Blind women trained for early breast cancer detection

discovering hands trains blind women for clinical breast cancer examinations, and their tactile awareness is enhancing detection rates.

Breast cancer treatment is more effective with early detection, but this can often be missed by time-poor doctors. In Germany, discovering hands is harboring the high tactile sensitivity of visually impaired women to aid in breast cancer detection.

Through discovering hands, visually impaired women receive standardized Clinical Breast Examiner training to develop detection and communication skills necessary for the intimate screening. Pilot studies indicate that discovering hands employees perform better than trained doctors at detecting small, early-stage tumors. Peer-reviewed trials are also underway. Currently only operating in Germany, where public and private healthcare schemes have made the project free for over 5 million women, the initiative has received several mobilizer funding awards for their global expansion.

As well as providing early tumor detection, discovery hands aims to change the perception of visually impaired people, demonstrating the ability of their tactile skills in niche industries. What other touch-based specialist skills could use a helping hand from people with blindness?