Wondering if there are any blind programmers?

6 points by thepreacher 14 years ago | 8 comments

Just a thought, do you know any "blind" programmers?

jmsduran 14 years ago |

Yep, there sure are. One rather famous individual is T. V. Raman, I believe who currently works at Google Research.

It's amazing how far screen reading and other technologies for the visually impaired have come along, more of a reason for me to consider accessibility over aesthetics when doing web development.

thepreacher 14 years ago | |

wow, I'm intrigued. it must be an experience just watching someone like that work!

pasbesoin 14 years ago | | |

I seem to recall him -- or someone -- appearing on a Google Talk video on emacs' org-mode. I don't remember whether that was peripherally or as a presenter.

whichdan 14 years ago |

I was friends with a blind web developer years ago - I remember him telling me that he had the computer "speaking" so fast that a tech fixing his laptop thought it was broken.

Abaddon 14 years ago | |

Same experience working with a world-class security developer. When he checks his email on his phone, it sounds like a wasp with a stutter.

wimplash 14 years ago |

yeah, totally... I knew a couple of folks from our local association for the blind who took computer science classes in college.

Also, see WWW:Wake from Robert Sawyer.

achompas 14 years ago |

There is a blind CS professor at NYU. His name escapes me right now, but watching him navigate OS X (with its built-in voice guidance) is amazing.

gorillak 14 years ago |

Sneakers. Whistler is blind. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105435/