A couple of summers ago, sisters Victoria and Olivia were participating in the Polus Center’s Envision Success Project (ESP). Given Victoria’s interest in filmmaking, and Olivia’s career interests in business, ESP Coordinator Karen Gostenhofer helpled them secure a summer paid work experience with WayAround, a business that was launching WayAround, an app for smart devices that provides on-demand details about everyday things, “The Smart Assistant for People Who are Blind.” The simple tag-and-scan approach lets you quickly and easily identify things around you. It also provides extra details, like how something works or when it expires. This results in people who are blind and low vision being able to do more of the things they want, with more confidence and more independence.
The teens created three commercials for Way Around demonstrating use of the product, highlighting practical uses such as identifying beauty products, remote controls, and chargers. The short commercials were written and produced by Victoria and Olivia under the guidance of Way Around and Karen, their ESP Coordinator, with the support of the MA Commission for the Blind.