Reid My Mind

For people experiencing some degree of sight loss, it appears a common question exists. “Will I be able to continue…?” Continue a career, hobby or some other activity. I personally believe, in just about all cases the answer is yes.

Technology, whether screen readers, note takers, book readers or cell phones, provide individuals who are visually impaired or blind with access to information. These devices provide the ability to compete with sighted peers. Possibly even more important, technology plays a role in the ability to transition into blindness.

For me, using the computer was a major concern. As a programmer, the ability to return to using the computer was a matter of not only continuing my employment, but also the ability to perform a variety of tasks independently.

For those non computer users, the ability to independently manage finances, purchase items and stay informed is an appealing reason to learn.

Technology often takes a less sophisticated form. Individual measuring cups can provide a baker with Macular Degeneration, the ability to continue baking. Tactile measuring tape enables a carpenter to continue wood working. In each instance, the ability to continue can be the proof an individual needs to realize that they can do exactly that, continue.

For many the thought of losing sight, is comparable to a death sentence. The truth as I see it is, feeling as though you no longer have the ability to make a contribution to society is far worse. Blindness is more like an annoying nuisance. Being visually impaired or blind isn’t necessarily the problem; it’s the inaccessible transportation, the misconceptions about blindness. And the reduced access to information that can stop a person from moving on.

Technology however, can play a major role in knocking down these barriers. As the blind community continues to become proficient with technology and job opportunities increase, eventually more people will have opportunities to have significant interaction with people who are visually impaired and blind.

Technology, at the same time a tool for knocking down barriers, it often presents new obstacles that we must overcome. Websites which give us access to unprecedented information and opportunities are increasingly becoming inaccessible to the blind community. CAPTCHA, the often graphical challenge –response test to determine if a computer is being operated by a human in order to prevent spam, is a fast increasing problem to the community of screen reader users.

While there are cell phones that allow visually impaired and blind people to operate certain functions as well as screen readers specifically built for cell phones, the need for specialized software and or specific models, keeps many from using this technology. With the advent of smart phones and an increasing popularity of web applications and the move to cell phone based computing, this presents another challenge.

Technology was a tool to assist my transition into blindness; I hope with all its advancements, it will be available for the next person who needs it.