amen zwa, esq.<p>I published a book, more than a decade ago, on the <a href="https://mathstodon.xyz/tags/Akai" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Akai</span></a> <a href="https://mathstodon.xyz/tags/EWI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>EWI</span></a> 5000 <a href="https://mathstodon.xyz/tags/windcontroller" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>windcontroller</span></a>/#synthesiser, aimed at wind instrument <a href="https://mathstodon.xyz/tags/musicians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>musicians</span></a> who wish to expand their tonal palette. I suppose it was well received—both people who read it told me so.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Playing-EWI5000-Electronic-Instrument-2015-10-16-ebook/dp/B00RJL1GUQ/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=JYyy6&content-id=amzn1.sym.0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&pf_rd_p=0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&pf_rd_r=144-9421065-3357368&pd_rd_wg=4CVSH&pd_rd_r=525b7a7c-4c91-4006-bb92-ef7130c643a5&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">amazon.com/Playing-EWI5000-Ele</span><span class="invisible">ctronic-Instrument-2015-10-16-ebook/dp/B00RJL1GUQ/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=JYyy6&content-id=amzn1.sym.0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&pf_rd_p=0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&pf_rd_r=144-9421065-3357368&pd_rd_wg=4CVSH&pd_rd_r=525b7a7c-4c91-4006-bb92-ef7130c643a5&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk</span></a></p><p>Not long after the publication, a UK-based professional saxophonist, who is totally blind, contacted me. He thanked me for the book, but he explained that the fingering diagrams I presented in the book were inaccessible to him. That revelation struck me like a thunder. I wrote this article for him, as an addendum to my book.</p><p><a href="https://amenzwa.github.io/music/EWI5000VisuallyImpaired/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">amenzwa.github.io/music/EWI500</span><span class="invisible">0VisuallyImpaired/</span></a></p><p>Since the early 1980s, I had worked with CG and GUI, both in academic research and in industrial application domains. Yet, I did not pay enough attention to the plight of those who are perceptually impaired. In due course, I took conscious steps toward remedying that serious shortcoming, in my systems design work.</p><p>Today, we have $0.99 MCUs, and even cheaper sensors, that offer adequate performance for augmentative technologies for those with perceptual impairments. A cheap <a href="https://mathstodon.xyz/tags/FitBit" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>FitBit</span></a> can indeed be used for just such a purpose, in addition to monitoring the wearer's steps. <a href="https://mathstodon.xyz/tags/AI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AI</span></a> could make this entire segment of technology much, much more capable.</p><p>So, why do all these assistive technologies cost more than one's first-born?</p><p>I must say I am ashamed for my own part, or rather, the part I should have been taken in service of society, but did not.</p>