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Drawing For The Blind
idletask writes: "Hesham Kamel, a student from University of Berkeley who lost his vision 17 years ago due to a surgeon error, imagined and implemented IC2D (Integrated Communication 2 Draw), a program allowing visually impaired people in general to create computer graphics. The interface to the program is a mere telephone keypad, and it uses voice synthesis to communicate with the user. In fact, this program reveals, through its testers, that yes, blind people know how to draw, and they're as good at it as other people. More information on this program can be found here (1) and here (2). Story found on ArsTechnica."
blind people know how to draw, and they're as good at it as other people.
Well, if the poster had seen any of my "artwork", he'd know that that isn't saying very much.
Now I can play pictionary with blind people WITHOUT feeling like I have an unfair advatange!
Fault loves the past, worry loves the future, but content enjoys the present.
...is that the article says the system uses a telephone keypad for selecting where you want to put the cursor. Perhaps it's just a metaphor to make it easier to understand, but the keypad on a phone is upside down compared to the number pad on a computer keyboard. It would be rather confusing if the instructions said "press 1 for the top left corner," and you had to press the key that you were used to thinking of as "7". If this is a problem, I imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to add an option to invert the pad - rather like GUIs will let you use a mouse left-handed or right-handed.
That apart, this sounds like a very cool idea. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that a blind person can draw if you give them the right tools. The main skill in drawing is observing things accurately - even if you draw from imagination, you're often remembering details of things you've seen. If you can't see your surroundings, then moving around without bumping into things or injuring yourself requires you to build an accurate mental model of the environment in 3 dimensions - observe it, in other words. The fact that collecting the information to build this model requires you to use senses other than sight is what project managers would call an "implementation detail." ;-)
Just another wannabe fantasy novelist...
didja read the article?
Kamel is asked often why those without sight would need to draw something they cannot see.
"There are many people out there who can't understand that blind people have imaginations, just as sighted people do," he said. "For me, it's all about independence."
And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour Isaiah 3:5
A deaf man composed some of the greatest music the world has ever heard. When will a blind man come along that will draw the greatest paintings? Mad Hatter
Re, If they're "visually impaired", how are they going to enjoy their own work?
Drawings aren't all just to look at.
Suppose you're visually impaired or even completely blind. You could use this tool for drawing architectural plans, circuit diagrams, garden layouts, org charts--anything you want.