Bitcoin wallet solutions come in many different shapes and sizes. Most of us take these concepts for granted, but that isn’t the case for everyone. Visually impaired users need access to secure Bitcoin wallet solutions just like anyone else. This is why the Bitcoin Whitepaper in Braille project is so important. Together with the American Printing House for the Blind, they have come up with a new Bitcoin storage solution. IcyWallet is a unique project, to say the very least.
IcyWallet is not your average Bitcoin storage solution by any means. While it looks like a Raspberry Pi in a fancy case, there’s more to it than meets the eye. In fact, it is a cryptocurrency hardware wallet for the visually impaired. On its surface, we find text written in braille to let users recognize the object. It is evident most of us take literacy for granted in 2017. Unsurprisingly, a growing portion of the population can’t read or write properly. There are a lot more visually impaired Bitcoin enthusiasts than one would think.
IcyWallet is a Magnificent Project
This begs the question why no one thought of such a concept before. Although it may be a niche market, the project received enough donations to create at least 50 copies. This means we will soon see IcyWallet devices pop up in the real world. Open source software for different cryptocurrency wallets is currently in the works and should be released soon. The IcyWallet itself is expected to become available in 2018. No exact date was provided at this time since this is a hobby project first and foremost.
It remains to be seen how many units will be produced in the end. The creator of this project has no intention of becoming a hardware wallet manufacturer. Instead, he wants to provide secure Bitcoin wallet solutions to people of all strides of life. A noble gesture, as there is certainly a demand for these types of services. Accessibility is a big problem, especially for the visually impaired. None of the existing solutions work well with screen readers or other tools.
Unfortunately, this is just one of the many issues holding Bitcoin back right now. There are a lot of users with disabilities who cannot partake in this ecosystem without some help from developers. The volatile nature of this cryptocurrency won’t help people suffering from mental health issues either. It is evident there is still a lot of work to be done before this can become a global phenomenon. Right now, Bitcoin is a niche market and that will not change anytime soon. IcyWallet is only the first of many initiatives we need to expand the community in a meaningful manner.
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