Eric’s commitment to assistive technology grew from his service with the Hong Kong Blind Union, where he volunteered as an event assistant and live audio describer. Through this experience, he met people with visual impairments whose knowledge, interests and determination challenged his assumptions. Their perspectives strengthened his belief that people with disabilities are often constrained not by a lack of capability, but by systems and spaces that have yet to meet their needs.

This conviction complements Eric’s passion for engineering. Having built a light sport aircraft from the ground up and founded his secondary school’s aeromodelling club, he developed the practical skills and confidence to turn ideas into prototypes. He is now building a tool that uses audio cues and haptic feedback to help swimmers with limited vision maintain direction and avoid lane collisions. Currently at the prototype stage, the project is moving towards early testing with swimmers with visual impairments in Hong Kong.

Eric aspires to pursue a career in assistive technology entrepreneurship. He hopes to continue refining this idea in partnership with communities of people with visual impairments in Hong Kong and Dongguan, ensuring that lived experience helps shape both their development and application.

The opportunity to test ideas, learn from diverse perspectives and pursue social good through The D. H. Chen Foundation Scholarship Programme is especially meaningful to Eric. He hopes to use this experience to refine assistive technologies with communities of people with visual impairments and grow into an entrepreneur who develops practical solutions that remove barriers and expand participation.