A Quebec company has developed a handheld global positioning system for the visually impaired, a technology that could make a dramatic difference in the lives of its users.

The GPS device, called the Trekker, allows a visually-impaired person to move with a greater amount of autonomy beyond the areas they are used to travelling in.

Mike Ciarciello, who is blind, told CTV News that he sticks to the routes he knows when walking alone because if he gets lost it's not easy to get back on track.

"People do try to help, but there are people who misguide you, like when you are driving a car," he says.

Ciarciello tested the Trekker himself and said it helped him get out of the house more often.

The company making the new device, Humanware, specializes in technology for the visually impaired and those with low vision.

The Trekker works a lot like GPS does in a vehicle, via voice instructions, but is built with an interface that makes it easier for a visually impaired person to use.

Marc St-Onge works for the company, and praises the product, and he should know -- as he is blind himself.

He says from the day he started testing the device for work, he has expanded his horizons and the GPS helps his commute.

"I don't have to ask the driver to tell me where to get off," St-Onge said. "I just have to listen to the Trekker's instructions."

The device comes in two models, and the simpler and cheaper of the two goes for about $900.

While the Trekker is not meant to replace a cane or a guide dog, the company says that many people could be interested in the handy device.

It is expected over the next 20 years, there will be 50 per cent more people living with some form of visually impairment.

With a report from CTV's Genevieve Beauchemin