SITE - Our New Address

We have moved to new office premises in Glasgow! Our new premises, details below, provides us and our clients with an attractive venue to continue our support for people with sight loss. We now have dedicated office accommodation together with facilities to host training, events and workshops which will meet the increasing demand for our support. In addition, you can also make use of the Oasis Cafe if you feel the need for a quick snack or meal! Our new address and contact numbers: SITE The Renfield Centre 260 Bath Street Glasgow G2 4JP Telephone: 0141 332 0983 Hope to see you soon at our new premises!

Tetris video game 'fixes lazy eye'

Tetris video game 'fixes lazy eye' Ubisoft has announced it is working on a video game to combat an eye disorder that can cause reduced vision. Dig Rush is designed to be played on tablets by people diagnosed as having Amblyopia - also known as "lazy eye". The condition affects an estimated one in 50 children, according to the NHS, and often causes them to see less clearly out of one eye than the other. Ubisoft said it hoped the game would be "more engaging and enjoyable" than existing treatments. The technique involved was developed by researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, who initially carried out tests using a version of the blocks-turning game Tetris before publicising their discovery in 2013. French developer Ubisoft is best known for making entertainment-focused video games including the Assassin's Creed and Far Cry series, as well as the choreography-focused franchise Just Dance. 3D glasses Patients will need to wear stereoscopic glasses to benefit from the treatment Its announcement was timed to coincide with the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. Blocked objects Dig Rush requires the patient to wear blue-red stereoscopic glasses - similar to the ones used for old 3D movies - while playing. It works by showing some of its graphics in blue and some in red at differing levels of contrast, so that each of the objects they represent becomes harder to see by one of the eyes. This forces the player to use both their dominant and weaker eyes together in order to make progress, rather than just relying on their stronger one or only seldom using the weaker one. Through repeated training, the player's brain should learn to improve co-ordination of both eyes, helping the weak eye relearn how to see and potentially improving their sense of depth as a result. Ubisoft said doctors would have the ability to adjust the game's settings to suit specific patients' conditions. Eye patch alternative Left untreated, Amblyopia can result in the central vision of a person's "lazy eye" never reaching normal levels. Studies carried out by the McGill team suggest two-thirds of people who play such games regularly should experience improved vision in their weaker eye. Amblyotech - a company that bought the researchers' invention and licensed it to Ubisoft - said it believed the game was more effective than alternative techniques. "Current treatments options, such as eye patching, provide limited relief and have poor patient compliance due to discomfort and social stigmas," said Joseph Koziak, Amblyotech's chief executive. He suggested that both children and adults could benefit from the treatment. Dig Rush Amblyotech suggests people will be more willing to play the game than wear an eye patch to treat the condition Amblyotech is currently seeking permission from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market the therapy in the US. It acknowledges it will have to go through similar approval processes elsewhere before the game can be made available. The Royal College of Ophthalmologists - which represents eye doctors in the UK - said it would need to see further evidence before being able to support the idea of medics prescribing the title. "The use of digital media is and has been researched and studied and shown to have some benefit," said a spokeswoman. "As with all treatments, their use must be based on scientific research and evidence to ensure a safe and effective benefit for patients." Story BBC Technology

Access To Work Diary

Now for the continuing story of gaining support through the Access To Work (ATW) programme. It has been over 2 weeks since I started in my new job and in that time ATW has only approved my travel to and from work. Still trying to get approval for travel in work, access technology and a support worker. Despite 6 e-mails with supporting documentation and a rather frustrating telephone call there has been no progress. I have not heard from my ATW Adviser, who I understand is trying to deal with over 100 outstanding e-mails from clients! I did receive travel to work claim forms but the forms were not accessible so I have asked for them in accessible formats - wonder how long this will take as I have an outstanding personal travel claim and an invoice from my Taxi company to claim. Fired off another email yesterday asking why I and my employer have not heard anything from ATW. It is now 28 days since I applied to ATW.

Windows 10

Microsoft has revealed that Windows 10 will bring its voice-controlled assistant Cortana to PCs. It also unveiled a headset that it said would one day project the operating system over views of the real world. In addition, the firm announced that the OS upgrade would be offered free of charge for devices running Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Phone. The offer, which is limited to the Windows 10's first year of release, may aid its adoption. It marks a change in strategy from Microsoft's previous policy of charging for major updates, and could help avoid a repeat of the relatively slow uptake of Windows 8.