Ground-breaking accessibility technology unrolled at Citizens Advice Bucks

With the help of an app called NaviLens, customers now have quicker and easier access to information and support offered by Citizens Advice Bucks.

The technology is, for now, only being offered by the charity's branch in Buckinghamshire, but it can be used across the country to help those in need by downloading the app.

With a scannable code, which is easier to use than a QR code, the app can direct clients onto their information leaflet quicker.

Among features offered by the app is a play button which reads information out loud, with a slider to increase or decrease the speed, a volume and font size option, a choice of languages to translate the information into, and a pictogram option.

Craig Glynn, Head of Services at Citizens Advice Bucks, said: "It will read it out in English if you are partially sighted or partially blind."

"It also uses sign language and pictograms and we hope to use it on information leaflets so you can contact us."

The idea is to make the charity's service much more accessible for those experiencing a language barrier, the blind or visually impaired, and anyone else facing difficulties in access.

Mr Glynn said: "A member of our team in comms, Camilla, she spotted this and thought it would be quite useful to our community."

"We always try to be as open and available to as many people as we can and we'll keep rolling it out."

So far, the feedback from customers has been positive, which is showing hopeful signs for the accessibility of the service across the country.

NaviLens is available to download for free on iPhone and Android.

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