TED Talk – Daniel Kish

Introduction Questions

What do you call a person who can't see?

What would it be like to be blind?

How do you feel when you see a blind person in the street?

Are there any advantages to be being blind?

Think of some things that blind people can and can't do.

How do blind people navigate the world?

What do you think would be the most difficult thing for a blind person to do?

Show the video.

Discussion Questions

What was your initial reaction to the video?

What did you think when you first saw Daniel?

What did he say about the way in which people treat and react to blind people in
society?

What's his message?

Describe how he navigates the world.

What does he call this system?

Do you think you could use flash sonar?

Do you think you have good eyesight/a good sense of smell etc.?
  sight/vision
 smell
 taste
 touch
 hearing

With a partner try to put your senses in order of importance. (This should spark off a
lively debate)

Try and come up with a definitive order as a class. 

If you had to lose one of your senses, which would you choose and why?

Debate

Divide the class into 5 groups and write the 5 senses on small pieces of paper. Each
group picks a piece of paper, they then have to explain why the sense they have
picked is the most important. Give them a few minutes to think of some arguments
and every day situations to back them up.

Follow up activity

Students write a CAE/CPE report/proposal detailing ways in which a school or public

space could be adapted for blind people. Alternatively, you could set an essay based
on the TED talk evaluating Daniel Kish's upbringing compared to more conventional
parenting styles for blind/disabled children.