Making information accessible in different ways on computers and the web, he says, could not only open new doors to people with disabilities but also greatly improve the usefulness of the web for almost everyone. And that, he says, is a smart, potentially profitable business advantage. Gardner once was a traditional teacher who stood in front of a class and lectured. Since going blind as a result of complications from glaucoma, Gardner says he has developed a whole new vision of what education can and should be, in which modern technology, computers and the web are all integrated to help students absorb information in the ways that work best for them. And he has battled through corporate indifference, helping to create a start-up company called ViewPlus Technologies in Corvallis, Ore., that can directly market some of the new technology his research has invented.
Progress is steady.
A graphing calculator plays an audible tone that can help blind people conceptually understand the image. New systems have been created to display graphic images from the web. It's the first embosser that can print directly from standard Windows applications, permit easy one-step production of text and tactile graphics. Blind computer users will now have information never before available to them, all without the assistance of sighted helpers. But there's still a lot of room for improvement, Gardner said.