Intel has launched a device designed to give dyslexic and visually impaired people access to printed text.
The Reader, which launched in the US last week, is now available in the UK. The handheld device, which is around the size of a paperback book, converts printed text into digital text and reads it aloud to the user.
It is designed to increase the independence of people who have trouble reading standard print, including those with visual impairments or learning difficulties.
The device combines a high-resolution camera with the Intel Atom processor and, when used together with the Intel Portable Capture Station, can store chunks of text to be read later.
The concept for the Reader came from Ben Foss, director of access technology at Intel's Digital Health Group, who has dyslexia himself.
"As someone who is part of the dyslexic community, I am thrilled to be able to help level the playing field for people who, like me, do not have easy access to the printed word," Foss said. "Feelings of loneliness are often the consequence of not being able to read easily. We hope to open the doors for people in these communities. The Intel Reader is a tool that can help give people with dyslexia, partial sightedness, blindness or other reading or learning difficulties access to the resources they need to participate and be successful in school, work and life."
The Reader will be available through select retailers including Amazon.co.uk, HumanWare and Inclusive Technology for around £999. It is endorsed by both the British Dyslexia Association and the Royal National Institute of Blind People.
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