It would surprise most sighted people to know that 90% of people with visual disabilities around the world cannot read Braille.
The reason for this is simple.
Those who are born blind or lose their eyesight at a young age attend schools where they are taught Braille. They account for about 10% of the visually disabled community. The other 90% are adults who have lost their eyesight. There are no public schools for adults with vision disabilities.
According to the United Nations, in Kazakhstan, there are about 120,000 people with vision disabilities, of which only about 80,000 are registered in the database of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. That is why there are a lot of people who cannot read Braille.
Initially, SEZUAL invented the self-voiced Braille tutoring device at the request of low vision specialists from Kazakhstan schools for the blind. SEZUAL discovered that there were no tactile electronic self-tutorials of all Braille symbols. It is essential for children to have the opportunity to independently train their fingertips for the recognition of letters, especially during the COVID-19 period.
As well, the Braille tutoring device is highly effective for adults with vision disabilities. It is important for adults who are blind to be able to read various lettering indoors and outside.
According to low vision specialists, the Braille tutoring device is effective for several reasons. Firstly, it allows children to train their fingertips to recognize letters, numbers and arithmetic signs on their own.
Secondly, the device saves the teacher’s time and due to this technology, kids have the opportunity to repeat the lesson materials on their own. The device contributes to improving the ability of children to feel the finger relief-point font and independent learning of the Braille number system.
Schools for children with vision disabilities and state libraries in all cities are ready to acquire and distribute the Braille tutoring devices.
The SEZUAL team applied to several organizations in Kazakhstan and abroad for sponsorship. Tengizchevroil (Chevron Tengiz Expansion) decided to support the project. It felt that the project aligned with its values on education and health care, and because of the scalability potential of this technology for all children with vision disabilities in the world.
Tengizchevroil is a corporation that cares about human development and equal opportunities for children with special needs, and due to this support, SEZUAL is currently manufacturing the first batch of devices.
SEZUAL has also received requests from 10 countries to obtain these Braille tutoring devices.
According to SEZUAL cofounder, Nurbek Yensebayev, “We are mostly approached by international organizations, especially after we became the National Nominee of the United Nations Award (World Summit Awards) for contribution to society. We have been recognized in the category “Inclusion and Empowerment” and global organizations from the social, scientific, and technological spheres express the greatest interest in cooperation.”
In addition to the Braille tutoring device, SEZUAL has also created the Biolocator – a device that allows people with vision disabilities to “see.”
Elisar Nurmagambetov, SEZUAL cofounder, based in Cleveland, Ohio, said, “The devices for orientation that are available on the market are primarily designed for visually impaired and some devices require surgery to use them. Our Biolocator device is non-invasive and can be used even by totally blind people, because the technology stimulates brain, not residual vision.”
SEZUAL has many other inventions that help to solve problems faced by people with vision and mobility disabilities.
Currently, the SEZUAL team is focussed on developing new technology that enables people with vision disabilities to put their handwritten signature on documents, giving them the same opportunities as sighted people, in particular when signing legal documents.
Another invention SEZUAL is working on is creating a way for people with vision disabilities to interact with household appliances.
The mission of SEZUAL is to make the life of people with vision disabilities as comfortable and fulfilling as possible with the help of its innovations.
