ReBokeh Vision Technologies and Towson University StarTUup have joined forces to offer free assistive technology at the university’s entrepreneurial center.
StarTUp at the Armory is a nationally recognized, award-winning building with space and programming to support the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. The partnership with ReBokeh will give automatic, free, and unlimited access to ReBokeh Plus (the premium tier of the ReBokeh mobile app) to everyone on-site at The StarTUp. This makes the space more accessible to people with vision impairments.
“As a public space dedicated to accessibility and inclusivity, we are thrilled to partner with ReBokeh in making our facilities even more welcoming and accommodating for all visitors,” said Patrick McQuown, executive director of entrepreneurship at Towson University. “By offering the premium version of the ReBokeh app with enhanced features for free, we are ensuring that everyone, regardless of their visual abilities, can fully engage with our programs, art and public spaces. This initiative aligns perfectly with our mission to create an environment where everyone feels empowered to explore and enjoy all that we have to offer.”
The ReBokeh mobile app allows people to adjust the appearance of the world around them to fit their specific visual needs, empowering them to navigate the daily challenges of living with vision impairment. Its versatile technology leverages live camera feed from a device and allows users to overlay customized filters to adjust contrast, color hue, zoom, and lighting to meet their vision needs.
The premium version of the ReBokeh app (ReBokeh Plus) will be available to everyone at The StarTUp’s space, which is Towson University’s business engagement center for start-ups and small businesses, and even some of the region’s largest corporations.
The center boasts 26,000 square feet, and 6,000 square feet of that serves as co-working space that is free to access for the public. It’s also home to the StarTUp Accelerator, an eight-week, cohort-based fellowship program for both TU-affiliated and non-affiliated founders, where their startups take residency and can collaborate to move their ventures forward with creativity and speed.
“As a company that came through The StarTUp Accelerator program, we know how important this space is to the local entrepreneurial community,” said Rebecca Rosenberg, founder and CEO at ReBokeh. “We’re very proud that this partnership will open the door to more forward-thinking individuals by making the space more accessible and inclusive for people like me, who live with a vision impairment.”
According to the American Foundation for the Blind, as of 2019, Maryland has over 111,000 people living with vision difficulty, 54% female and 46% male. Around 50,000 of those citizens are aged 65 or older, and approximately 51,000 are between the ages of 18 and 64. The Maryland State Department of Education’s Office of Blindness and Vision Loss Services (OBVS) offers services to help people navigating vision impairment: employment or vocational rehabilitation; transitional services for students with disabilities; independent living for older people; and a Business Enterprise Program for the Blind.
The ReBokeh app is available to download and use for free in the iOS App Store. Access to ReBokeh Plus, the premium tier, will automatically be available for ReBokeh users while they’re on-site at The StarTUp.
University?