[Ncabs] Device Helps Blind See with Tongue

[Currin, Kevin]

Hello Everyone,

My view on this is two fold:
1. I don't object to coming up with other ways for independence other than canes or guide dogs. I don't think it says anything about misguided assumptions of these researchers to look for a device that gives information about surrounds. Canes don't do what this device potentially can; canes just give information about whats on the ground in front of you but they don't deal with what things actually look like (especially above ground level). In addition, what works for some people doesn't work for everyone; everyone may not like to use canes and guide dogs (though I think this device is meant to be used in tandom with a cane).
2. I personally like to avoid electronic devices for independence. I haven't been able to do this though because there is a shift towards computers and hand held devices for school work for people with disabilities and also for other forms of independence. I don't know that I would want to have a sensor in my tounge just for personal reasons, but don't let that suggest that I am opposed to looking for other means of independence in addition to canes and guide dogs.

Thanks,

Kevin
________________________________________
From: ncabs-bounces at nfbnet.org [ncabs-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Justin Salisbury [PRESIDENT at alumni.ecu.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 8:09 AM
To: ncabs at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Ncabs] Device Helps Blind See with Tongue

Philosophy Discussion Time

I just caught this story on a Boston news station, and I want to hear people's opinions of it.  There are many different versions of this news story, but here's a link to a page with a video and text article:

http://wearecentralpa.com/fulltext-healthcast?nxd_id=369932

Feel free to find other versions of this story using a simple search engine.

When I heard that Mark couldn't wait for the day that he could navigate his own home independently with a device, I thought to myself "hey, I already have one of those devices.  It's called a cane!"

In my reading on the story, I get the impression that researchers think that this device is important because we blind people are oblivious to our surroundings and need some way to get information about them.  I think this is cool research for the sake of research, but I see absolutely no practical need for the device.  With the proper skills and training, we can independently navigate our own surroundings.  I further wonder if maybe these uneducated or incorrectly educated researchers simply don't know about the techniques we blind people can use to independently navigate our surroundings or if they view them as inferior and think we should be trying to operate as closely to sighted people as we can.

What does everyone on the list think?

Justin Salisbury
President
North Carolina Association of Blind Students


Justin M. Salisbury
Class of 2012
B.A. in Mathematics
East Carolina University
president at alumni.ecu.edu

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”    —MARGARET MEAD


_______________________________________________
Ncabs mailing list
Ncabs at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ncabs_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for Ncabs:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ncabs_nfbnet.org/kwcurrin%40live.unc.edu