In the world of creation, few stories inspire as much as [Mrblindguardian], a 33-year-old who has been blind since the age of two, but refuses to let that hold him back. Using OpenSCAD and a 3D printer, [Mrblindguardian] designs and prints models independently, relying on speech software and touch to bring his ideas to life. His story, published on his website Accessible3D.io, is a call to action for makers to embrace accessibility in their designs and tools.
[Mrblindguardian]’s approach to 3D printing with OpenSCAD is fascinating. Without visual cues, he can still code every detail of his designs, like a tactile emergency plan for his workplace. The challenges are there: navigating software as a blind user, mastering 3D printers, and building from scratch. His tip: start small. Taking on a very simple project allows you to get accustomed to the software while avoiding pressure and frustation.
His successes highlight how persistence, community support, and creativity can break barriers. His journey mirrors efforts by others, like 3D printed braille maps or accessible prosthetics, each turning daily limitations into ingenious innovations. [Mrblindguardian] seems to be out to empower others, so bookmark his page for that what’s yet to come.
Accessible tech isn’t just about empowering. Share your thoughts in the comments if you have similar experiences – or good solutions to limitations like these! As [Mrblindguardian] says on his blog: “take the leap. Let’s turn the impossible into the tangible—one layer at a time”.
I am fully blind, and this is how I 3d design and print independantly
byu/Mrblindguardian inprusa3d
Direct link to video:
[https://www.reddit.com/link/1hrr8nu/video/n88yhbdpakae1/player]
This person is my new hero. There website is great. I am so fascinated by how they see and model the world. The dragon STL is pretty great!
I always used to say, bambu 3d printers are so good they are close enough to become tools for blind and disabled people… its just so obvious to me about printing braile signs and also being able to feel the objects and the way the spools are so easy to load… a few attachments and the printer can be 100% tactile… if only the screen had an audio mode where it read all the options outloud or just had a bunch of actual buttons and knows to control things like speed etc… honestly whatever the little raspberry pi type thing inside the a1 and a1 mini and x1 should have a sort of audio mode anyway
I mean my ender 3 i usually can’t see what’s going on due to lighting and the micro steps and the placement in my shop… but I can hear it starting to fk up half way across the house … and my first test is with a finished object is with my fingernails and some twisting and bending with my hands
You can’t see what you can’t see but it may look perfect and split in half when feeling it
Anyone who’s run a lathe or mill knows you can go by the sound it’s making as much as anything, CNC operators learn to lunge for the E-STOP button the moment they hear a new and unexpected sound.
Wonder if we train an AI model to recognise the sound of failure?