Edinburgh restaurant, The Huxley, has launched an audio-menu for blind and partially sighted customers in partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Scotland.
The idea for the audio-menu was developed by Kirsty Cameron, an employee of the Signature Pubs Group which owns The Huxley.
Whilst volunteering with RNIB Scotland, Cameron learned that dining out could often be an intimidating experience for those with sight loss. Working in the hospitality industry, she actioned change with the backing of Signature Pubs and RNIB Scotland to create the new menu service. Guests are offered the option of hearing the menu on an iPad or having it sent to their smartphones which can read it back to them using speech software.
RNIB Scotland volunteer facilitator, Daniel Meikle, pictured, said: ‘People who have sight loss enjoy eating out with family and friends, just like everybody else does," he said. "But too often we're simply not able to make out what choices are on the menu. It can be embarrassing to have to rely on somebody else to read it out to you.
‘Some restaurants like to present their menus in fancy, stylish scripts or in small font-sizes. In other cases, the contrast between the lettering and the background colour can be very poor. It's great to be able to just come in and know you can make your choice of meal in your own time without having to rely on a companion to read it out or repeat it to you.’