Active Allen & his Alexa

Using technology to open up a new world online.

Thanks to generous donors. Allan doesn’t go anywhere without two things: his cane, and his iPhone. “They’re two really important tools,” he says.

Allan began his relationship with Blind Low Vision NZ when he was just four years old – that’s over 75 years ago! Allan was born with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), which is a rare type of inherited eye disorder that causes vision loss at birth. He can however tell the difference between light and dark. As a result, Allan has always accepted his loss of sight and has had no real frustrations. That said, having access to technology makes his life so much more accessible, and his latest tech toy is an Amazon Alexa, gifted from Blind Low Vision NZ with the help of our generous donors.

Yes, at 82 years old, Allan is still learning new things with the help of training from Blind Low Vision NZ, like using the Alexa smart speaker to check the weather, make shopping lists or play music – his favourite genre is folk!