Touch the sound

Touch the Sound: The Potential of Image-to-Braille Translation Technology among the Deaf and the Blind in the Gulf Region Name: Institutional affiliation: Course: Date: Introduction Visual impairment and deafness are two major health problems that affect a significant number of people in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and of the total about 28,000 are blind. According to Moyegbone et al., (2023) blindness and deafness as a health problem not only increases victims’ mortality rate but also triggers other negative factors such as a reduced quality of life and major economic losses. Understanding the obstacles faced by these people in their day to day lives opens room for assistive technologies such as image-to-braille translation technology which have the capacity to help them navigate through challenges especially in times of crisis and emergencies. Prevalence of Blindness and Deafness Visual impairment is a major issue that affects about 600,000 people in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and of the total about 28,000 are blind (International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness Reports, 2020). The most common causes of visual impairments include diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and cataracts (Taryam et al., 2022). Similarly, in a survey by Model (2024) and published in Emirates 24, its projected that about 410,525 people suffer from deafness, with about 142,863 (34%) lacking the hearing aids, implants or relevant hearing treatment (Model...