Craig Barrass

Craig, who is visually impaired, has been using the internet for many years. Getting internet connection at home in 1997, Craig is a huge fan of what the world wide web can offer him.

Thanks to computer lessons that he attended at the North Tyneside Society for the Blind, Craig has developed his internet and computing skills. To ensure that his impairment does not get in the way of his love of the internet, Craig opts to use magnification, while also customising the screen using a background colour and bigger text sizes. This technology means that he finds it easier to read on-screen.

Craig said, "There are so many options for visually impaired people who want to use the internet. For instance, if you don't want to use magnification so you can read words on the page, you can opt for speech technology that reads the words for you, which is a great alternative."

Not only does Craig find the internet great fun, but it became an invaluable tool for research purposes when his sister was diagnosed with a kidney problem.

Craig concludes, "I would definitely encourage people to use the internet. It's educational as well as fun. There is so much information out there; one minute I can be searching for a film that won't be released in the UK for months and the next I can do some serious research about health issues."

See also

Henry Hollinshead