DIYA BACKGROUND FILM — TRANSCRIPT

This 1 minute 45 second excerpt from the V9 visitor film explains the project background. It is educational film material, not a recording of the playable street experience or headset testing. Statistics and program figures are those narrated in the original film.

Have you ever wondered what everyday life is like for someone with vision impairment? The World Health Organization reports that at least two point two billion people have near or distance vision impairment. At least one billion cases could have been prevented or remain unaddressed.

In twenty twenty, forty-three million people worldwide were living with blindness. The I A P B Vision Atlas reports seventy-seven million people with sight-loss conditions requiring ongoing care or rehabilitation. Medical treatment, assistive technology and accessible environments support different needs. When vision loss is permanent, rehabilitation helps people build skills, confidence and independence.

Some vision problems can be prevented, treated or corrected. Permanent vision loss calls for a different kind of support. Rehabilitation, assistive technology and thoughtful adaptations help people participate in everyday life. The starting point is the person, their goals and an eye-care assessment.

Founded in Massachusetts, U S A, in two thousand four, Vision-Aid is run by an all-volunteer U S team. Its programs benefit more than one hundred thousand people with visual impairment each year, across more than eighty-five locations in India. Lived experience and volunteer eye-care and rehabilitation expertise shape this immersive experience, built around dignity, understanding and participation.

Sources and further reading
WHO: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment
IAPB Vision Atlas: https://www.iapb.org/learn/vision-atlas/
Vision-Aid: https://www.visionaid.org/