PUBLIC TALK: A day in the life of Sinead � how technology makes all the difference

A public lecture by Sinead Quinn, Occupational Therapist / Assistive Technology Consultant.

Come and listen to how Sinead, an Occupational Therapist and a person who has low vision, is using technology to make everyday life easier. When it comes to every day activities such as accessing social media, reading recipes, managing emails, using a mobile, and navigating independently. Have you ever wondered how someone who has a vision impairment can do all these everyday tasks? From waking up in the morning, to dressing, getting to work, how they work, how they study and how they socialise. See how main stream devices and assistive technology can be used by any individual of any age and any ability in everyday activities.

Sinead Quinn graduated from Curtin University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science; Occupational Therapy. Sinead was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa when she was 9 years old. This condition has continued to slowly degenerate, currently she experiences patches of vision loss which makes reading and navigating very difficult. Sinead works at VisAbility as an Occupational Therapist (Assistive Technology Specialist). She has worked at VisAbility for over 4 years and has immersed herself in the world of assistive technology specialising in the prescription of low vision products to clients with a varying range of eye conditions. She also provides training to clients in using low vision computer software, specialised equipment and smart device accessibility. As a user of assistive technology Sinead is passionate about this area as she realises firsthand how it can make all the difference to a person’s independence.

This talk is part of the 2018 Light Talks series, "Living with and without Light". Our aim is to raise awareness about the experience of people with a vision impairment in a globalised and technological world.

This series is presented by UWA Optical Society (OSA) student chapter and the UWA Institute of Advanced Studies.