A Multi-Functional Wayfinding Device (MWD) (RFID Europe 2010)

Roger Whitton is the Senior Assistive Technology Consultant for Guide Dogs for the Blind. He trained as a telecommunications engineer and in a career that spans almost forty years has held a wide range of posts within both the telecommunications and computer industry. Joining Guide Dogs twelve years ago he has specialised in Accessibility and Assistive technology for the last ten years. The current focus of his work is in the development of Wayfinding systems primarily for the blind and partially sighted but these systems will also be beneficial to other assistive technology users. He is a Technology Group member of the Vision 2020 organisation.

The ability to get around is vital in order to live a full life yet thousands of blind and partially sighted people never leave home alone. Guide Dogs empowers visually-impaired people to do that and relies on the support of the public to fund its services.

The charity breeds and trains guide dogs which provide life changing mobility and there are currently 4,500 working guide dog partnerships in the UK. It also provides a range of mobility and other rehabilitation services such as white cane training and campaigns passionately to break down barriers - both physical and legal - to enable blind and partially sighted people to get around on their own.