Assistive Technologies offer tools to assist a person with a disability or impairment do things to help them function better. It can also help people who are blind or have low vision become more aware of their surroundings, improve their ability to function, or gain more freedom.

Thanks to improvements in technologies, many types of ATs are now easier for people to use. These include things that help someone who is blind or has low vision identify where they are and do things that are hard for them to do without their eyesight. It includes screen readers and other standalone reading tools that can find and read aloud text from a computer or document. People who have lost their sight or have trouble seeing use these types of ATs:

• Software that makes computers and other devices able to turn spoken language into writing.
• Keyboards with bigger or braille characters.
• Mobile apps for smartphones or tablets, such as GPS/navigation, book readers, dictation, money readers, and gadgets that help you around the house, like thermostats.
• Wearable technology.
• Implanted devices, like the Argus II retinal prosthesis system, which is cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
• E-readers with big fonts.
• Depending on the type of eye problem, using AT every day may help a person do their tasks and be more independent.

To find out what kinds of AT might help, talk to an occupational therapist, eye doctor, or an expert in AT, low vision, and vision therapy.