ALEX ZHANG
FOR THE BLIND
My work with the blind and visually impaired community centers on a single question: How can technology, when designed ethically and inclusively, restore agency rather than reinforce dependency?
Across education, healthcare, and culture, I have explored how AI, multisensory design, and human-centered systems can close access gaps for blind individuals—transforming exclusion into participation, and assistance into independence.
Education Access & Learning Equity
Chinese Online School for the Blind (COSB)
I co-founded COSB, a five-member initiative and China’s first AI-powered online school for the blind, designed to advance educational equity through immersive audio and multisensory learning. Inspired by platforms like Khan Academy, COSB enables more than 500 visually impaired students to learn independently rather than relying solely on scarce one-on-one tutoring.
Through interviews with 20 visually impaired students, I identified that traditional tutoring models were slow, inaccessible, and geographically limited. In response, we built an AI-driven platform featuring structured audio lessons, tactile-compatible design, and accessible navigation—co-creating the website with a blind programmer to ensure authenticity.
Research & Ethical Technology
Bridging the Vision Gap — Research on Ethical AI & Child Vision
This research explores how AI-powered smartphone diagnostics can enable early detection of childhood visual impairment, particularly amblyopia, which causes irreversible vision loss if untreated. By evaluating existing AI solutions, the study proposes low-cost, deep-learning-based mobile screening tools that overcome barriers of cost, geography, and clinical access. It further addresses ethical governance in large-scale deployment, applying Ben Shneiderman’s framework to ensure accountability, equity, and responsible innovation in pediatric eye care.
Technology That Respects — Social Justice & Healthcare Bias
This paper focuses on bias and inequity in healthcare technology, examining how poorly designed systems can marginalize vulnerable populations rather than support them. The work was recognized with a Top 1% Social Justice Award, reinforcing my commitment to technology that prioritizes dignity, consent, and fairness.
Assistive Technology & Applied Engineering
Blind-Accessible Math Calculator Initiative
Received High Distinction (Top 10%) at the International Exhibition for Young Inventors.
I led a four-member student team to design a low-cost, blind-accessible math calculator for four years, addressing challenges such as reviewing calculation steps, tracking errors, and receiving feedback.
Using AI, sensors, and 3D printing, we built a Braille-compatible calculator alongside a Python-based teacher app. Piloted in five schools, the system supported 240+ blind students, improving calculation accuracy by 50% and speed by 30%.
Smart Cane & Hospital Navigation App
Investigating barriers faced by blind patients in hospitals, I mapped existing access modes—including telemedicine, self-service kiosks, and escorted navigation—revealing systemic inequities.
I designed a voice-first navigation app/mini-program integrating GPS, OCR, UWB/BLE, and hospital systems, paired with a smart cane featuring infrared sensing and haptic feedback. Together, the system enables blind patients to navigate hospitals independently, reducing reliance on assistance and promoting dignity in healthcare access.
Culture, Empathy & Storytelling
Film Narration for the Blind — Cultural Service @ Hongdandan
Through volunteer work with Hongdandan, I served as a film narrator for visually impaired audiences, translating visual imagery into vivid language. I delivered six live and recorded narrations to 90+ participants, helping listeners construct “mental vision” through sound and storytelling.
This experience taught me that accessibility is not only technical—it is emotional. By transforming visuals into language, narration becomes a bridge to shared cultural experience, fostering connection, imagination, and inclusion.
Olympic Sport Optimization — International Math Modeling
As Program Lead, I co-authored a 26-page paper addressing the lack of objective criteria for adding or removing Olympic sports. Using AHP, EWM, and TOPSIS, I built a multi-criteria ranking system across seven dimensions, then applied grey forecasting and logistic regression to predict candidates for the 2032 and 2036 Olympics, including Radio Direction Finding, Parkour, and Frisbee.