[gui-talk] Fwd: article: An Inspiring Dream For the Blind

[Steve Pattison]

An Inspiring Dream For the Blind
Posted: Monday, October 06, 2008 10:29 AM by Sarika Dani From Josh 
Weiner,
TODAY producer

Imagine losing your vision - and finding a way to ski, sail, bike and
continue all your passions. It sounds impossible, right? Not if you're 
Ed
Gallagher. I met Ed recently for our TODAY story. Inspiring is the word 
sums
up this his outlook on life.

Ed grew up near a Michigan lake, and he jokes that he "sailed" out of 
his
mother's womb. A building contractor by profession, Ed always embraced 
the
outdoors his entire life. Sailing became an integral part of his 
routine.
But in his late 40s, Ed was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease. 
His
vision began to fade slowly over several years, and he feared his 
sailing
days were over. But Ed, 57, who now lives in San Francisco, came across 
a
group called BAADS - The Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors. The 
club
is a comprised of folks who have all types of disabilities, but with the
help of one another and many able-bodied volunteers, organized regular
sailing ventures in the beautiful bay water.

Then Ed came up with an amazing idea he calls "Genoa Connections." Named
after his beloved guide dog, it's a seemingly simple, yet brilliantly 
clever
remote guidance system. Ed mounts a web-camera to a strap around his
forehead, and the camera wirelessly transmits the live video over the
Internet using free software called Skype. Ed's friends take turns 
acting as
his guide. Both wear microphones and earpieces, and talk back and forth 
as
the guide tells Ed what he's "seeing." He's testing the barriers, and
regularly uses it to sail, but also tries shopping, cross country skiing 
and
even biking in Golden Gate park.

Ed has started an organization where he hopes to refine and mass-produce 
his
system, so other blind people all around the world can use it too. 
Certainly
it's not going to replace the time-tested travel tools like a white cane 
or
guide dog (which already enable the blind to get around independently). 
But
Ed believes it can greatly augment the lives of the blind and vision
impaired through advancing technology.

His dream doesn't end there. Ideally, Ed says, homebound individuals,
through a government agency, like the Department of Rehabilitation, 
would
serve as the guides. That way it's a win-win. And according to Ed, the
experience is just as rewarding for the guide as for the blind person. 
When
our correspondent, Jenna Wolfe, told Ed he seems like someone who always 
see
the glass-half-full, he paused. Then, grinning,  he responded, "that's 
what
my mother always said!" Watch video here.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/27047025

Regards Steve
Email:  srp at internode.on.net
Windows Live Messenger:  internetuser383 at hotmail.com
Skype:  steve1963