Meet Nigerian man who after losing his sight created an app that tackles visual impairment
- After losing his sight in 1998, Zuby Onwuta created the ThinkAndZoom device to overcome his disability
- The device was designed for the visually impaired and offers hands-free visual magnification
Zuby Onwuta, a tech entrepreneur, disability advocate, UN global speaker and mentor has proved that being visually impaired cannot stop anyone from achieving success in life.
After losing his sight, he developed the ThinkAndZoom device in a bid to overcome his disability, as well as assist others with similar challenges.
Onwuta, who is from Onitsha, Anambra state, migrated to the U.S. in the mid 90s. He was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy in 1998 which left him legally blind. This led to a medical discharge from the U.S. military and also ended his plans of pursuing a career in medicine. After dealing with depression due to the setback, he enrolled at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) to study Computer Engineering.
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After losing 3 careers; US Army, medicine and engineering to visual impairment, he did not allow this setback deter him from improving himself. He went on to develop the ThinkAndZoom application which offers hands-free visual magnification.
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“The ThinkAndZoom application can run on Google Glass or devices of a similar nature, in order to offer hands free visual magnification to individuals who suffer from visual impairment,” he said.
The ThinkAndZoom was developed in Austin, Texas as a software that provides hands-free visual magnification for the visually impaired, powered by the human mind using an innovative combination of Google glass and Neurosky EEG headset for people to see better if they simply look and think.
Onwuta started his software career at UIC, where he was a UNIX account manager helping clients from incoming freshmen to veteran medical doctors with computer account and Internet configuration issues. This helped shape his approach toward solving problems.
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Source: Legit.ng
