People: Jun. 29, 1998

• Share

(2 of 2)

Ever wanted to know if STEVIE WONDER goes to the movies? He does. "You catch nearly all of it if you pay close attention," says Wonder, who has founded, along with SAP, a German software company, the SAP/Stevie Wonder Vision Awards. The awards recognize products and research that assimilate blind people into the workplace, because while visually impaired people can follow a movie, a big percentage of them can't find a job. "I don't get too surprised by anything," says Wonder of the inventions, "but we did see some good things." One of the products is a mouse pad that helps people feel what is going on on the screen. Wonder is amazed by how few manufacturers think of the visually impaired when making appliances. "It's weird. It's so simple to add voice capability," he says. "And it means complete independence for a blind person." In between his good works, Wonder is still song writing. He hopes to record an album next year.