The highly visual interfaces of today's computers threaten to exclude blind people from equal access. A completely new approach to that problem is to synthesize directional hearing signals through headphones that allow blind users to move about and interact with the objects on the computer screen. This is made possible by the advent of more powerful microcomputers with built-in high-technology sound-generation equipment. The objective of this project is to develop a prototype of an inexpensive software accessory for the Macintosh II called SonarVision that applies concepts from directional hearing research and from research and development on multidimensional auditory displays for flight simulations and orientation/mobility devices for the blind. The significance of this accessory is that, at very low cost, it will enable blind people to use the highly visual interfaces of off-the-shelf software.Awardee's statement of the potential commercial applications of the research:Schools, governmental agencies, and commercial entities will be able, at a very low cost, to provide blind employees access to business and professional microcomputer tools, making expensive, specialized equipment unnecessary.National Eye Institute (NEI)
