Blind boy masters echolocation 23 Oct 2007

People magazine has a great write-up on Ben Underwood - the remarkable young chap who obviously wasn't told that blind people aren't supposed to be able to see.

When Ben lost his eyes to cancer at the tender age of three, he didn't just lie down and accept his fate. He taught himself echolocation (a navigation technique used by bats and dolphins) instead and in doing so managed to restore his "vision":

"Ben has learned to perceive and locate objects by making a steady stream of sounds with his tongue, then listening for the echoes as they bounce off the surfaces around him. About as loud as the snapping of fingers, Ben's clicks tell him what's ahead: the echoes they produce can be soft (indicating metals), dense (wood) or sharp (glass). Judging by how loud or faint they are, Ben has learned to gauge distances."

As a result, Ben can now skateboard, shoot hoops with his friends and play video games. In fact, many people find it hard to believe that he's really blind.

An incredible story of triumph over adversity.

[via 37signals]