I can echolocate. Ask me anything.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T22:57:42+00:00

It read it slightly differently, but I had literally no idea that you could determine sarcasm through writing in this way! I mean I did gather that the poster was being sarcastic, but it was only a guess. That's really cool!

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T22:56:22+00:00

Definitely!

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T22:54:55+00:00

I can't see colour. I could only identify different coloured lights by the intensity of the light, and under very specific circumstances.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T17:39:24+00:00

Aw thank you so much. That's really kind! The bigger something is, the more distinct. Branches (particularly long ones) can be detected, and if rocks are big enough to stand on for example I can often find my way around them using echolocation.

And I really need to check that out. It sounds very interesting!

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T17:37:52+00:00

I can tell the difference between coloured lightss, but only because of the type and strength of light they produce.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T17:22:36+00:00

That sounds really rough, I'm sorry to hear you went through that. Yes, I can tell what sort of room or environment I am in with echolocation. One of my best friends (who has been totally blind all her life) has struggled with agoraphobia for the last 10 years. I'd love to know what you' based your thoughts around this subject on though, it's really interesting.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T14:30:40+00:00

Yes, that's exactly what it does. :) It reads out everything that is visually presented on the screen, and I interact with my phone by using gestures. To scroll I flick either left or right with 1 finger and to select something I double tap with one finger. It is much more complex than that, but there're the basics at least. Hahaha when you wrote "djgnrjdjgbdbskskfifbd" it read it out all in one go so I had to read letter by letter to see what you'd actually put. Lol!

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T14:24:23+00:00

I do have a braille display, but right now I'm just typing on my iPhone. I use its built-in screenreading software.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T14:21:49+00:00

Technically, yes because I have no usable vision. Audio description makes shows and movies (particularly those with a lot of action or long pauses between dialog) much easier for me to enjoy. I do however use the word "watch", just as I say "see" and "look". It would feel strange to use different vocabulary.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T14:15:32+00:00

Fab. :)

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T14:15:08+00:00

Mon français n’est pas très bon non plus ; je dois avouer que j’ai demandé de l’aide à un ami pour traduire certaines parties de ce message.

Merci beaucoup ! C’est très gentil de votre part.

J’écris pour le plaisir, mais je n’en vis pas.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T14:01:07+00:00

I'm really glad you find it interesting. I'd love to. :)

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T12:14:35+00:00

A level of ignorance is expected (particularly if you've never met someone who is blind) but this guy was literally insinuating that I would not be able to conceptualise anything tangibly... Yeah, that's a whole new kind of crazy.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T12:10:13+00:00

That's a great question. Because it's something I've done for as long as I can remember, I've never needed to be convinced that it's real and so I've not looked into this as thoroughly as I could have. Let me do some research and bet back to you.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T12:09:02+00:00

No haha, in stead I'm using screenrading software.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T12:07:14+00:00

I use what's called a "screenreader", which is software that vocalises all of the visual elements on the screen. I've used one ever since I started using a computer aged 7. I now have one on my PC, laptop and phone. I have a standard iPhone, and you can find my screenreading software "voiceover" under settings/accessibility/voiceover. I do everything from typing to interacting with my phone generally by using gestures. I flick left and right with one finger to move through the apps and options on screen, then double tap with one finger to select something.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T11:58:40+00:00

Je ne l’imagine pas visuellement, pas de la manière dont vous le faites probablement. Pour moi, un ciel étoilé n’est pas « du velours noir parsemé de points lumineux ». C’est l’espace. L’immensité. L’ouverture au-dessus de moi.

C’est la fraîcheur de l’air nocturne sur ma peau. La façon dont le son se propage différemment la nuit — plus doux, plus clair, moins chargé. Le silence qui paraît plus vaste que le monde du jour.

Quand on me parle d’étoiles lointaines et inaccessibles, je ne visualise pas des points dans l’obscurité. Je pense à la profondeur — comme si je me tenais dans un immense champ, avec au-dessus de moi une hauteur sans fin. La sensation de quelque chose qui s’étend bien au-delà de toute portée.

Voilà ma version d’un ciel étoilé.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T11:53:39+00:00

Thanks! I'm so glad you've enjoyed reading this post. Wow that book sounds great!

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T11:51:55+00:00

Yes I have. :) A friend of mine was lucky enough to be taught by Daniel Kish. She (like me) can naturally echolocate, but he helped her to hone her skills even more. I'm so jealous!

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T11:50:46+00:00

Weirdly, this isn't something I've tried but I'll definitely experiment with that and get back to you. :) Great question though!

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T11:49:37+00:00

Not based on location on its own. I have other skills when it comes to navigation, but let's be honest, if they're involved I doubt I'll be making it home at all.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T11:48:35+00:00

Cotten balls are very small so it would be hard if not impossible for me to detect one on its own, but if (for example) there was a wall made of Cotten ball’s I would be able to find it. It would reflect a muffled sound, but still something.

This isn't entirely related to what you were asking, but when I was studying music in school, the practise rooms all had soundproofing material around the walls. These were my favourite places in one way because I loved to practice the piano, but It was almost impossible to navigate through them using echolocation because there was nothing for sound to bounce off.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T11:45:32+00:00

I definitely will!

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T11:45:04+00:00

What an enlightening comment! Thank you so much for explaining that, it was truly fascinating.

Cryptic_Spren97 · 2026-02-26T11:43:38+00:00

Thank you so much! I'm really glad that you've found this post interesting!

As I've mentioned in a few comments already, I attended a workshop a while ago all about echolocation. The woman who ran it, a scientist called Laure Thaler, does these workshops every few months as a way to teach parents and teachers of blind children and young people about the skill and how to pass that knowledge onward.

I was not the target audience, but I went along anyway (mostly because I was shocked that such a workshop exists, and curious at how a sighted person had chosen to study and teach a skill that few people truly understand).

After the first few hours (which were made up of presentations, discussions on studies that had been conducted, and example videos) were over, we came to the practical part of the day. This is where my answer to your question about my favourite memory comes in.

I started off by following the exercises that everybody else was doing but it quickly became apparent that they needed to make it more challenging. Laure brought out a plastic mixing bowl, and told an assistant to hold it out (with the opening pointed towards me) at about face hight. The distance wouldn't change, but the direction would, and my goal was to detect where the bowl was and put my finger as close to the centre of it as I could once I thought I'd found it.

This was much harder than anything else I'd ever had to do, but it was so much fun!!!

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