WE ARE:
-Activators of Change
-Champions of Freedom
-Blind Discoverers
-Challengers of Limits
-Modern Scientists
Video: Catch a Glimpse of What We Do
World Access for the Blind is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit organization that facilitates the self-directed achievement of people with all forms of blindness, and increases public awareness about the strengths and capabilities of blind people.
We have served over 10,000 students in nearly 40 countries. We are a dedicated team who lead by example , as most of us are blind! Our unique, scientific method teaches blind people to see in new ways by activating the brain to gain images of the world through sound and touch - like lighting a match in the dark. We are known for our No Limits attitude, as we do not settle for the minimum requirements of functioning, but instead challenge ourselves and our students to reach beyond their limits. Our students understand that they can direct their own lives rich with quality, promise, and as much excitement and intrigue as they could wish for. By our approach, blind people can grow from being passive recipients, often marginalized and restricted, to active contributors free to achieve a quality of life of their own choosing. Through your generous support, we help more blind children and adults globally to improve their quality of life, to challenge poverty and social isolation, and to find freedom to realize their dreams.
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Featured News and Activities
Daniel Kish: Top Ten TED Talks for 2015,
TED: Truth and Dare, Vancouver - March, 2015Daniel Kish Delivers a warmly stirring and personal perspective on his own life, blindness, and helping others to navigate their challenges.
"THANK YOU. you were wonderful! You've got an amazingly compelling way of speaking -- curiosity and intelligence and interest oozing out of every phrase that you utter. It's so listenable to! Some speakers talk as if they're sleep walking. You talk as if you're alive and thinking through every word, and I absolutely love that!" - Chris Anderson
‘We All Face the Dark Unknown’
SUCCESS Magazine - August, 2015Shelley Levitt
"How Daniel Kish, who’s been sightless since he was 13 months old, taught himself to see through the blindness—to find vision in the echoes" Daniel's well received TED talk led to his interview with Success Magazine. This captivating article features Brian Bushway and Daniel illustrating the process of seeing with sound. It investigates how blind people learning to see are helping everyone learn to see more clearly to navigate life's unknowns with less fear and greater purpose. The article quotes generously from Daniel's TED talk.
Daniel Kish Voted Talk of the Day at PopTech
October, 2011Daniel Delivers a genuinely personal perspective on his own life, blindness, and helping others to claim their freedom. Includes special videos. "THANK YOU, again, for your participation in PopTech this year. I heard nothing but great things about your talk" - Andrew Zolli, CEO and Head Curator
The New Age of Exploration: Modern Risk Takers
National Geographic Magazine - July, 2013Daniel Kish is among a handful of modern explorers showcased to comemborate 125 years of National Geographic. Includes videos.
The Blind Individuals Who See By Sound
DiscoverMagazine - May, 2015Berit Brogaard, Kristian Marlow
"How the human brain adapts to blindness and allows us to see our world through echolocation."
IS It Possible to See without Sight? - Brian Bushway
Discovery Canada: Daily Planet - April 9, 2015Brian is put to the challenge of using his FlashSonar to describe a random sculpture for a forensic artist to draw, unseen. If video linked above is restricted, try this.
Seeing Through Sound
CNN International: Vital Signs - June 18, 2014Sanjay Gupta
Touchingly thought provoking coverage of one of our Perceptual navigation instructors, Brian Bushway, and Daniel Kish conducting a family workshop with Juan Ruiz in Nuernberg, Germany. Includes some balanced controversy.
Activating Creativity: Lessons learned from the blind who have learned to see
Proctor And Gamble World Design Conference - October, 2013Daniel Kish, Keynote
The Human Eclipse - J Louchart - Short Edit
The Weather Channel: Freaks of Nature - January, 2014J Louchart, one of our Perceptual Navigation Coaches, demonstrates FlashSonar under strong wind and heavy snow conditions.
The Blind Man Who Taught Himself to See
Men's Journal - March, 2011About Daniel Kish and his work through World Access for the Blind to help blind people to find sound vision. Voted 6th best read of 2011 by Reader's Digest.
Guinness World Records: Juan Ruiz
TV Italy - April, 2011By invitation of Guinness Italy, Juan, who is totally blind, sets the world record for blind bicycling through a random obstacle course using only FlashSonar. He gave a stirring speech that made the audience cry.
John Pak on FlashSonar
TEDxCambridge - November, 2011"John Pak helps us understand how to navigate a sighted world without sight." Gives a perspective on Daniel Kish's training his "super hero power" when he was an 11 year old boy.
Brain Awareness Week 2014
Prof. Mel Goodale (Brain and Mind Institute) and Brian Bushway (World Access for the Blind)Keynote Speakers
The Center for Integrative Neuroscience: University of Nevada, Reno
Bat Navigation Inspires Charity's Method to Aid the Blind
Chronical of Philanthropy - October 2, 2011"World Access for the Blind uses unconventional methods to help people walk, bike, hike, and play without relying on anyone else."