WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF
People who are legally blind are not always completely blind, but have incredibly bad vision, and VR headsets that can modulate images can be life changing.
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A while ago I wrote about how a Virtual Reality (VR) headset helped a legally blind person see for the first time. And now it’s happened again, with a legally blind man testing out the Apple Vision Pro who described his experience as ‘wild’ as the device succeeded in improving his vision.
Content creator James Rath (@jamesrath on TikTok and Instagram) was quick to jump on the Vision Pro bandwagon after Apple released its futuristic new device to the public last month.
While many users have been focused on testing the Vision Pro for its augmented reality and spatial computing capabilities, Rath had a different focus in mind when he went to the Apple Store to try it out for himself.
Rath was born legally blind with non-correctable conditions including Ocular Albinism, which reduces the coloring of the iris and the retina, and Nystagmus, a rhythmical, repetitive and involuntary movement of the eyes.
See it in action
However, in a video posted on TikTok Rath explained that ‘like 90 percent of people with blindness, [he can] still see something’ with his eyes.
After Apple released its Vision Pro, Rath was curious to see whether the device could be a ‘game changer’ for blind people. Almost immediately after putting on the headset, he indicated that it could be.
“Apple’s spatial computing headset is right up to your eyes and it captures the world around you while layering apps and media in your space,” he explained.
As the headset displayed the real world, Rath realized he could see things.
“I mean like, I could read the panels,” he said. “I’m just going to say this off the bat: I can see better through this than my normal naked eye.”
Rath explained that because the device is ‘so close’ to his face, everything was ‘a little bit more enlarged’ and clear.
“Yo this is wild. How do I go about not ever taking these off?,” he asked.
As he continued to look around, Rath realized he was ‘beginning to understand the concept of depth perception.’ Apple Vision Pro also comes with a number of features designed to increase accessibility, including zoom, a VoiceOver feature, and a detail which states how many people are standing in front of the Vision Pro user.
Rath did point out one potential issue as he noted that advanced eye tracking allows you to select just by staring at an option, but with his Nystagmus, Rath’s tracker was constantly jumping around.
However, Apple allows the users to change how to control the pointer, meaning Rath could instead use his head to navigate the options. Immediately after taking off the Vision Pro, Rath said: “I want to go back in.”
The content creator admitted that using the device in the store meant he couldn’t comment on what it would be like to use it ‘day to day’, but if his first impressions are anything to go by, it could definitely be the ‘game changer’ he was hoping for.
