A blind man has invented an app which he hopes will change the fortunes of visually impaired people.

Chris Telesford, who has had a rare sight condition called bilateral coloboma since birth, has designed an app, AME (Accessibility Made Easy) Sight, which scans texts and reads it out aloud straight to the user.

Food menus, shopping labels, price tags can all be scanned by the app and the 32-year-old, who grew up on Bothwell Close, Canning Town, hopes to introduce the software into schools and colleges around the world.

Chris also holds the record for being the longest-serving outpatient at the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, having been a patient there since he was born.

Chris said: “I’m thrilled to have created software that will benefit all persons with visual impairment.

“As a registered blind person I can appreciate the challenges that face visually impaired and blind people every day.”

Chris has been invited to test his app with the BBC technology department and is set to demonstrate the software at a BBC Click show in November.

Chris added: “All organisations have a corporate responsibility to meet the needs of people with visual impairment.

“As such I have no doubt that all those with a visual impairment at the BBC will gain tremendously from this technology, which will help visual impaired people, gain access to employment.”