Blind Student 'Hears in Colour'

Abstract

Working with a graphics specialist and another student, a blind graduate student at Cornell University has developed a computer application that translates colors into sounds, allowing him to read and understand colored maps of the atmosphere. Victor Wong, who has been blind since age seven, said he recognized the need for such a tool for his own studies, as well as for blind scientists generally. The application translates the colors of digitally created images into one of 88 notes, with blue at the low end and red at the high end. Users manipulate a stylus on a tablet to "read" the images through sound.Wong believes that because he formerly could see, his "color memory"may afford him the ability to visualize the colors and use the application in a way that someone who has never been able to see could not. The software remains primitive, but Wong said he hopes it can one day be developed to give blind people access to photographs and other images.