Just about every teenagers wants independence.  The same goes for teens who are blind or visually impaired.  Thanks to some new technology, their level of independence is on the rise. 

Tori Diamond, is your typical teenager.  She loves her music, just as much as she loves talking about her friends.  What's not typical, this 13-year-old is visually impaired.  But thanks to new technology she's becoming more independent with every click of the button. 

"If I'm with my aunt she'll have us do stuff independently like go in by ourselves," said Diamond.  "So if I have one of those that would help me a lot."

It's a bar code scanner which helps Tori do things many people take for granted, like grocery shopping.  Teacher Lee Speer knows the small device offers something big-- freedom.

"Not just here at the store, but if they take it home they can create their own bar codes at home with stickers and iron-on labels," said Speer.

The way the device works: Tori will scan her item.  And the portable reader lets her know what she picked up.  After she selects her item, she's off to shop for more.

"I actually feel like I'm doing the same thing other people do--except a little differently," said Diamond.

There's also software you can add to your cell phone.  You take pictures of items, like a dollar bill, and the phone tells how much money you have.

"Before all this came out I was having my Mom help me out," said Diamond.

But the new gear has Tori branching out on her own.

Thanks to a nearly $5,000 grant from Bi-Lo, the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind was able to buy the high-tech gear.