The Blind Leading the Sighted: What A Sight to See!

I used to write about user-friendly technology and how important it is to remember the handicapped when designing web pages or new web content. I slowly got away from that - and into the world of marketing to women online. Recently, however, I met with a remarkable young woman who is visually impaired - and completely self-sufficient. She lives in a beautiful apartment. She has a dog. She goes off to work every day, and home again at night. She cooks for herself, she tends to her plants, and she goes to the theatre.

And, she uses the computer.

I was quite astonished by two things - by her ability to function so well in my sighted world, though she is blind. And, by my total misunderstanding of her world - where I would be totally lost.

It's uncanny how sometimes serendipity claims one's life. Because last week I was contacted by a PR firm to see if I would be interested in writing about the Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader. Whew! That's a mouthful, isn't it?

Well...I went to the website, and read a bit more about it, and I thought, "Yes, this is worth announcing. It's timely and technical and there are problably lots of other folks, like me, who would be fascinated by it." Of course, some of my desire to report on this came from my new friendship with Lisa. I can just imagine her using it. So, here's the scoop.

"The Kurzweil-NFB Reader is a hybrid state-of-the-art digital camera and personal data assistant. The website says it "enables the blind and those who have difficulty seeing to take pictures of and read most printed materials at the click of a button. Users merely hold the portable "camera that talks" over printed materials -- letters, bills, restaurant menus, airline tickets, business cards, office memos -- and in seconds they hear the contents of the printed documents played back in clear synthetic speech."

The device was invented by Ray Kurzweil (National Medal of Technology award winner, he's been referred to by Bill Gates as "the best person I know at predicting the future of artificial intelligence"). It promises to be a life-changing tool for the visually impaired - so reports say. From my point of view, that seems right, but I'm not the target market. And, I didn't have one of them to test...so, I only know what's being written about them.

Here's what the BBC is saying about it, "The K-NFB, which combines a PDA and a digital camera, means that people will be able to read menus, train timetables and product labels in shops."

Sounds neat, don't you think? Again, that's a sighted person's opinion. The fact that this 'toy' costs as much as a flat-panel TV, may make it out of reach for many of its targeted market. Which seems counter-productive to me. However, if we defer to Marc Mauer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, I guess we can rest easy. Here's what he has to say about it: "The world of the printed word is about to be opened to the blind in a way it has never been before. No other device in the history of technology for the blind and visually impaired has provided quicker access to more information." No mention of cost. Maybe... there's funding available. I don't know.

At any rate, I think that when technology invents something like this - something that helps others who may not have the same abilities as - well, me or you - it's a good thing. I think that those of us without disabilities (I know many people dislike that word, but I'm handicapped by our English dictionary - do you have a better word?) can never really know what it's like to be challenged by the world around us. We can whine about rainy days, or waiting at a stoplight, or having too much email to read, but in the end, our world is simple compared to the difficulties that surround people who are - like Lisa - visually impaired.

At times like this, I feel proud to be alive. I feel happy to know that there are good people like Ray Kurzweil - who are working for the greater good. Isn't it nice to have a bit of good news to read today?

As a closing note, here is some information on the National Federation of the Blind:

With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.

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