About GAM Industries

September 14, 2013

GAM Industries was set-up in 2013 as a company created and operated by Greg Madson to disseminate information on accessibility for people who are blind or have low vision.

GAM Logo

GAM Logo

Making up the logo of the company – the image that appears as seen above is a representation of the word gam in braille.

If you are looking for a website builder with experience in design for Accessibility , assistive technology training, or advice on how to make your website accessible to people with a disability, I can assist.

Filed Under: About

Welcome to 2022

January 9, 2022

Hi all and welcome to 2022.

Filed Under: Comment

Being Their Eyes

August 8, 2021

BY HARRIET FLINN ON AUGUST 5, 2021

https://westernindependent.com.au/2021/08/05/being-their-eyes/

Blind citizens of WA are saying a new app is helping them with their everyday lives, and igniting conversation around the disability.

Be My Eyes website: https://www.bemyeyes.com/

Released in 2015, Be My Eyes is a free mobile app that assists the lives of blind and low-sighted people around the world, providing them with a new pair of virtual eyes.

Video link: https://youtu.be/6GRfFuWsjNU

The app is designed around the use of a video call, where blind and low-sighted individuals are connected with their sighted volunteer counterparts, essentially acting as their eyes, and helping them with everyday tasks.

Grace King has been blind since birth, and says the app has had a significant impact on her life. “It has definitely raised awareness and offered people who can see, a glimpse into the lives of people who are blind.”

she says.

Grace King talks about her experiences with Be My Eyes. Video: Harriet Flinn https://videopress.com/v/xDFfwxed

The app has almost five million volunteers in over 150 different countries.

Savanna Kileff has been a Be My Eyes volunteer for almost one year, and has answered a number of calls, helping out blind app users from around the world.

“I actually first found out about the app on TikTok, and thought it was so amazing that I went straight to the app store to download it” she says.

“I remember waiting patiently for my first call and when my phone finally rung, it was someone in their house, who was struggling to figure out the flavour of their cider bottles.”

She says she felt extremely helpful after picking up that first phone call, and says so many of us take vision for granted.

Greg Madson is a senior consultant at GAM Industries, and has been helping create assistive disability technology for over eight years. He says the Be My Eyes app has been a huge step in the right direction.

“When you’re blind, you’re home and you’re by yourself, Be My Eyes acts as a voice of reason for so many blind people around the world.” “I have been working with vision impairment technology since 2013, and the app has definitely worked to create a more inclusive and accessible environment,” he says.

“Creating easy-to-use and adaptive technology for visually impaired people is so important in our new-age tech-world, so this app is definitely helping to raise the standard for disability communication.”

Western Independent – STORIES FROM CURTIN UNIVERSITY’S JOURNALISM STUDENTS

Filed Under: Assistive Technology

Paw-fect improvements at Perth Airport

August 5, 2021

Two new Service Animal Relief Areas, one in Terminal 1 and one in Terminal 4, are now making it easier for passengers travelling with an assistance animals.

Perth Airport’s Chief Commercial Officer Kate Holsgrove said Perth Airport was committed to making travel more accessible for all passengers and that these new facilities would improve their travel experience significantly.

“We’re continually looking at opportunities to improve access for people travelling with a disability and the new facilities are part of our commitment to making our airport more accessible for all.

“When people with service animals travel, they are obviously keen to ensure that their animal is cared for in the best possible way, whether that be pre or post flight”

“The locations of the new facilities have been chosen to allow quick and easy access, particularly while waiting on baggage or following the check-in process” Ms Holsgrove said.

Perth Airport’s Access and Inclusion Customer Reference Group has provided valuable feedback and advice on the travel experience and suggested improvements which could be made to infrastructure and operations at Perth Airport.

“The purpose of the Perth Airport Access and Inclusion Customer Reference Group is to advocate for accessibility, discuss barriers to inclusion and improve the customer experience for people with disabilities”

“The group has allowed us to work together to create a more inclusive airport for Western Australia. We thank everyone involved who has helped us with this project, in particular VisAbility, Blind Citizens WA, and People with Disabilities WA”

“We are committed to continuing these consultative forums to discuss the issues and barriers that people with disability experience while travelling,” Ms Holsgrove said.

David Voscanos, Accessibility Specialist at VisAbility, said that the new areas provide passengers with service animals a more private and fit for purpose facility which will improve the travel experience for people with disability.

“It has been great working with the Perth Airport team on this initiative and we look forward to participating in other future projects to improve access for all at our airport,” said Erica Webb from Blind Citizens WA.

