About Me
My name is Ahmet Ustunel AKA the Blind Captain. I am the first blind person who kayaked solo from Asia to Europe by using specially designed technologies. I am totally blind since the age of three. I am an ocean lover, kayaker, outdoor enthusiast, avid user of assistive technology, accessibility advocate and teacher of the visually impaired.As far as I can remember, I loved water. Growing up in Istanbul I was a very independent and active kid. I loved finding ways to make activities accessible for myself. For example, I used to swim alone by using my radio as an audio beacon. I used to put it on the shore or on the boat, blasting loud music and swim out until I could barely hear the music and then swim back by following the sound. It works great until someone thinks you are wasting your batteries and decide to help you by turning it off, leaving you in the water with no clue about how far you are from the shore, which direction you should swim, and where you left your clothes and cane. Help is a complicated thing!
I still do many different water activities and I still love making things accessible for myself and for others. I started kayaking about 11 years ago and quickly it became my passion. Inspired by self-driving cars I started dreaming of a kayak that I can paddle solo and crossing the Bosporus Straight from Asia to Europe. Thanks to the Holman Prize from the Lighthouse for the Blind my dream came through on July 21st and I paddled my kayak solo from Asia to Europe by using specially designed technologies.
Teaching, sharing what I learned with other blind people is my lifelong passion, I have been working as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired for about 14 years. As a blind person to educate the public about blindness and as an educator to inspire my Blind students, I am trying to foster the qualities like immense courage and passion, persistence, a curious and adventurous spirit, strength of purpose, and belief in one's self. When my students found out, I was training for my solo journey from Asia to Europe they immediately wanted to learn more. “Wow, this is so cool!” one of my students said, and another chimed in, “You should do it no matter what.” These unexpectedly enthusiastic reactions from my ninth graders motivated me to succeed more than anything else. Now, I would love to share my passion of water with other blind people in San Francisco, Istanbul and hopefully in other parts of the World.
As a Blind teacher of Blind students, I tell my students that being blind should never prevent them from achieving their goals, although they might need to deal with prejudices, discrimination, and an inaccessible physical and educational environment. I let them know that limits and barriers they encounter are not results of blindness itself; they are just products of prejudice and discrimination in society. Even worse, sometimes they are our own mind's products. I want my students to understand blindness as a characteristic of a person rather than a limitation. I hope that my journey will inspire others to follow their dreams with courage and passion.
My Photo Gallery
Quick Links
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- Paddling From Europe To Asia
- Fishing tips for the Blind
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How Can You Support?
I will be training from August 2017 to July 2018 for my Project "Paddling From Europe To Asia." I am looking for people who canpaddle with me around San Francisco and Istanbul
teach me currents of the Bosphorous
help me with electronics, mechanics, and software/app development such as installation of Obstacle Detection and collision Avoidance Systems (ultrasonic and laser sensors), building arduino and Raspberry Pi devices, ETC
take photos and videos during my trainings and crossing the Bosphorous
help me with video editing and creating a short documentary about my project "Paddling From Europe To Asia"
Be one of my sponsors
Please contact me at ahmet@theblindcaptain.com if you are interested in volunteering or sponsoring.
Tech devices I'll use on the kayak
- Mr. Beep the Course Keeper
- Audio Compass
- Ariadne GPS
- Depth Whisperer
- Loc8tor
- Trekker
- Other apps and devices
Fishing with me!
Fishing is one of my favorite activity. I do pier fishing around San Francisco Bay. During my training for "Paddling From Europe To Asia" I am hoping to get into kayak fishing as well.I want my website, www.theblindcaptain.com to be a platform where blind and sighted fisherman can connect and go fishing together.
If you are a blind fisherman looking for a sighted fishing buddy or if you are a sighted fishing enthusiast who wants to volunteer please contact me at ahmet@theblindcaptain.com.