was particularly interested to see the ClearView Speech electronic magnifier and scanner reader device, as her vision has deteriorated to the point where she cannot read fluently with her old model CCTV. Joan had trialled reading machines like the ClearReader scanner reader (that

speak but do not have a visual display), but she wanted a system that could read out loud from the position she pointed to, rather than having to listen to a whole document from top to bottom.

Joan was very appreciative of being able to see the ClearView Speech in action and is grateful to the library for making their facility so welcoming to everyone.

Eye PatchesMacular Degeneration does not always affect both eyes at once, and sometimes the deeper affected eye can interfere with reading with the better eye.

One solution is known as a blanking patch, and these are available from any optometrist.

Many people come up with their own inventive ways of achieving the same thing, by using a folded cloth or tissue, as seen in the picture above. Sometimes a grandchild’s toy box is ransacked for a pirate’s patch!

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Quantum New FacesWe are delighted to welcome Jim Fraser to the Quantum Team. Jim will be working with our corporate and government clients.

“My background is in the telecommunications sector having worked for a major carrier (Optus) and a worldwide supplier of hardware (Apple).

I am married to a travel consultant and have 3 grown boys who work in a variety of trades.

I am originally from the west coast of Canada but have lived in Australia for over 25 years.

Being married to a travel consultant, we have had the fortune to travel to many interesting places around the world but Europe seems to be the choice over the past few years marvelling at how those chateau’s ever got built on the top of cliffs. I look forward to meeting you on the phone and in person.”

No more Batteries!All good quality magnifying glasses now have a built in light source – a bright LED light (and you can choose from a bright white or a softer warm light) that needs power. That is because the very first step

to seeing better is by ensuring you are reading in good light.

With good lighting you can read even in places with very poor lighting, like most restaurants!

However, changing batteries in your magnifying glass can be fiddly and difficult and many people can’t manage it.

Now Schweizer in Germany have come out with a range of re-chargeable magnifying glasses. There are no cables, simply pop your magnifying glass on top of the charging pad and it charges automatically.

There are a wide range of options for magnifying strength and sizes. And of course you no longer have to buy batteries.

A really excellent choice for people who use their magnifiers all day for a wide range of activities. Available in our showrooms or on-line.

Funding for Vision AidsThere are an increasing number of funding options to help purchase vision aids.

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Many people who need vision aids often assume that they won’t be able to afford them, and therefore don’t investigate. Make sure you give us a call to discuss what options you may be able to access.

Here are some options for people that need financial assistance to purchase the aids they need:

State based funding programs. Most states have a funding program for pensioners. The level of support varies.

If you are under 65 years of age you can apply for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

If you are over 65 years of age there is some support available under the MyAgedCare Program. This mainly applies to new entrants, or to people that have a support plan in place with residual funds.

Some health insurance programs are now offering rebates for the purchase of Vision Aids. The level of support varies between suppliers and between different types of policies.

Contact us to find out more about funding opportunities.

Event ScheduleDate Event descriptionMay2nd NDIS ReadySetConnect -Toowoomba,

QLD4-7 Round Table Conf. - Brisbane, QLD

Date Event description8-9 ATSA Daily Living Expo -Sydney, NSW

15-16 ATSA Daily Living Expo -Bowen Hills, QLD15th Probus Talk- Brooklyn, VIC25th Learning Difference Conv.- Melb.VIC27th Learning Difference Conv. - UNSW, NSWJune5th MDFA talk - Sydney City, NSW6th NDIS ReadySetConnect -West Melb, VIC7th NDIS ReadySetConnect –South Melb, VIC12th NDIS ReadySetConnect -Campbelltown,

NSW13th NDIS ReadySetConnect - Nowra, NSW13th MDFA talk - Maitland, NSW13-15 Tech Fest- Royal Society for the Blind, SA20-21 Viscon 2019 - RIDBC Renwick Centre,

NSW 25th Vision Australia EXPO – Moorabbin, VICJuly5-6 Source Kids Disability Expo Brisbane,

Brisbane, QLD10-12 OTA 28th National Conference and

Exhibition, ICC, Sydney, NSW19-21 O+MEGA, Melbourne Convention &

Exhibition Centre, VICAug7th NDIS Ready Set Connect -Chatswood,

NSWSep Source Kids Disability Expo Brisbane,

Brisbane, QLD22-24 AASE National Conference, Hobart, TAS* Public talk - Macular Disease Foundation AustraliaYou can register for the events via email at info@quantumrlv.com.au or on the number below.

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Tel: 1 300 883 85332 Years Helping Australians with Low Vision