Learning languages alone changed what I could get out of travel as a blind person. Being able to have conversations in another language, or knowing a few words in the local language truly changed my experience. Often, when sighted people can point at things, I am restricted to speaking. But it wasn’t without challenges. Even..
Exploring the World with Touch Mapper: 3D Printing Tactile Maps for the Visually Impaired
I am always searching for innovative solutions to enhance the independence of visually impaired individuals. One such solution that has captured my attention many years ago was Touch Mapper, a service that allows the printing of local maps based on addresses. These tactile maps, designed for blind and visually impaired people, show roads, buildings, and..
Getting started with 3D printing
Last weekend I got myself a 3D printer. How does this relate to accessible travel? Because if I would like to understand what something looks like and I don’t have the opportunity to touch it, I can hopefully print out a model. I wrote about the 3d printed building project before, but that’s a different..
Videos for the blind
Recently I came across a creative video description service for blind and visually impaired people. The description is text based, and meant to be used by listening to short segments of the video and reading the descriptions. This way it can have more context than an audio described video, while it is fully accessible for..