Echolocation is a fascinating technique that can be used by anyone, but can be particularly beneficial in helping people with sight loss navigate and understand their surroundings using sound.
A pioneer of the method, Daniel Kish is a well-known American motivational speaker who lost his sight at just 13 months old. Using echolocation, he not only learned to move around safely in unfamiliar places but even taught himself to ride a bike.
Echolocation works by observing and interpreting the echoes of sounds made by the individual, a skill often associated with bats and marine mammals. With training, people can detect objects around them and even judge distances too.
Daniel Kish, hailed as a 'real-life Batman', teaches a specific tongue-clicking technique. Some of the Sight Scotland team had the opportunity to learn and practice this method during a two-day training session at Durham University, where they conduct research into human echolocation and studies of brain plasticity.
Mastering the tongue-clicking, however, takes time and can feel strange at first. Diane Lucas, a Rehabilitation & Mobility Worker, encourages her clients to explore echolocation in different ways.
Most people feel too self-conscious to make the clicking sound, so I might suggest using the sound of their cane instead. It helps them tune into how sound can aid navigation.
Joe, an Edinburgh resident with no sight, relies on echolocation daily. While he often listens to the sound of his cane, he also uses everyday noises to build a mental map of his surroundings. Joe can tell if he's under a bus shelter or near a building just by the way voices echo or how sound behaves around him. He discovered this ability himself by observing the echoes or sound shadows around him.
Navigating independently without sight is an incredible challenge. A long cane user must focus on cane technique, interpret the feedback from the cane tip, listen carefully to environmental sounds, and remember key route details. Adding echolocation to this skillset provides yet another powerful tool, making the achievement of independent travel even more remarkable.
Rehabilitation Services
At Sight Scotland, we support people to learn or re-gain essential living skills following a diagnosis of sight loss. We are here to help you keep doing the everyday things that are important to you, develop essential skills to live safely at home, and to navigate the world with confidence.
Visit our Rehabilitation Services page here to find out more about how our team can help support and empower you to regain or maintain your independence. If you're outside of Edinburgh and the Lothians, visit our Support Line page to get in touch and find out more about the ways we can help you.
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