[NFBMT] Missoulian Article on George Kerscher and Technology

Tue Aug 29 02:33:35 UTC 2017

Excellent article. Thanks for sharing it.

On 8/28/17, Edward Robbins via NFBMT <nfbmt at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> It mentions in the article about him running the mini marathon.  I visited
> with a school mate of mine a couple of weeks ago who ran this race at the
> same time.  (a 75 year old lady, about the size of a 12 year old).  If only
> I could.  Maybe if I quit setting around and got back in condition.
> Ted
>
> EDWARD C "TED" ROBBINS, E-MAIL:  ecrobbins517 at gmail.com
> CEO MBEI & Treasurer NFB of Montana
> PHONE & FAX:  406 453 6678, CELL:  406 799 6268
> 104 RIVERVIEW 5 E
> GREAT FALLS  MT   59404
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBMT [mailto:nfbmt-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jim Marks via
> NFBMT
> Sent: Monday, August 28, 2017 9:24 AM
> To: 'NFB of Montana Discussion List'
> Cc: Jim Marks; 'violet'; 'marjorie'; kerscher at montana.net
> Subject: [NFBMT] Missoulian Article on George Kerscher and Technology
>
> Here is a link to a Missoulian article published yesterday about George
> Kerscher and his use of emerging smart phone technology:
>
>
> http://missoulian.com/news/local/monday-s-montanan-blind-missoula-man-develops-tech-for-those/article_bb4d4fc0-f097-53f8-b7ba-3aa56117ae5c.html
>
>
> Monday's Montanan: Blind Missoula man develops tech for those with
> disabilities
>
> From the Monday's Montanans are making a difference series
>
> DAVID ERICKSON david.erickson at missoulian.com
>   Aug 27, 2017
>
> As guide dog Kroner looks on Thursday afternoon, George Kerscher of Missoula
> explains how a new technology called Aira allows him and other blind people
> to talk with a live navigator who can see what he would be seeing through
> smart glasses. “The integration of speech output to control things,
> everything with GPS navigation, it was all developed for blind people for
> years and years before it got applied to your car telling you which turn to
> make,” he said.
>
> Kerscher, who has been blind since 1977, holds an honorary doctorate of
> humane letters from the University of Montana, and is a pioneer in the field
> of digital technology, according to former UM President George Dennison, who
> introduced Kerscher at the 2007 commencement ceremony.
>
> If you like using your smart phone to find your way in a new city, you have
> blind people to thank.
>
> George Kerscher of Missoula wants people to realize that much of the
> technology they take for granted — such as the Google Maps software that
> gives voice commands for GPS navigation — was developed by and for visually
> impaired people long before it was available to the masses.
>
> As an advocate for people with disabilities and a senior employee at a large
> company that specializes in accessibility technology, Kerscher is at the
> forefront of developing ways to make simple tasks like reading books and
> nutrition labels as easy for blind people or those with learning
> disabilities as it is for everyone else.
>
> Kerscher has been blind since 1977.
>
>  New set of eyes
>
> “The integration of speech output to control things, everything with GPS
> navigation, it was all developed for blind people years and years before it
> got applied to your car telling you which turn to make,” he explained. “It
> was all in the hands of people with disabilities long before it was
> introduced to the mainstream.”
>
> Kerscher, who holds an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the
> University of Montana, is a pioneer in the field of digital technology,
> according to former UM President George Dennison, who introduced Kerscher at
> the 2007 commencement ceremony.
>
> “Kerscher led the process of identifying and implementing specific standards
> to make digital audio text inclusive and universally accessible,
> establishing him as perhaps the foremost authority on accessibility
> standards in the world," Dennison, who died in January, said at the time.
>
> "His understanding and knowledge of the social implications as well as the
> emerging scientific trends in technology and information presentation for
> the blind, combined with his energy, enthusiasm and boldness, inspire and
> garner respect around the globe."
>
> Kerscher was selected by U.S. News and World Report as the 1998 Innovator of
> the Year, and was the 1999 Montana Association for the Blind Member of the
> Year.
>
> He can often be seen around town with his loyal and playful guide dog
> Kroner, with whom he walked the 2017 Missoula Half Marathon. He lives here
> with his wife Gail, and they have a long list of children and grandchildren
> to keep them busy. When he’s not working for the DAISY Consortium (Digital
> Accessible Information Systems) or Benetech, a company that specializes in
> software for social good, Kerscher is travelling to places like Amsterdam to
> speak on behalf of those with disabilities and how technology should be
> all-inclusive.
>
> Although fewer than 1 percent of the U.S. population is blind, according to
> Kerscher, nearly 14 percent cannot read print due to various disabilities
> such as dyslexia. Technology like refreshable Braille displays, which allow
> blind people to read on a touch screen, gives people like Kerscher the power
> to educate themselves and integrate into the community.
>
> “It leads to a more inclusive society,” he said. “In many ways, people with
> disabilities lead in a lot of ways.”
>
> Self-driving car technology is being led by people with visual impairments,
> he said, as is a new technology called Aira that allows blind people to talk
> to a live navigator through smart glasses. Kerscher can dial up a woman
> named Cassie who works from home in the Midwest, and she can tell him what a
> person in front of him is wearing or what’s on the menu at a local bagel
> shop.
>
> “It’s a very interesting new technology and it seems to be very popular in
> the blindness community,” he said. “The only problem is it totally fails if
> network connectivity is not available.”
>
> For Kerscher, it’s been a lifelong mission to revolutionize the way that
> people with disabilities get access to the same information everyone else
> has.
>
> “I advocate for everybody, all different disability groups,” he said.
> “Everyone needs to be included in society and there’s lots of things we can
> do to make sure everybody is included.”
>
> Jim Marks
> Blind.grizzly at gmail.com
> (406) 438-1421
>
>
>
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-- 
Dan Burke
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