7 smart tech developments for people who are blind or have low vision Microsoft On The Issues

It's estimated that there are about 36 million people in the world who are blind, and a further 216 million who live with moderate to severe visual impairments. Although the World Health Organization points out that up to 80% of vision impairment around the world is avoidable with better access to treatment, the number of people who are blind or have low vision is rising as the global population ages. But technology is playing a vital role in tearing down barriers, and artificial intelligence is making real inroads into improving accessibility. Here are seven examples of how smart technology can be a game-changer, allowing everyone to interact with the world in new ways. As we've reported, Microsoft's Seeing AI is an app designed to help people with low vision or who are blind.