Freya Shaw

Immersion Sound Studio is a young revenue-generating business dedicated to developing blind-accessible software, including the Hodr Engine, a game development platform. 23-year-old blind founder and programmer Freya leads the company, making traditional visual creative skills accessible to blind users. The company gained traction with support of Innovate UK's Unlocking Potential award and scholarship research at Huddersfield University. The accessible technology market is fruitful and growing, with over 285 million visually impaired people globally, according to WHO. The engine addresses a gap, assisting blind users in creating games, an otherwise inaccessible industry due to its reliance on visual interfaces. With the demand for inclusion, the engine assists blind innovators and revolutionises creative software’s accessibility. The Engine was warmly received at STEMfest2024 with clear appetite from both blind and sighted audiences. SLUSH will showcase the Engine to users, investors and other developers on a global stage, accelerating the company’s growth and profile.