Improved TV Watching for the Visually Impaired

Great news for those suffering from vision loss. Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have found that people with low vision can improve their ability to see and enjoy television by enhancing the contrast of images on their digital televisions. The scientists discovered that by making a simple change in the decoder of the digital television, the visually impaired could easily adjust the contrast, enhancing their viewing experience.

During the study, researchers learned that even people with normal sight selected some degree of enhancement. The amount of enhancement chosen by those with visual problems varied, depending on the visual effects of their disease. A prototype chip is now in development that could be included in all future generations of digital television.

_{Source: Schepens Eye Research Institute, Technique Enhances Digital Television Viewing for Visually Impaired. Newswise, 17 Jan 2008.}