0:00:09.240,0:00:12.489
Oh, their American accent[br]sounds so out of place here!

0:00:12.529,0:00:14.109
(Laughter)

0:00:16.999,0:00:20.870
I am going to set my own timepiece

0:00:20.900,0:00:25.050
because I can't see[br]the timepiece they have up here.

0:00:25.240,0:00:30.809
So I have a Braille PDA here [br]that I'm just going to set.

0:00:31.219,0:00:33.920
And there we are.

0:00:34.220,0:00:37.619
And I'll even look at it[br]from time to time.

0:00:39.239,0:00:42.000
When they first invited me here,

0:00:42.016,0:00:45.610
they asked if I would need[br]help up the stage,

0:00:45.640,0:00:50.600
up the stairs to the stage,[br]and after what you've just seen,

0:00:50.619,0:00:53.889
I think that would have [br]been quite unfitting.

0:00:53.914,0:00:55.824
(Laughter)

0:00:58.922,0:01:04.900
And about this timepiece, they also asked [br]how I would be able to keep track of time.

0:01:04.930,0:01:07.820
That was a good question!

0:01:08.935,0:01:11.200
This is how I do it. [br]It's a Braille timepiece.

0:01:11.220,0:01:14.746
It basically just kind of counts off[br]the seconds as we go.

0:01:15.060,0:01:16.920
You call it "a timer" here.

0:01:16.950,0:01:20.110
In the States, we call it[br]a "confidence monitor"

0:01:20.140,0:01:21.930
(Laughter)

0:01:22.200,0:01:25.070
Now what could inspire less confidence

0:01:25.090,0:01:29.844
than watching your time[br]takeaway second by second,

0:01:30.094,0:01:34.560
especially when they only gave you[br]12 minutes to sell your life story.

0:01:35.360,0:01:38.600
So how do I find my way?

0:01:38.870,0:01:43.450
Well, that's easy. That's very easy!

0:01:43.670,0:01:46.900
You heard me clicking.[br]They explained that it was a sonar.

0:01:46.930,0:01:50.130
The sonar is very much a concept[br]that we're all familiar with.

0:01:50.140,0:01:53.069
Bats use it. Dolphins use it.

0:01:53.759,0:01:56.959
And submarine technicians use it.

0:01:57.009,0:01:58.850
So that part is easy, I click.

0:01:59.275,0:02:01.605
Click ... Click ... Click.

0:02:01.730,0:02:04.840
That essentially asks[br]two questions of the environment.

0:02:04.890,0:02:06.390
It's a "sonar call".

0:02:06.420,0:02:11.190
Scientists call it a "call" or they'll say[br]that I'm interrogating the environment.

0:02:11.780,0:02:17.909
The two questions are:[br]"where are you?" and "what are you?"

0:02:18.388,0:02:22.019
So those are the two key questions[br]embedded in every click.

0:02:22.244,0:02:23.934
(Click)

0:02:24.319,0:02:29.391
The more clearly[br]we can ask those questions,

0:02:29.540,0:02:33.194
the more clearly will[br]the environment respond.

0:02:33.740,0:02:37.980
Now that pretty much answers the question[br]"how do I know where I'm going?"

0:02:38.210,0:02:42.928
If that was all to the story,[br]I could step off stage right now

0:02:42.958,0:02:47.045
and be done with plenty of time to spare,

0:02:47.085,0:02:51.145
but would you feel ... satisfied?

0:02:51.189,0:02:54.430
Would you feel edified if I did that?

0:02:55.080,0:02:56.900
Not so much!

0:02:56.970,0:03:01.230
So the real question

0:03:01.470,0:03:06.740
is "What is the point?[br]What is the purpose of all of this?"

0:03:06.791,0:03:11.520
If I were the only person who could[br]flap my arms and fly to the moon,

0:03:11.540,0:03:13.690
would it matter?

0:03:14.340,0:03:19.540
Really, I've been all over the world.

0:03:20.180,0:03:25.306
They flew me out from Los Angeles[br]yesterday, I arrived yesterday.

