Hearing In Colors

Bleeding Edge

from the a-colorful-world dept

While the internet has been useful for so many users, there are always questions about how people with certain disabilities are being left behind… or how they can use new technologies to improve their own lives. For example, for deaf people, things like text messaging and instant messaging have been great. However, the rise of the internet has been tougher for blind users. While there are text readers, one blind researcher needed to be able to view atmospheric maps — which is a bit more difficult. So he built a system that would turn colors into musical notes. It’s still fairly early research, and even he admits that it’s probably most useful for blind users who once could see. However, it’s yet another example of how efforts are being made to use technology in ways that are beneficial to groups who don’t always get enough attention when it comes to new technologies.