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Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English.
I'm Neil. And I'm Georgina.
What do Homer, Ray Charles and Jorge Borges all have in common, Georgina?
Hmmm, so that's the ancient Greek poet Homer, American singer Ray Charles and Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges – I can't see much in common there, Neil.
Well, the answer is that they were all blind.
Ah, but that obviously didn't hold them back.
I mean they were some of the greatest artists ever.
Right, but I wonder how easy they would find it living and working in the modern world.
Blind people can use a guide dog or a white cane to help them move around.
Yes, but a white cane is hardly advanced technology.
Recently, smartphone apps have been invented which dramatically improve the lives of blind people around the world.
In this programme on Blindness in the Digital Age, we'll be looking at some of these inventions, known collectively as assistive technology.
That's any software or equipment that helps people work around their disabilities or challenges.
But first, it's time for my quiz question, Georgina.
In 1842 a technique of using fingers to fill printed raised dots was invented which allowed blind people to read.
But who invented it?
Was it... a. Margaret Walker?
b. Louis Braille? c.
Samuel Morse? Mmm, I've heard of Morse code, but that wouldn't help blind people read, so I think it's b.
Louis Braille. OK, Georgina, we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme.
One remarkable feature of the latest assistive technology is its practicality.
smartphone apps like Be My Eyes allow blind users to find lost keys, cross busy roads and even colour match their clothes.
Brian Mwenda is CEO of a Kenyan company developing this kind of technology.
Here he explains to BBC World Service Program, Digital Planet, how his devices seek to enhance, not replace, the traditional white cane.
The device is very compatible with any kind of white cane.
So once you clip it onto any white cane it works perfectly to detect the obstacles in front of you and it relies on echolocation.
So echolocation is the same technology used by bats and dolphins to detect prey and obstacles and all that.
You send out a sound pulse and then once it bounces off an obstacle you can tell how far the obstacle is.
When attached to a white cane, the digital device – called 6th Sense – can detect obstacles, objects which block your way, making it difficult for you to move forward. 6th Sense works using echolocation – a kind of ultrasound like that used by bats, who send out sound waves which bounce off surrounding objects.
The returning echoes show where these objects are located.
Some of the assistive apps are so smart they can even tell what kind of object is coming up ahead, be it a friend, a shop door or a speeding car.
I guess being able to move around confidently really boosts people's independence.
Absolutely, and it's challenging stereotypes around blindness, too.
Blogger Fern Lullum, who is blind herself, uses assistive apps every day.
Here she is talking to BBC World Service's Digital Planet.
I think the more that society sees blind people in the community, at work, in relationships.
It does help to tackle all of these stereotypes it helps to people to see blind and visually impaired people in a whole new way and it just normalises disability that's what we need we need to see people just getting on with their life and doing it and then people won't see it as such a big deal anymore it'll just be the ordinary.
Fearne distinguishes between people who are blind or unable to see, and those who are visually impaired, experience a decreased ability to see.
Assistive tech helps blind people lead normal, independent lives within their local communities.
Fearne hopes that this will help normalise disability – treat something as normal, which has not been accepted as normal before.
So being blind doesn't have to be a big deal – an informal way to say something is not a serious problem.
Just keep your eyes closed for a minute and try moving around the room.
You'll soon see how difficult it is and how life -changing this technology can be.
Being able to read books must also open up a world of imagination.
So what was the answer to your quiz question, Neil?
Ah yes, I asked Georgina who invented the system of reading where fingertips are used to feel patterns of printed raised dots.
What did you say, Georgina?
I thought it was b – Louie Braille.
Which was, of course, the correct answer!
Well done, Georgina.
Louie Braille – the inventor of a reading system, which is known worldwide simply as Braille.
I suppose Braille is an early example of assistive technology – systems and equipment that assist people with disabilities to perform everyday functions.
Let's recap the rest of the vocabulary, Neil.
OK, an obstacle is an object that is in your way and blocks your movement.
Some assistive technology works using echolocation – a system of ultrasound detection used by bats.
Being blind is different from being visually impaired – having a decreased ability to see whether disabling or not.
And finally, the hope is that assistive phone apps can help normalise disability – change the perception of something into being accepted as normal.
So that disability is no longer a big deal, not a big problem.
That's all for this programme, but join us again soon at 6 Minute English.
And remember you can find many more six -minute topics and useful vocabulary archived on bbclearningenglish .com.
Don't forget we also have an app you can download for free from the app stores.
And of course we are all over social media, so come on over and say hi!
Goodbye for now! Bye!
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