A legally blind Indianapolis Colts fan saw his first game ever due to a relatively new high-tech gadget that opened up the world for him for the first time.
Long-time Colts fan Scott Reese is so visually impaired that he really can’t even watch his favorite team play on television. Despite his impairment, though, Reese has attended many games, but for the Colts’ final game of the regular season the diehard fan for the first time actually saw the action on the field due to a device called eSight.
“It’s not the first time I’ve been to a Colts game, but it’s the first time I’m actually going to be able to see what’s going on,” Reese told Fox 59 ahead of the January 1st game.
The game was a good one for a Colts fan, too. Reese watched as his team make a second half come back to beat the Jaguars 24-20.
The device works via a special camera embedded in the visor frame that transmits the images to a pair of screens inside that users can adjust for the optimal visual experience.
“It’s my miracle that I’ve waited almost 38 years for,” Reese said.
The new device, often compared to the “Star Trek” visor worn by blind character Geordi La Forge, can’t fix total blindness, of course, as it needs users to have some level of vision. But those who can benefit have reported incredible results.
Still, Reese says he has never allowed his vision to get in the way of leading his life.
“Just because someone has an impairment, I don’t care if it’s visual or if you can’t hear or whatever, there’s something we can do that we enjoy doing,” he said.
At up to $15,000 per patient, the system isn’t a cheap one, but for many the increased mobility and independence from others may be worth the price.
“eSight has developed really exciting technology which helps people with certain types of eye conditions to recapture their vision and start doing things they weren’t able to do because of their sight loss,” said John Rafferty, President & CEO, CNIB (The Canadian National Institute for the Blind).
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.