Mélange Accessibility for All Magazine January 2022 | Page 36

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Vision tech developments give a glimpse of the future

by Jennifer Wills
Advances in assistive technology have removed many access barriers for people with vision loss . But it ’ s the development of visual prosthesis that has the potential to offer a whole new way of ‘ seeing ’ the world .

The incredibly complex structure of the human eye – with more than two million interacting parts – makes restoring someone ’ s sight a formidable challenge . But it ’ s not an impossible one , as the bionic eye , or visual prosthesis , to use the medical term , featured for decades in sci-fi fantasy films and TV shows , is now a reality .

‘ Enabling a patient to see again is our dream . A dream that we believe can come true ,’ said Serge Picaud , director at Institut de la Vision , a leading research centre on eye diseases in Paris , France .
As a world leader in the development of prostheses concerning the retina ( a layer of cells at the back of the eyeball and which are sensitive to light ), Picaud is coordinating ENTRAIN VISION , a network of experts from all key disciplines related to visual restoration – from neuroscience and engineering