Although there has been an app very much like TAVSZEM (Remote Eye) widely available for years, called Be My Eyes, we found there was a great need for a more professional service. The point either in Be Me Eyes or in TÁVSZEM is the same, namely to provide assistance to a visually impaired person in cases simple to overcome for a Sighted, while unsolvable for a Blind.
The most important difference in the case of TÁVSZEM is that the remote assistance is provided not by volunteers, but by professional helpers called “operators” who have passed an exam after a serious, 270-hour training course. They can explain to a blind user not only how to hold the phone and what lighting conditions are needed to make the camera show a right picture, but they are also aware of the data protection and privacy regulations in force. This way, a Visually Impaired user feels safe, even if it comes to an issue related to his or her personal living conditions or personal data. TÁVSZEM services are not provided by courtesy; the visually impaired users can expect and are entitled to a professional, quality service.
During the development of the application, the latest and most useful experience-based features and functions have been incorporated. TÁVSZEM operators can capture the camera image on their own monitor, a rather useful feature especially when a longer letter or a handwritten test is to be read out. To help create appropriate light conditions, the flashlight of the phone can be activated by a single click within the app, while partially sighted users can see on their phone display the same screen as shown on the operator’s monitor. Any discussion and information between an operator and a user can be even replayed in a user-friendly way for 30 days. As the official launch was preceded by a public test period of more than 6 months, the users’ experiences, ideas, and suggestions could be built in the final version.