Blind RI Student Raising Money For Accessible Engineering Device

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — A blind high school senior from East Providence has started a GoFundMe page to raise money to purchase accessible mechanical engineering equipment for college.

Haylee Mota, who was born with an eye condition called Leber's Congenital Amaurosis, was recently accepted into college to pursue her dream of becoming a mechanical engineer. However, to pursue this education, she is in need of accessible graphics and is looking for financial assistance to purchase a touch interface device called the Graphiti tactile graphics display by Orbit Research.

"Access to the Graphiti would ensure my college education and future career would not be hindered by a graphical barrier and would contribute to my success as a blind mechanical engineer," said Mota on the GoFundMe page.

The Graphiti allows the visually impaired to feel images on the device's screen through an array of moving pins. It also enables the user to draw on the display and is connectable to other devices via a USB port or Bluetooth.

"The range of devices the Graphiti can connect to, the ability to draw on the display or have others easily draw what they see, and the ability to use the Graphiti in a multitude of ways would help me level the playing field with my sighted peers," said Mota.

Mota's GoFundMe page can be viewed here.