IBM's internship program Extreme Blue turned out a proof-of-concept for helping the blind find their way through virtual worlds. Further development will continue through IBM's Human Ability and Accessibility Centre in Texas.
Objects are described, and auditory cues like the sound of leaves coming from trees give the user a sense of the space around them to gauge distance. Chat is read out through the speakers as well, keeping them in the conversation. The proof-of-concept was built in Activeworlds, and will help in future development of accessibility standards for virtual worlds. A researcher for the project, Colm O'Brien, summarized the motivating factor: "IBM believes that virtual worlds are going to be the next big evolution of the web and if this happens...it's not right for blind people to be missing out on what the rest of us have available."
Bearing in mind that I'm officially registered as blind, and my eyesight isnt getting any better with age, im all for this! :)