0:03:26.109,0:03:29.649
I was in the States for three days,

0:03:29.673,0:03:34.682
back from a seven week tour of Queensland[br]and New South Wales Australia.

0:03:34.970,0:03:40.670
Prior to that, I was in Austria,[br]Germany, Romania and Holland.

0:03:41.730,0:03:45.710
I've been to over, [br]well nearly 25 different countries,

0:03:45.740,0:03:49.180
half a dozen of them[br]in the last few months.

0:03:50.070,0:03:51.630
Why?

0:03:51.650,0:03:55.550
What would my claim to fame really be?

0:03:55.920,0:04:00.747
So why don't we go ahead[br]and show the first clip.

0:04:01.580,0:04:04.900
I have a clicker, just in case[br]no one's paying attention back there.

0:04:04.910,0:04:06.570
(Laughter) Okay.

0:04:11.605,0:04:13.754
(Video) (Clicks)

0:04:23.000,0:04:24.780
Lucas: Yeah!

0:04:24.820,0:04:27.445
(Applause)

0:04:34.080,0:04:35.600
Okay.

0:04:36.217,0:04:38.570
That's not really my claim to fame.

0:04:38.779,0:04:41.830
(Laughing) I did not teach this young boy[br]how to play basketball.

0:04:41.870,0:04:45.470
I can't play basketball[br]myself - it's worth rubbish -

0:04:45.505,0:04:50.478
but I taught him how to find the basket.

0:04:50.490,0:04:53.020
I taught him how to find his way around.

0:04:53.055,0:04:55.215
You heard him clicking.

0:04:56.310,0:05:01.896
I have developed means[br]of teaching people

0:05:01.910,0:05:04.582
how to find freedom in their lives.

0:05:04.890,0:05:07.220
The focus is on blind individuals,

0:05:07.240,0:05:09.460
but we're all blind[br]in one way or another.

0:05:09.470,0:05:13.350
We could all use a bit[br]of direction, myself included,

0:05:13.360,0:05:17.910
in how to find more freedom in our lives.

0:05:18.060,0:05:21.030
Now this young boy's name is Lucas.

0:05:22.100,0:05:25.290
Lucas was perhaps seven[br]or eight at the most,

0:05:25.320,0:05:27.520
when this film was taken.

0:05:27.550,0:05:32.940
His parents contacted me[br]when he was four years old.

0:05:33.900,0:05:39.220
They wanted their son who was born blind[br]to have more freedom in his life.

0:05:39.240,0:05:43.140
He would not let go[br]of someone's hand, okay?

0:05:44.320,0:05:48.130
He would trail walls, kind of feel his way[br]through his environment,

0:05:48.160,0:05:52.575
but that was about the extent[br]of his freedom at that time.

0:05:52.820,0:05:54.640
His parents wanted something simple.

0:05:54.670,0:05:57.270
At first, they wanted him to have a cane.

0:05:57.350,0:06:00.010
I've got a cane, you saw me[br]come up the stairs with it.

0:06:00.030,0:06:03.740
You saw me using it coming[br]onto the stage. A cane is a great stuff.

0:06:03.770,0:06:07.529
It will help find things, okay,

0:06:07.560,0:06:12.180
that would not be possible

0:06:12.195,0:06:16.585
or certainly would not[br]be comfortable without one.

0:06:17.250,0:06:20.600
So they could not get[br]the local authorities

0:06:20.620,0:06:22.640
to teach him how to use a cane.

0:06:22.670,0:06:26.110
They couldn't even get the local[br]authorities to provide him with a cane -

0:06:26.150,0:06:29.752
well, eventually they did[br]but not to teach him.

0:06:30.310,0:06:34.149
I'll use the UK as an example,[br]but this is happening all over the world.

0:06:34.450,0:06:36.200
In most parts of the world,

0:06:36.220,0:06:39.399
blind children aren't even[br]provided with a cane

0:06:39.419,0:06:42.439
until their; say, eight years old.

