SCSDB grant provides high-tech tools for daily tasks

John Byrum/john.byrum@shj.com

Leslie Brown, a graduate of the S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind, uses a Omni barcode scanner to identify a product from a grocery store shelf. The device scans the barcode and then speaks the name of the product.

GoUpstate.com (Wednesday June 3) -- After reaching for a snack on the grocery store shelf, Leslie Brown scanned the box's barcode and heard "Quaker Granola Bar, chocolate chip." Saying she hated chocolate, Brown put it back and moved on to the next item.

Brown, 27, is a graduate of the S.C. School for the Deaf and the Blind. She can't see the items she's shopping for in the grocery store, but thanks to new vision technology tools, Brown can shop more independently.

SCSDB's fundraising arm, The Walker Foundation, purchased two Omni barcode scanners and three KNFB Readers, which double as phones, with a $8,372 grant from Bi-Lo Charities Inc. The high-tech tools will help students accomplish everyday tasks such as shopping, dining in a restaurant or cooking a meal.

"We like to say technology is a great equalizer, and these tools are must-haves for individuals who are seeking independence," Elizabeth McKown, SCSDB's interim vice president of outreach services, said in a written statement. "By helping our students who are blind use assistive devices such as readers and scanners, they can accomplish daily activities with ease."

by Lee G. Healy

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