As one of Turkey’s leading information and communication technology companies, Türk Telekom is continuing efforts to offer an accessible digital life to the visually impaired.

Its latest initiative, the Phone Library application, enables disabled people to access audiobooks and works of art for free. It also makes their lives easier with money recognition and drug barcode reading features.

Its other app, EyeSense, enables people with disabilities to take photos and recognize objects around them.

The well-known works showcased during the “Paintings Talk Digital Art Exhibition” at the Presidential Library between May 31-July 30 can now also be listened to with audio descriptions on the digital television platform Tivibu, as well as on the Phone Library app.

All users can access the content with voice description and subtitles options from the “Unimpeded Tivibu” folder within the Tivibu platform.

2,000 audiobooks

The Telephone Library project, launched 10 years ago as a collaboration between Türk Telekom and the Boğaziçi University Visually Impaired Technology and Education Laboratory (GETEM), allows users access to the voice content service through the application in order to remove obstacles to visually impaired people’s access to information.

Users can easily access almost 2,000 audiobooks in 50 categories and 30 world-famous audio descriptive paintings via the Telephone Library app.

In addition, features that make life easier, such as an instant news feed that provides an opportunity to follow developments in Turkey and the world, money recognition and a drug barcode reading service offered through cooperation with Rxmedia Pharma, an online interactive drug information resource, are also available to the visually impaired completely free of charge.

Daylight project

Türk Telekom, which uses technology to benefit education, also helps children with vision impairments live their lives without assistance thanks to early intervention training within the scope of another corporate social responsibility project called “Daylight.”

With the project implemented in cooperation with EyDer, around 1,000 children between the ages of 6 and 15 from Turkey's 81 provinces whose sight ranges from 1% to 10% have received early intervention training to date.

In this way, these children get the opportunity to study together with their peers with the inclusion training they receive.

Türk Telekom’s audio warning system app EyeSense enables visually impaired individuals to take photos and recognize objects around them.

The voice commands of the app allow users to take selfies and use social media easily.

It also provides a solution to the difficulties faced by the visually impaired in everyday life, such as recognizing objects and distinguishing the color of the outfit they will wear.

The app helps to easily find items such as keys and wallets with the “object recognition” feature.

“Accessible Life” is just another mobile app through which Türk Telekom offers technology for the visually impaired community.

It includes options such as money recognition, text voice-over, a compass, a panic button, e-books and a “where am I” feature.