Navigationally Challenged

It’s hard to imagine life without a sense of sight. Take a moment and think about the simple tasks you do every day that would be a challenge…telling the time, handling cash, reading a menu. The list is infinite, but I try to remind myself that these mundane tasks are not always mundane for those with disabilities.

(visual of Apple iPhone)

I don’t have to tell you that we live in a culture of constant connection, but I want you to think about how your connections would be different with limited or no vision. Let’s take the use of your phone for instance. How would you text message? What problems do the touchscreen phones create? What apps could you use? Can you even use a smartphone with apps? For those of us who are sighted, it’s hard to imagine how these things would work.

Braille is the main way that those with visual impairments acquire information, but how feasible is the use of Braille with modern devices and programs?

(visual of hands reading a book in Braille)

I am happy to report that technology has made accessible many of the features and gadgets that we are used to. There is still a long way to go- and lots of work that companies need to make to ensure that their products and services are fully accessible.

Here is a link to a website that has some concept devices that will bridge the technology gap between those of us with vision and those of us who have impairments.

http://www.concept-phones.com/?s=visually+impaired

Product reviews are even offered for some of the devices. Again, most of these seem to be produced and sold in other countries. For those of you who have visual impairments, do you feel that the U.S. is as abreast of visual accessibility issues as other countries?

I was also pleased to see a few devices on the list that served those with hearing and visual impairments. People with multiple sensory impairments will hopefully benefit from technology that allows them to connect in ways never thought possible.

I'm sure at some point in your youth you probably closed your eyes for a few minutes and tried to navigate down the hallway in your house or around your backyard. Right now I'd like you to close your eyes and respond to an email, check your Facebook page, or surf the web. Getting information and staying connected in modern times is a marvelous thing. However, for those who can't see it will take more than a white cane to help them get around.

“What I am looking for is not "out there", it is in me”- Helen Keller

Day Two

So after just 24 hours of having set up my blog and Twitter accounts, I have gotten awesome feedback and seen almost instant connections taking shape. I must admit that at first I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to get a lot of Twitter traction. I stand corrected.

I began doing some Twitter searches for "visually impaired" and came across a great network of organizations. Interestingly, most were European which leads me to ask if Europe and other countries are further ahead or more committed to making technology usable for those with disabilities. Or, are Europeans in general more "connected" than Americans? If anyone has any insights, please comment!

In any case, I have started following a small population of organizations and people who are visually impaired, or are working in a field that assists in making software accessible. Judging from what I has happened thus far, there will be no shortage of willing subject matter experts.

To those who have already helped me, thanks so much!!! And, to my classmates and friends who have provided feedback my project, a big thanks as well.

Before I close today's entry, I would like to share one of the MANY interesting items I came across in my beginning searches for info. This comes from the American Association for the Blind (AFB) and provides an overall report card for how accessible social media is to those who are sight impaired. http://www.afb.org/Section.aspSectionID=57&TopicID=167&DocumentID=3153

The most interesting take away for me was the challenge that CAPTCHAs present. For those, who like me weren't aware of what a CAPTCHA was, they are the weird letter-numeric codes that certain sites ask you to enter when you sign up for something, or sign in. It makes perfect sense that these would be problematic. There are times when I can't decode the symbols. I can't imagine the difficulty if I was visually impaired. Not to mention, they cannot be read by screen readers, devices that I will explain in detail in a blog to come.

Why and What?

My grandfather was blind. He also happened to be the most courageous person I have ever known- my Grandma being a close runner up. Their story as a couple is truly amazing- and inspires me every day of my life. A big part of that inspiration comes from the handicap that my Grandpa seldom let impair him as a husband, father, or grandfather.

Ed Kramer was born with a disease that caused his vision to deteriorate rapidly. By the time he was a teenager, he was totally blind. He never saw his wife or two children. He battled cancer and bipolar disorder without the trust in medicine that sight affords us. He attended synagogue almost every day, walking to and from with his cane in hand. He was president of the Pittsburgh Blind Association, played in a blind dart league, took vacations, went to countless Pittsburgh Pirates games, spent time with friends, and never once complained that he couldn’t see. He lived life to the fullest! His impairment never stopped him from doing what he wanted to do, from finding purpose and success.

My Grandpa passed away a few years back, and though he was not of a generation that was privy to social media, his life has made me think about what it means to be blind today- at a time when life’s connections are made via Skype, FaceTime, Google Chat and 140 typed characters. Where do those with visual impairments fit into this world? How does social media and technology empower and limit this population?

Through this blog and my project, I hope to answer these questions and see life through the lens of those without sight. I imagine that for most of us (myself included), we go through our day-to-day life updating our Facebook status and retweeting without contemplating how different an experience it might be if we weren’t able to see. Innovation and technology are marvelous tools that have worked to make our relationships and connections portable and accessible at all times. How accessible are these connections without sight?

(universal symbol of a blind person)

To begin understanding the experience of the visually impaired, I am going to do my best to make my blog accessible to those with visual impairments. You may notice the larger than average font, the description of images and links.