Racing Auditory Display helps blind people play racing games as well as the sighted

Computer scientist Brian A. Smith has developed a user interface that will enable blind players to enjoy racing games. Developers will have access to the racing auditory display (RAD) as a plug-in later this year, and it will be open-source and available on GitHub.

The RAD uses audio cues that gives visually impaired players information about the race track. It does this through a sound slider that tells players about the car’s speed and a turn notification system that notes when a bend in the track is coming up. It doesn’t simply tell players to turn, though; it gives them the information and then the plan of action is up to them.