Harder's Homepage: Mobility.

Things to Know about Mobility of the Visually Handicapped

German Original:

strong>Harders Homepage: Mobilität.
Please consider this index, if you would like to quote any of my papers. You will find the exact references there.

1. Homepage Concept.

1.1 Goals.

1.2 Structure.

1.3 Membership.

2. Facts: General knowledge and recommended mobility aids.

2.1 Harder, Kasten & Sabel (1999). Blind People's Mobility Potentials:

Abstract of German overview article.

2.2 Perceptual Alternatives:

The "K" Sonar Cane.

2.3 Perceptual Alternatives: Heyes.

Description of the Sonic Pathfinder.

2.4 Optical Sensors: Sten Loefving (Sweden).

Canes with special components using light reflection.

3. News: Trends in Research and Technology.

3.1 Harder & Schneider (2003). Usability of the Acustic Positioning Device.

Reconstructing unfamiliar routes with excluded vision by making use of computer instructions.

3.2 Harder, A. & Michel, R. (2002). The Target-Route Map ...

Evaluating a new type of tactile map designed for finding a route in an unfamiliar environment.

3.3 Tactile Maps from the Internet.

Research project at the Smith-Kattlewell-Institute, San Francisco, USA.

3.4 Research on Tactile Maps (University of Sheffield).

Abstracts and articles related to this topic.

3.5 Sensory Substitution:

the VOICE - "Seeing with the Ears" (Peter Meijer).

4. Further Topics: Matters of special interest for the visually handicapped).

4.1 Blind Related Links:

Homepage collection for the USA.

4.2 Web Source for Eyecare Information:

A comprehensive link directory devoted to the eyecare industry.

4.3 Deutscher Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband (DBSV):

Main German organization of the visually handicapped.

5. Experiencees: Encountering visually handicapped people.

5.1 Who is Arne Harder?

Some autobiographic notes on the author of this homepage.

5.2 Retino-Ophtalmopathia (ROP) and Blind Mobility:<

Self observations and speculations upon the impact of ROP for the mobility of congenitally blind persons.

1. Homepage Concept.

1.1 Goals.

Most visually handicapped people have problems with independent travelling through space - that is, with mobility. According to the Psychologist Emmerson Foulke - blind himself - mobility is the crucial problem of partially sighted and blind people.

Visually handicapped people are a minority all over the world. For example, in 1997 there were estimated to be 155000 blind people in the Federal Republic of Germany; the number of partially sighted persons was estimated to be around 600000. Thus about one percent of the 83 million inhabitants of Germany are visually handicapped.

The non-handicapped majority tends to "overlook" the problems of handicapped minorities. Mobility is becoming more and more important for everybody, handicapped or not; even though we could communicate with everyone without leaving the desk - for example, by using the Internet. But then we want to "see", that is, to physically experience, people we chatted with in the Internet. If the Mobility problems of the visually impaired remain unsolved, they will experience an even increasing handicap.

But solving mobility problems of the visually handicapped is not that easy. Scientists and Engineers of various disciplines, governmental institutions, industry, and the visually handicapped themselves should work together towards an efficient improval of mobility with the goal to completely remedy the Associated problems of the visually impaired. This homepage is designed to support existing and help initiating new projects that practice team work of the mentioned institutions or persons for the sake of improving the mobility of the visually handicapped.

1.2 Structure

This homepage consists of five parts - including this introduction.

2. "Facts"

presents basic knowledge on this topic and informs about recommendable mobility aids with scientifically proved positive effects.

3. "News"

contains links to documentations of new research projects and technical developments that might solve at least some mobility problems.

4. "Further Topics"

lists links on the internet which are generally related to blindness and visual impairment.

5. "Experiences"

is the most personal one. If you want to read about the thoughts and feelings that visually handicapped people report reflecting their mobility problems and strategies, you will find here the desired information.

1.3 Membership.

Once or twice a year I will look for interesting topics for this homepage on the internet. So I could miss your issue. If you want to have it linked to Harder's Homepage, please:

1. send me an e-mail.
2. briefly describe your project in your message, and
3. please add the URL or the address for further information.

You will recieve a mail as soon as this homepage includes your issue.

I hope that "Harder's homepage: Mobility" will serve its intended goals. May all those who will take part in it, especially the visually handicapped, come to new and helpful "insights" concerning the old mobility problems.

Arne Harder

Magdeburg, June 6., 1998.
Last Change: Febuary 18st, 2009.

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