World Access for the Blind (WAFTB) is an international

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

non-governmental A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...

and educational organisation based in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

, United States. The organisation was started to strengthen the physical, mental and personal development of people with all forms of

blindness Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

, and to increase public awareness about the strengths and capabilities of blind people. It was founded by Daniel Kish of

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, in 2000. The primary work of the non-profit is to encourage and teach blind people the technique of echolocation for their movement, so as to minimise their inhibition with respect to people with normal sight. Their innovative training is called FlashSonar, which involves using sound for navigation. Their strategic campaigns are based on the philosophical stand: ''No Limits''. The organisation participated in the medical study of human echolocation in 2011.

Vision

World Access for the Blind tries to improve the

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

such as in interaction between blind and sighted people by facilitating equal access to the world's resources and opportunities. It tries to promote and enhance self-recognition among the blind, and general acceptance in the normal society. It aims for productive participation and achievement to equal to that of sighted people. It tries to revolutionise the blind movement and promote learning of navigation based on knowledge of human perception, and a philosophy of ''No Limits''.

Achievements

Since its inception World Access for the Blind has helped over 7,000 students in over 30 countries. It organises workshops, presentations, and trainings. As of 2013, the activities span 36 countries. Volunteers and teachers give their services free of charge, but they are often sponsored by religious and relief organisations, schools and universities, medical institutions, nonprofit entities, media companies, professional organisations, corporations, and private parties. The organisation has successfully trained many blind and sighted students the technique of human echolocation called FlashSonar. By this technique people can navigate using tongue-clicking and responding to the reflected sound from their surrounding. In fact, using this technique, there are a number of successful solo, unguided

hikes Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

at the

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a ...

Death Valley Death Valley is a desert valley in Eastern California, in the northern Mojave Desert, bordering the Great Basin Desert. During summer, it is the hottest place on Earth. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the point of lowest elevation in North Am ...

, Mount Whitney, and the

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian ...

. WAFTB was the consultant organisation in the scientific study of the

neural In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its actions and sensory information by transmitting signals to and from different parts of its body. The nervous system detects environmental changes th ...

basis of human echolocation at the

University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a public research university in London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by residential neighbourhoods and the Thames Ri ...

in 2011.

References

{{Reflist Blindness organizations in the United States Educational organizations based in the United States Non-profit organizations based in California Organizations established in 2000