0:06:43.509,0:06:46.849
What is provided in some cases[br]prior to the age of eight

0:06:46.879,0:06:49.959
is what I call "dependency conditioning,"

0:06:49.999,0:06:54.089
systematically training[br]our blind individuals

0:06:54.109,0:06:57.810
how to be dependent on others[br]either to guide them

0:06:57.830,0:07:02.879
or to modify the environment[br]to be "blind friendly."

0:07:03.060,0:07:06.760
That is not the kind[br]of world that we live in, okay.

0:07:07.320,0:07:09.320
So the first thing I did[br]was I taught Lucas

0:07:09.360,0:07:11.799
some very simple,[br]very straightforward techniques

0:07:11.829,0:07:14.144
of how to use a cane.

0:07:15.200,0:07:18.899
Everyone humor me for a moment,[br]close your eyes please.

0:07:20.349,0:07:23.721
Close your eyes[br]for just a moment, everyone.

0:07:24.244,0:07:30.618
Now assuming that you tried[br]to open your eyes and couldn't -

0:07:30.800,0:07:32.990
don't open your eyes -

0:07:33.109,0:07:37.102
assuming that you tried to open[br]your eyes and couldn't, okay,

0:07:37.122,0:07:40.370
the lights are out, your eyes won't open,

0:07:43.090,0:07:47.349
but eventually you need[br]to find your way out of here, okay,

0:07:47.369,0:07:49.839
something's got to happen for you to move,

0:07:49.859,0:07:54.325
something's got to happen[br]for you to start to lead your life.

0:07:54.630,0:08:00.706
So on a scale of zero to ten -[br]zero being not at all -

0:08:00.888,0:08:02.918
just think about this:

0:08:02.966,0:08:08.146
how confident would you feel[br]to move around your environment?

0:08:08.300,0:08:12.230
How confident would you feel[br]to be able to get up out of your seat

0:08:12.260,0:08:15.239
and start finding your way[br]toward the door?

0:08:15.872,0:08:17.565
Okay?

0:08:17.795,0:08:22.230
Probably most of you fall[br]somewhere between zero and three.

0:08:22.269,0:08:27.079
Very few of you would probably[br]be thinking three, okay.

0:08:27.659,0:08:30.609
Some of you might know[br]the place better than others.

0:08:30.787,0:08:33.879
But imagine now, keeping your eyes closed,

0:08:33.899,0:08:39.380
imagine now you suddenly had a stick,

0:08:39.750,0:08:43.500
something no more[br]complicated than a stick.

0:08:44.540,0:08:47.192
Would you feel more confident?

0:08:47.250,0:08:51.430
Would you feel more comfortable[br]being able to get up

0:08:51.450,0:08:54.269
and safely find your way toward the door?

0:08:54.293,0:08:55.714
Raise your hand if you would,

0:08:55.734,0:08:59.470
if you feel like you'd feel[br]more comfortable.

0:08:59.585,0:09:01.150
Okay, let's see ...

0:09:01.191,0:09:03.081
(Clicks of the tongue)

0:09:03.101,0:09:04.816
(Laughter)

0:09:05.606,0:09:07.958
I heard a bunch of hands go up, okay.

0:09:07.984,0:09:09.964
(Laughter)

0:09:10.100,0:09:13.338
All right, it's that simple.

0:09:14.073,0:09:18.389
The use of something[br]as simple as a stick

0:09:18.409,0:09:22.559
which actually does have some technique[br]to it, some training behind it

0:09:22.579,0:09:27.788
but it's very simple and yet, [br]that simple sense of safety,

0:09:27.808,0:09:31.098
that simple sense of taking[br]ownership of our environment,

0:09:31.110,0:09:36.089
is not being provided[br]to our young blind children.

0:09:36.979,0:09:41.559
Okay, now let me give you [br]just a quick example

0:09:41.579,0:09:44.659
of a more sophisticated system

0:09:44.669,0:09:50.900
that works in addition to[br]the very simple system of the long cane.

0:09:51.400,0:09:56.059
I will use a flat panel

0:09:57.509,0:10:01.169
that I just happen to have in my backpack.

0:10:01.639,0:10:04.639
Okay, this isn't an advert for Apple.

0:10:04.699,0:10:07.239
It just happens to be[br]what I have available.

