Guide Dogs giving iPads to thousands of kids with sight loss

Apple also offers Everyone Can Code sessions to students with sight loss.

Following a successful pilot scheme, UK charity Guide Dogs will provide iPads to thousands of UK children with vision impairment. It wants to help the children develop a sense of connectivity and independence.

Tech for All – a scheme to help kids

The initiative is taking place under the Tech for All brand.

Tech for All has been designed to enable children with sight loss to be more independent and do whatever it is they want to do or what their friends are doing. Whether it is Facetiming their mates, playing games, reading, or learning, the accessibility features on an iPad or iPhone can be key to unlocking a child’s world and maximising their potential.

During last year’s pilot scheme, Guide Dogs gave almost 5,000 iPads and iPhones to children aged between 3-18-years, and says it aims to help 3,500 children and young people in the first six months and potentially 10,000 by the end of 2022.

Why and how it helps

Emma Foulds, Director of Marketing and Strategy at Guide Dogs, said:

“Technology is a great enabler and grants children a sense of normality, confidence and independence both socially and academically. The faster technology moves, the better their wellbeing. However, technology is still not accessible enough and this can be frustrating for both child and parent.

“Parents and guardians feel vision impairment can make it harder for children to make friends and parents stress that socialisation with other children is a vital part of their child’s development.”

The initiative also saw the development and deployment of digital learning tools aimed at children with sight loss.

[Also read: Apple’s accessibility tools are changing the world]

“For children with a vision impairment, technology is vital. It develops learning, creativity, life skills, and ultimately, confidence and independence,” says Guilde Dogs.

“At Guide Dogs we believe children with a vision impairment should have access to technology. Our Tech for All service offers a free Apple iPad to children and young people (aged 3-18) with visual impairments, to use outside of school.

“We know how important these devices are to a child’s development — both to support learning at home or just to have fun and explore the activities and interests they enjoy.”

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