Bespecular is a South-African based mobile application that aids visual and hearing-impaired individuals using images, text, and voice messages from remote volunteers.
The invention was a product of a 2014 student project aimed at using tech for good.
According to Stephanie Cowper, CEO, and Co-founder, “It’s an app, with two sets of communities that we link.
Whether you are a visually impaired person or a sighted volunteer, you can download the app and register.
A visually impaired or deafblind person can ask a question, for instance taking a photo of an outfit they would like to wear and ask a question such as, does the outfit match my shoe and then that question is sent back to our community of volunteers who can then reply back.”
The mobile application provides hope for independent living in communities dominated by the visually and hearing-impaired around the world.