No Sheep

Comic book guy, tech geek, and father of two...

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11 Responses to “Real Life Daredevil – Ben Underwood”

1. Linda Thomas says:

   August 2, 2006 at 2:06 pm

   I am doing research on how blind people can sense colors. How could I reach Ben Underwood to ask him or his mother about his experience with sensing the difference between colors. There have been studies done on this is the 1960’s and with Helen Keller, but his feedback would be current and I am sure, very different and more interesting than I have read so far.

   Thank you – Linda Thomas AICI CIP, Corporate Image Advisor
2. Richard Parker says:

   September 26, 2006 at 8:15 pm

   I would like to suggest that Ben record his clicks on a loop, so they could be played continuously. Then give him volume control and speed control so he could maximize the echolocation effect.
   Then using these settings on another machine see if other blind children could use them to develop an awareness of their surroundings.

   If someone were to do this I would be interested in the results.
3. Matt Murphy says:

   October 1, 2006 at 10:14 pm

   I saw Ben in action this last weekend at camp with my son. He was using the archery range and hitting the target every time, I saw him jump down a partial flight of stairs,land on the second to last step without the slightest wobble or slip. He was truely AMAZING to watch first hand, in action! Great kid.
4. myeisha says:

   November 1, 2006 at 2:05 pm

   ben is a great kid i know him.
5. zbtirrell says:

   November 1, 2006 at 5:49 pm

   I wish there was some video of him in action. I think he is a great inspiration.
6. Yolanda says:

   November 16, 2006 at 1:43 pm

   f course everyone thinks this is amazing, when in reality it’s just flat out weird and ridiculous.
   First, we blind people are humans, not dolphins or bats who use echo location by clicking their tongues and shrieking.
   Second, long white canes were invented to identify objects for us by either coming in contact with objects ahead of us in our direct path and by using the tapping noise created by the cane to create echo-location as another form of getting feedback from our environment. I know that I get stares when using my cane but I don’t think I would get any fewer stares if I was walking around clicking my tongue. People would think I was a freak or high, so clicking my tongue instead of using a cane or guide dog would not get me any fewer stares because it is not socially acceptable. I think my friends would be embarrassed of me if I did that.
   Third, this clicking is not efficient because it only works with objects that are stationary and in relatively close proximity. This kid could be walking down a sidewalk but if there is one small thin pole in the path there is no way he would be able to locate this object from 5 feet away because it is not a big object and I would be able to locate it with my cane at about 5 ft because it is long. Clicking is also not efficient because not all objects are stationary in this world, many people walk on sidewalks and in malls. And how do you expect to carry on a conversation with a friend that you are shopping or going out with if you are constantly having to click your tongue. Talk about exhausting!
   Fourth, this is not a practical method of traveling because this kid is not able to walk very quickly if he is always waiting to get feedback, and what about lower object like curbs and broken up sidewalks and holes, clicking is not going to help him detect those because those are differences on the ground. But of course no one ever thinks to ask him that in these interviews. It’s totally unsafe to not have a cane because one day this kid is going to step off a high curb, in a hole or construction and seriously hurt himself and have no one to blame but himself! My blind friends and I could totally out walk/run him and leave him behind.
   Finally, there is no possible way that is kid is going to be able to cross a street by clicking his damn tongue because intersections are full of noise with buses, big rigs, motorcycles, and vehicles with diesel engines. And if he was to get hit by a car it would be his fault because drivers would think he is sighted because he didn’t have a cane or guide dog as a symbol to identify that he is blind. And of course they don’t show him these scenarios when he’s on talk shows like Oprah and Ellen. How does this kid think he’s going to get around on a college campus someday or get a job if he continues these inefficient and socially unacceptable methods of travel!
   I’m embarrassed that he is making the blind community look stupid and weird. And what I fear is that the next time a person sees me using my cane after they have seen this kid on Oprah, is that they will think to themselves “Poor girl, she has to use a cane because she doesn’t know how to click her tongue and get around without it.” I hate how this kid is reinforcing negative stereotypes and stigmas that blind people have to count their steps or click their tongues to travel independently. And that fact that he is getting all of this publicity on TV shows like Ellen and Oprah, and in People magazine, where millions of people watch and read these forms of media everyday, after organizations like the National Federation of the Blind have tried to educate the public that blind people should be treated normal in society. We have worked so hard to make society realize that using a long white cane and guide dog is respectable, and I don’t know if this kid is embarrassed to use either of these tools but being treated like a celebrity just because he thinks he’s invented this new method of traveling is derailing all of the education that has occurred. And to make it worse is that they are creating a documentary on this guy and it is going to air on the TLC network next year. He is not amazing…curing AIDS is amazing! And just as a side note, two friends of mine have met him and he acts really cocky and like he is better then them for not using a cane. And when he was suppose to go to this summer camp for blind students to learn how to use a cane, cook, clean, technology and other stuff, he didn’t show up. And my friend was a counselor at that camp. I don’t feel like I am being to harsh nor do I feel bad for dissing this kid because I am one hacked off blind person who is confident, educated, independent, and competent and have worked to hard to get training in blindness skills and change the publics misconceptions of blind people by educating them. And I would have no problem telling him any of this to his face if I ever got the chance.
7. Stephanie says:

   November 17, 2006 at 7:05 pm

   I totally agree with Yolanda. Echolocation was NOT invented, or discovered, or developed, by Ben Underwood. It’s been used as a nonvisual technique to get around with for years, but only in addition to having a cane and other techniques to pair it with. By itself, it is not as effective as this boy is making it look. He will never be able to detect stairs coming up by clicking his tongue. He will never be viewed as a “regular kid”. And he will most certainly NEVER be independent if this is his only method for getting around. It’s a shame that he’s digging his grave in the public eye, because it’s going to make it that much harder for him when he finally has to come to terms with the fact that his “special ability” is nothing more than an ineffective lifestyle rooted in sheer idiocy.
8. Tovenaar says:

   December 20, 2006 at 6:25 am

   I think we have some jealous people here… Give me a hug. You’re also cool, don’t worry!
9. zbtirrell says:

   December 20, 2006 at 10:39 am

   Is he actually claiming he invented echo location?
10. dan says:

    February 19, 2007 at 8:53 pm

    I think what they’re saying is two things: echolocation alone is impractical as a navigation aid for blind people, and comparing it to echolocation used by animals is nonsense. Animals who use echolocation are born with the ability and the physical traits necessary for it because they need it. A human being can only do a poor imitation of echolocation. A blind person relying on it as his or her sole means of navigation seems a bit foolish to me, too.
11. maithili says:

    March 13, 2007 at 5:35 am

    Human being’s potential is not a joke. It is encouraging to see this boy doing everything that he can to create newness in his life. He is using what nature has taught him. Nothing is new to this nature. WE are just discovering all the time. Echolocation is part of our surroundings and human being has shown in past that he can master any skill. It is this boy’s own journey and his own way of doing things. There is no one wayof doing things.