Sindh launches sensor scanner stick for visually impaired

Sindh has developed a sensor-equipped scanner stick for the first time to assist visually impaired individuals. The province is home to more than six million children with special needs and other people with physical and mental disabilities. Advanced medical technology is also being used to create devices aimed at empowering individuals with disabilities, including those with autism, said Tauha Farooqi.

According to reports, the Biomedical Technology Department at NED University has produced the scanner stick for the visually impaired, along with various devices to improve the lives of children with mental, physical, and paralytic disabilities.

An agreement has been signed between the Sindh government’s Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and NED University to launch the project as a pilot scheme later this month. In the first phase, visually impaired people in Sindh will receive the scanner sticks free of charge.

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Sindh government’s Department of Empowerment of Persons Secretary Tauha Ahmed Farooqi told Express Tribune that the scanner stick is the first of its kind in Sindh. Other advanced medical devices are also being developed to empower special-needs children and individuals with mental and physical disabilities, which will likewise be provided free of charge.

Farooqi said there are more than six million children and adults with mental or physical disabilities in the province. In collaboration with NED University’s Biomedical Engineering Department, the following devices are being developed:

• MindFoster – to support mental health and address sleep issues

• Binaural Beats – to improve attention span

• Neurofeedback – to enhance cognitive skills

• Digital Cognitive Assessment – to reduce repeated doctor visits and help profile patients

• Trunk Orthosis – for people with disabilities

• Floor-to-Chair Patient Lifter – for patients with spinal cord injuries

• WalkAid – to assist visually impaired individuals with mobility

• HerCrampEase – medicated pads for girls during menstruation

• EasyMobility – to facilitate easier movement for people with disabilities

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Farooqi added that the scanner sticks for the visually impaired will be distributed this month, while the other devices will also be provided free of charge to those in need.