0:10:07.799,0:10:09.770
I'm going to turn my back[br]on the audience.

0:10:09.790,0:10:12.270
I know that's a no-no,[br]but it's got to happen.

0:10:12.300,0:10:15.120
If we all close our eyes again, please,

0:10:15.470,0:10:20.037
I'm going to give a couple of very simple[br]demonstrations, very simple,

0:10:20.089,0:10:24.650
of a system that allows[br]for the kinds of freedom

0:10:24.680,0:10:28.510
that we are able to make[br]available for students.

0:10:29.001,0:10:35.530
So I'm going to make a "shhh" sound.[br]It's going to be regular and consistent.

0:10:35.541,0:10:40.089
And I'm going to pass this "panel"[br]I'll call it, in front of my face,

0:10:40.099,0:10:42.869
so you'll hear it going by. Listen!

0:10:42.910,0:10:45.129
("Shhh" sound)

0:10:53.499,0:10:56.464
Okay, now if you open your eyes[br]for just a moment,

0:10:56.484,0:10:58.490
this is all I was doing.

0:10:58.870,0:11:02.480
So Lucas can learn very simply[br]to use the click of his tongue.

0:11:02.490,0:11:03.740
Click, click, click,

0:11:03.750,0:11:06.639
he's asking the back board[br]of the basket "Where are you?"

0:11:06.659,0:11:11.270
He can detect its edges ... [br]shhh ... and its surface,

0:11:11.290,0:11:14.599
and that's what he's learned[br]to aim for. It's that simple.

0:11:14.609,0:11:17.870
Now how does he know[br]how far he is away?

0:11:18.090,0:11:21.839
So close your eyes again, please,

0:11:21.859,0:11:27.529
and I'll do the same [br]"shhh" sound ... shhh ...

0:11:27.559,0:11:31.969
... but I'm going to move this panel[br]toward me and away from me,

0:11:32.009,0:11:36.725
and you'll hear the change[br]of the sound as I do so.

0:11:37.437,0:11:39.654
("Shhh" sound)

0:11:51.147,0:11:54.040
Okay, so you can open your eyes.

0:11:54.090,0:11:55.425
Same deal!

0:11:55.452,0:12:01.082
Lucas can hear where the backboard[br]is relative to his position

0:12:01.664,0:12:06.759
both by listening for[br]the position left-right wise

0:12:06.779,0:12:08.690
and also by listening to its distance.

0:12:08.710,0:12:14.150
If I'm riding a bicycle and I'm coming up[br]to say a large solid object

0:12:14.180,0:12:16.680
or maybe even not so large[br]of a solid object,

0:12:16.700,0:12:21.270
I hear that "shhh" coming.

0:12:21.560,0:12:24.420
The only difference is[br]that I'm clicking instead of shushing,

0:12:24.440,0:12:27.280
but the the effect[br]is essentially the same.

0:12:28.040,0:12:29.590
Okay.

0:12:30.109,0:12:35.810
Our interest is in making this available[br]for blind people everywhere,

0:12:37.330,0:12:42.100
and also making the point

0:12:42.120,0:12:47.210
that if blind people can find[br]their way through life

0:12:47.250,0:12:50.685
by using a method such as this,

0:12:50.730,0:12:55.100
then any of us can look at our own lives,

0:12:55.130,0:12:59.450
look at the darkness[br]that occurs in all of our lives,

0:12:59.460,0:13:05.340
and ask ourselves what can we do[br]to find our way through that darkness

0:13:05.370,0:13:09.150
because there's always a way.

0:13:09.300,0:13:12.319
And that for me is really[br]the most important lesson

0:13:12.349,0:13:15.110
of why it is that I'm up here.

0:13:15.397,0:13:18.057
And John, if you're moseying[br]up here on stage,

0:13:18.060,0:13:21.370
no cue subtle enough will let me[br]know that you're there, so ...

0:13:21.400,0:13:22.627
(Laughter)

0:13:22.647,0:13:24.490
... don't even bother!

0:13:24.509,0:13:27.499
(Cheers) (Applause)