the Virtual Reality Visual Impairment Simulator
In 2005, Sara McCracken faced an unexpected and life-changing challenge. As a mother to a ten-year-old daughter, Rebecca, she welcomed twins, Peter and Connie, who were born 11 weeks premature. After a stressful and emotional 10-week stint in the neonatal intensive care unit, the twins came home. Just as Sara thought they were on the road to recovery, Peter and Connie were diagnosed with a lifelong visual impairment and registered as severely sight impaired.
Driven by her desire to ensure that Peter, Connie, and other children like them had access to the necessary support and resources, Sara founded Angel Eyes NI. The charity, based in Northern Ireland, is dedicated to supporting blind and partially sighted children, helping them reach their full potential by addressing gaps in services, training, and knowledge.
By 2020, Angel Eyes NI had made significant strides in advocating for and supporting children with visual impairments. However, Sara recognised another critical need: educating the public and professionals about the realities of living with vision impairment. This led to the creation of Empatheyes, a trading subsidiary of Angel Eyes NI.
Empatheyes harnesses the power of Virtual Reality (VR) technology to simulate the experiences of individuals with vision impairments. This innovative software allows parents, educators, and healthcare professionals to understand the spectrum of eye conditions more accurately. The simulations are based on clinical information, providing a realistic and immersive experience.
By using the Virtual Reality software delivered by an Eye Clinician we are able to let parents experience what the world looks like with their child’s eye condition giving them an amazing insight and understanding enabling them to advocate for their child’s needs and adapt their home environment. A Dad of a child with vision impairment and additional learning and mobility needs said “A wonderful insight, the penny has really dropped now you have shown me that and explained, that makes total sense why she does that, and now we know what we can do to support her. Thank you so much for our session”.
Empatheyes, a social enterprise founded by Angel Eyes NI, significantly impacts the community by using its profits to fund services for children with vision impairments in Northern Ireland. This innovative approach ensures that the revenue generated directly supports our charity's mission, enhancing the lives of our children through our services.
