Career
Kish and his organization have taught echolocation to at least 500 blind children around the world. Kish, who has been blind since he was 13 months old, is the first totally blind person to be a legally Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) and to hold a National Blindness Professional Certification (NOMC). He also holds masters degrees in developmental psychology and special education.
Kish"s work has inspired a number of scientific studies related to human echolocation.
In a 2009 study at the University of Alcalá in Madrid, ten sighted subjects were taught basic navigation skills within a few days. The study aimed to analyze various sounds which can be used to echo-locate and evaluate which were most effective.
In another study, Medical Research Institute brain scans were taken of Kish and another echolocation expert to identify the parts of the brain involved in echolocation, with readings suggesting "that brain structures that process visual information in sighted people process echo information in blind echolocation experts."
Kish made a cameo appearance in the 2012 Indian Tamil film Thaandavam. He was also featured in the "Watch This" episode in season 1 of National Geographic"s Brain Games.
He was also featured on This American Life Episode #544 which focused on his efforts to educate other blind people into the ways that the sighted world keeps them "safe" at the price of their freedom.
