Spin Class Friendly for Blind People

Those who have taken part in a spin glass at the local gym know that the bikes have heads-up displays providing the rider with valuable information. However, what if the participant is living with vision loss. Rider Jasmin Sethi, who is blind, is working with Revel Ride instructor-to-be Richard Brandon to create and communicate a method to relay valuable speed, resistance, and ride positions data in real-time.

Jasmin Sethi has retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disease that resulted in progressive vision loss from infancy. Along with Richard Brandon, the team created a touch signaling system to represent ride metrics that appear on the studio's computerized bike consoles.

Brandon says, "I didn't have a plan at first and I don't have any kind of certification or training for doing something like this. But Jasmin and I worked together to create a few basic signals that would help guide her through her ride. We came up with this organically, beginning with a basic premise: Jasmin wanted to get better at spinning, but she couldn't see the console. We built from there."

San Diego Center for the Blind can help you or a loved one with vision loss or blindness. Please contact us to learn more.

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