Developing a Web App for Visually Impaired Individuals using Computer Vision

Challenge Background

There were approximately 68,000 individuals in Romania who self-identified as visually impaired or blind. However, disability advocacy groups suggest that the actual number may be much higher due to underreporting and lack of access to healthcare and support services.

Blind and visually impaired individuals in Romania face significant challenges, particularly in terms of education, employment, and access to public services. According to a 2019 report by the National Authority for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, only about 2% of students with visual impairments attend mainstream schools, with the majority attending specialized schools. Additionally, the report notes that only around 15% of working-age individuals with visual impairments are employed, with many facing discrimination and barriers to accessing job opportunities.

Furthermore, blind individuals in Romania often have limited access to public services and transportation, making it difficult for them to fully participate in society. Despite legislation that mandates accessibility accommodations in public spaces, implementation and enforcement of these measures remain inconsistent.

The blind communities in Romania face significant challenges in education, employment, and access to public services, highlighting the need for greater awareness and support for individuals with visual impairments in the country.

The Problem

Despite progress in ensuring the rights of individuals with disabilities in Romania, the blind community still faces significant challenges in achieving equal access to education, employment, and social services. Limited resources, lack of infrastructure, and negative attitudes towards disability often create barriers to the full integration of blind individuals in society, leading to lower rates of employment, higher levels of poverty, and limited opportunities for personal development and growth. As a result, there is a pressing need to address these systemic issues and empower the blind community to achieve their full potential in Romania.

Goal of the Project

The Omdena Romania Chapter team aims to develop a Computer Vision model that will identify the surroundings around a person that has a mobile phone with them and help them walk through the world. The project's primary goal is to accurately predict objects in the surroundings, people, and cars, and inform the user about all of them in real-time.

• Web App that works in real-time;
• GitHub Repo with open-source code;
• Curated dataset hosted in AWS/Google/Kaggle/HuggingFace for open access;

With a duration of 8 weeks, this project aims to:

• Data Collection and Exploratory Data Analysis
• Preprocessing 
• Feature Extraction
• Model Development and Training
• Evaluate Model
• App development

Project Timeline

What you'll learn

1. Collect and create images for a computer vision model;
2. Extract relevant features from the images;
3. Train and implement a computer vision model; Analyse and improve the model;
4. Deploy a web app;
5. Teamwork;
6. Project Management;
7. Learn about blind people’s lifestyles;