Karolina Pakėnaitė embarked on a journey to the Mount Everest base camp three years ago, where she encountered a group of climbers with the ambitious goal of being the first deaf individuals to reach the summit. Pakėnaitė, who is deafblind due to Usher syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes both hearing and vision impairment, noted the absence of any deafblind individuals who had conquered the mountain.
This realization sparked a profound question in her mind – “What if?” – a question that has since driven her relentless pursuit of summiting Everest, a feat she never previously envisioned for herself. Hailing from the United Kingdom, Pakėnaitė is currently in training to become the pioneering deafblind person to conquer Mount Everest, with the assistance of Leon Lu, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga.
Lu is collaborating on the development of a haptic vest designed to aid Pakėnaitė in navigating the mountain by allowing guides to transmit vibration signals remotely to guide her movements. Despite her limited vision and reliance on hearing aids and lip-reading, verbal directions from guides, especially when wearing protective masks, present significant challenges.
The haptic vest will enable Pakėnaitė and her guides to establish coded vibrations for various commands, such as stopping or changing direction. The multidisciplinary team supporting Pakėnaitė includes Lu, a haptic lab in Germany, a professor in Shanghai, and a local fashion designer from Hamilton, as detailed on the University of Toronto’s website.
Lu expressed his enthusiasm for the project, emphasizing his inspiration to contribute to Pakėnaitė’s extraordinary journey after meeting her at an accessibility conference. Pakėnaitė, who has previously conquered mountains like Mera Peak in the Himalayas, described mountaineering as a source of comfort and freedom, expressing her hope that her expedition will bring solace to others facing similar challenges.