Bernie Slagtman of Visual Independence.

An appeal has gone out from GS1 Australia to Australian manufacturers to supply product information and help transform the lives of the visually impaired and their families.

In Australia there are some 380,000 legally blind residents. Of these, there are at least an estimated 5,000 on low incomes who are unable to identify items without assistance beyond that of a portable magnifying device.

Now a talking bar code scanner, ID Mate Omni, is set to change their lives by enabling them to identify everything from soup to socks. The technology is proven but Bernie Slagtman, who has arranged for its Australian release by a newly-formed charity, Visual Independence, says capturing more data and keeping it updated is an ongoing challenge.

GS1 Australia is already providing ongoing feeds of data from GS1net's database of one million line items free of charge and CEO Maria Palazzolo is urging members to become involved by adding more data through GS1net.

“The GS1net database could scarcely have been better designed for the job of supporting Bernie's work. It already has a million product records that give visually impaired people some of the information they need to live more independent lives. It has been GS1 Australia's privilege to provide the data, but it's only a start. GS1net has the potential to do a great deal more.

“The half a million Australians who have lost their sight or are visually impaired need more GS1 Australia members to go live on GS1net, and for every GS1net supplier to populate as many fields as possible with up-to-date and accurate information. Your trading partners will love you for it, of course, and you might just make a world of difference to some special peoples’ lives,” she said.

GS1 Australia's general manager, member and industry support team, John Hearn, said the project was a great way to leverage the use of GS1net for a fantastic cause.

“Adding more data will ensure your retail trading partners use accurate product information, but that same GTIN and description data can now benefit the visually impaired community with no extra effort.”

With product descriptions held within the scanner’s database, the vision impaired community will now be able to hear product descriptions spoken. Items not initially identified from the database can be added through user voice recording with extra labels provided for this purpose.

“Eventually, we would like to add information like nutritional information, instructions, allergy warnings and even recipes into the database,” Mr Slagtman said. “Right now, we need more GTINs and descriptions added to GS1net to keep the ID Mate Omni up-to-date with the latest product releases.

“This information empowers the visually impaired with the ability to shop and cook for themselves – that's a tremendous lift in their quality of life. It will also have an enormous impact on carers and family members,” he said.

The scanner can be used to identify food, music, medicines, clothes, appliance instructions and documents. It has potential at home, school, in the workplace and for recreation. Extra information and memos can all be recorded, played and erased with the ID Mate Omni.

ID Mate Omni uses an omni-directional scanner, so there is no need to visually locate the bar code on the label as it can read a bar code in any direction. The user simply rotates the scanner around the product to get a reliable read.

The scanner can be regularly synchronised with GS1net, helping visually impaired people to identify products when shopping and at home. It is lightweight, small in size and easy to carry and comes with an adjustable lanyard so it can be carried around the neck, and its rubber coating allows for easy grip as well as protection. While it integrates fully with a PC, users don't have to be PC literate to use it and it is simple to operate.

Each unit retails for $1,500, putting it beyond the reach of many visually impaired people. Visual Independence, a not-for-profit organisation, aims to assist through seeking donations and grants from governments, individuals, groups and corporate organisations. Funds will be used to provide grants to the most needy within the vision impaired community. This project is supported by Vision Australia, Guide Dogs Victoria, Blind Citizens Australia, the Association for the Blind WA and The Royal Society for the Blind SA.

For more information visit www.visualindependence.org.au or contact John Hearn on (03) 9550 3436, email jhearn@gs1au.org.

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