Narayana Nethralaya, in collaboration with Acer India, has released “VisioNova,” a PC and tablet-based software for children with Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI). This collaboration between Narayana Nethralaya and Acer India aims to break down barriers and improve patient access to treatment.

Acer VisioNova is a ground-breaking innovation that was designed as a mobile alternative to on-site therapy for CVI children that will provide them with the highest level of care. As part of its ‘Buds to Blossoms’ initiative, Narayana Nethralaya offers specialized therapy programs to help children develop and improve their motor, cognitive, and visual abilities, thereby improving their quality of life.

Cortical Visual Impairment is a condition that causes bilateral vision loss due to injury to visual areas in the brain without affecting the eyes or the anterior visual pathway. Visually guided activities are difficult for these children with CVI, and these therapies rely on machines that are bulky, expensive, and require the child to stay in the hospital for the entire six-to-nine-month therapeutic process. To address this, Acer donated a PC and 100+ tablets as part of its CSR program to kick-start this noble cause. Acer also plans to provide around 2000 tablets to patients, who will be able to pay a small, refundable deposit to the hospital and receive the tablet to use from the comfort of their own home while still receiving treatment.

The tablet will provide CVI patients with exercises to help them develop and improve their deficient skills and visual abilities, improving their quality of life significantly. Furthermore, because many of the specialized therapies used to require expensive equipment and the child’s presence at the center for the duration of the treatment, this tablet will allow remote therapy under the supervision of Narayana Nethralaya’s CVI experts, making this treatment available to the outreach.

They hope to make differently-abled children independent and integrate them into society through the Buds to Blossoms and Acer India initiatives. This collaboration is critical to helping CVI patients.