Greg Madson from People with Disabilities WA said that the new areas were a great initiative and provide some additional certainty that his service animal Memphis will be more comfortable and happier on his journey when he travels to and from Perth.

Memphis the dog also gave his “woof” of approval today when trialling the new facilities.

In addition to a number of customers, the following organisations are represented on Access and Inclusion Customer Reference Group:

  • Department of Communities
  • National Disability Services
  • Melissa Northcott, Ability Centre Australasia LtdBoard Director
  • VisAbility
  • Muscular Dystrophy WA
  • People With Disabilities (WA)
  • Blind Citizens WA
  • Autism WA
  • Council on the Ageing

    • The design elements of the new service animal relief areas include”:

    • Wall mounted water bowl
    • Signage (including braille)
    • Distress assistance/ cleaning assistance call button connected to the Airport Control Centre
    • Paper towel dispenser and waste receptacle
    • Accessible wash basin with shroud and mixer
    • Wall mounted soap dispenser
    • Audio instructions activated by a push button
    • Surface mounted waste receptacle
    • Wall mounted dog waste bag dispenser
    • Non-slip, removable astro-turf
    • Slip resistant floor finish
    • Retractable wall mounted hose unit

    MEDIA CONTACT:
    Corporate Affairs
    Perth Airport
    E: media@perthairport.com.au

Filed Under: Accessibility

Dog Guide Handlers Australia 2021 National Conference

July 10, 2021

In 2021 Dog Guide Handlers Australia (DGHA) held its National Bi-Annual conference online via Zoom on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th June.

You can listen to the audio or read the transcriptions of the 2 days here: Dog Guide Handlers Australia Conferences page

Filed Under: Dog Guide Access, Event

Deafblind Camp 2021 in Western Australia

September 10, 2020

Due to COVID-19 the 2020 Western Australian Deafblind Camp has had to be postponed until March 2021, see details below.

“Glitz & Glamour on the Red Carpet”
NEW DATE: Friday the 12th of March to Monday the 15th of March, 2021
Woodman Point, Coogee South of Fremantle, Western Australia.

For more information about the Deafblind Camp 2021, please go to our Deafblind Camp 2021 page

WA Deafblind Camp 2021 Auslan Video

Below is a link to a Auslan video with information on the WA Deafblind camp 2021

WA Deafblind camp Auslan Video

Video Transcript:

Hello. My name is Eddie Szczepanik from Perth, WA. Hello to all Deafblind campers and volunteers. We wanted to give you the latest update about the WA Deafblind camp.

The camp will now be held on March 2021. Thank you all for your patience in waiting for this announcement in relation to the WA Deafblind camp. We had hoped that the COVID-19 situation would have been resolved by November of this year. If that turned out to be the case then the camp could have still gone ahead but because of what is happening in Victoria, unfortunately the camp cannot go ahead in November.

We did not want the camp to go ahead without our eastern state friends having the opportunity to attend. So, we requested for an extension for the funding to run the camp. The funding body approved this request and allowed the extension to use the funds by April 2021. That means the money to run the camp must be spent by that time.

We checked with the camp site for availability and have now made a booking for the camp to be held on the following dates: Friday 12th March to Monday 15th March, 2021.

This video announcement is to advise that everything to do with the camp is basically the same for the full four days. Only the date has been changed from November 2020, to March of 2021.

The camp will still be run at Woodman Point, Coogee, the same camp site as last time. Activities at the camp will go ahead as originally planned. The Planning Committee has been working hard to make sure that everyone understands the changes and can still proceed with their plans to attend the camp, here in WA.

Flights will need to be booked or changed and if you plan to bring your own Comm-guide, their availability will need to be confirmed for the new dates. An invoice will be sent out to all Deafblind campers for $150, by the end of November so that you will be able to pay for camp. We will be in touch with all individuals to confirm that you are still able to attend the camp in March.

Hopefully, the quarantine restrictions will be lifted by then and everyone can come to Perth. If for some reason, that doesn’t happen and restrictions are still in place, we unfortunately will not be able to extend the camp date again and the camp will go ahead as scheduled for those who are able to get here. If you have paid for the camp and are unable to attend, refunds will be made available. If people are unable to attend for that reason, it would be a major disappointment for all of us. So, fingers crossed the government keeps on top of the COVID-19 situation and controls the spread of the virus, and hopefully the borders will be open again soon enough.

We are trying our best to make sure that all the national Deafblind community have the opportunity to come to this important event. But, as you know, some things are out of our control. So, be positive that everything will turn out for the best. And please, please let us know if you have any concerns or questions. We will be in touch again soon in regard to what will happen next. See you all in March! Love you guys! Bye for now.

Filed Under: Event