Welcome to Sentivia

Okay, so let me tell you a bit about myself. I'm the guy you just heard clicking around up here, Daniel Kish. My journey started a bit differently than most. I was born with bilateral retinoblastoma, which is retinal cancer. I ended up losing my right eye when I was just seven months old, and then my left at thirteen months. I guess you could say I've been navigating the world without sight since very early in life. The funny thing is, I didn't let it stop me. I remember waking up after that last surgery and immediately climbing out of my crib, apparently on a mission to find whoever was responsible for the changes. (A light chuckle). I guess I wasn't too fazed by not having eyes even then. Getting caught was the real issue!

But really, my experience has taught me that the biggest challenge for blind people isn't the blindness itself; it’s the negative perceptions surrounding it. When people hear about blindness, they often imagine a world of fear, ignorance, and helplessness. The "dark unknown," as some might poetically call it. It's that fear, that terror of blindness that’s usually the issue, not blindness itself. But thankfully, my parents weren't romantics. They were pragmatic and they understood that ignorance and fear are just states of mind, and the mind is incredibly adaptable. They decided I would grow up with the same freedoms and responsibilities as anyone else – they were determined that I would move out, pay taxes, all the usual things, and they understood that there was a big difference between love and fear. And love doesn't hold you back, it gives you the freedom to explore the world. That's what they did for me; put my freedom first.

So, how do I manage the world today? Well, I see it as one big nursery, but I have my trusty cane, which is longer than the ones most blind folks use. I like to call it my "freedom staff." It keeps me from walking off the edge of the stage, you know, because they told us all the mishaps that have happened here. I’d like to think my method is a little different, and more careful than that. Beyond the cane, I use what I call "flash sonar." I'm the one making the clicking sounds you heard when I came onstage. (Clicking). I’m creating these little sound flashes by clicking my tongue, and they bounce off of everything around me and come back to me in patterns that my brain translates into an image of sorts. It’s like echolocation, like bats use, but I'm using my tongue instead. My brain, thanks to my parents’ beliefs, was encouraged to develop an imaging system in the visual cortex. It's how I navigate through my world, the dark unknowns of my life, which led to me being called "the remarkable Batman." And while I love Batman, and bats in general, I never thought of myself as being all that remarkable. I see myself as just another person navigating challenges in their own way. Isn't that what we all do?

Look around the room; everyone faces some sort of challenge. Who hasn't had to find their way through some sort of "dark unknown"? It's part of being human. The important thing is that you have a brain that is able to work with you and help you through it. Take this lectern, for example. I had no idea where it was when I came up here. And the TED folks weren't about to tell me. (A chuckle). So I had to find it with my flash sonar. And then the P.A. system made things a little more interesting, but I navigated through all that using my brain, just as you would.

I think this brings us to the idea that we all use our brains and our senses to navigate our challenges. We're all adaptable. I've even managed to teach some of you about flash sonar, by having you close your eyes and listen to the difference of the sound when the panel was moving in front of me. You heard it, and that tells you that your own brains are capable of making new connections.

And it is this process of “activating” this ability to adapt and overcome that I find so important. I've been working with my team to teach flash sonar all around the world – tens of thousands of people, both blind and sighted. It’s not just about blind people seeing. It's about empowering everyone to navigate their challenges with more confidence and less fear, because it highlights how much capacity we have within ourselves. The people in the video we just watched? Those folks aren’t terrified, are they? They're thriving because they've learned to use their minds to navigate their challenges. We all have that potential to do that.

I've always believed that we all have what it takes. If people find what I do remarkable, it is only because the way I use my brain is different from what is expected. I see my experience as a testament to the fact that all of us can find our way, no matter what obstacles we face. It is why I advocate for this process of activation - unlocking our full potential through our brains.