Montreal (Canada), July 21, 2009 – HumanWare’s handheld talking GPS units are empowering the blind to lead more active, independent lifestyles—and even to embark on some extraordinary adventures. Trekker Breeze units have recently accompanied blind users on hikes up Mount Kilimanjaro and across the US, as well as on horseback excursions. The talking GPS units are user-friendly, handheld devices that announce names of streets, intersections and landmarks in five different languages. Users can record custom landmarks along their route and get step-by-step spoken travel instructions.
South Africa’s Geoff Hilton-Barber, a blind man and avid Trekker Breeze user, recently tested the unit in high-altitude conditions on a group hike up Mount Kilimanjaro. He used it as a supplement to their sighted guide, allowing him to independently track his progress in terms of altitude and distance at all times. “It stood the test of the dust, wind and extreme cold,” he said.
Hilton-Barber regularly slings his Trekker Breeze around his neck when he goes horseback riding. “There have been times when I have been in the lead or my guide has been a little inattentive and I have gone under low trees, struck a telephone pole with my shoulder, or simply been unaware of a sharp turn or ditch in my way. By inserting landmarks ten metres in advance of these obstacles I receive a reliable warning in time to take action,” he explains.
For Hilton-Barber, the Trekker Breeze shines just as bright in everyday situations, allowing him to easily navigate around university campuses and his farm, or give directions to taxi drivers in areas of cities that neither is familiar with. “I am constantly surprised at the accuracy of the Breeze – often as close as one metre when walking to a landmark! I have used my Trekker Breeze nearly every day for the past six months and don't leave the house without it,” he says. Read more in Hilton-Barber’s full testimonial.
Hilton-Barber isn’t the only visually impaired person getting adventurous with a Trekker Breeze. Colorado’s Mike Shaak aims to be the first blind person to make the 5,800-mile trek across the US. He’s currently on the road, with a Trekker Breeze as his guide.
“We’re thrilled to see how the Trekker Breeze is helping blind people become more independent. However, given that some 80% of the visually impaired are unemployed, we hope that insurance bodies will offer enhanced subsidies for such assistance devices to those who cannot afford them. Society as a whole benefits when people living with vision loss can get around easily without having to depend on others,” said Gilles Pepin, HumanWare's CEO.
About HumanWare
HumanWare (www.humanware.com) is the global leader in assistive technologies for the print disabled. It creates products for people who are blind, have low vision and/or have learning disabilities. The innovative range of HumanWare products includes BrailleNote, the leading productivity device for the blind in education and business, as well as for personal use; the Victor Reader line, the world's leading digital audiobook players; and SmartView Xtend, the first fully modular and upgradeable CCTV-based video magnifier.
For more information:
Nicolas Lagacé,
HumanWare Tel: +1 (450) 463-1717, ext. 341
nicolas.lagace@humanware.com