Blind boy learns to 'see' with his tongue

A boy whose eyes were gouged out in an attack has been fitted with an electrical device that enables him to visualize images and walk unaided, chinanews.com reported on Friday.

The boy and his parents returned last week for a follow-up exam and adjustments to C-MER (Shenzhen) Dennis Lam Eye Hospital, where the boy had received ocular prosthesis implant surgery.

Lam Shun-Chiu, an eye specialist from Hong Kong, who works with the hospital, said the boy was recovering well, and no signs of rejection of the prosthesis was found.

The boy received training in the use of the electronic device in Beijing in July. It allows him to "see" the world with the help of his tongue by converting images from a camera into electrical impulses. The wearer can feel the impulses on his tongue and gradually learns what they mean.

The boy was accepted by a school for the blind in Wuhan, Hubei province. He will begin to study there in September, the report said.

The boy's eyes were gouged out by his aunt in Shanxi province in August 2013, spurring nationwide outrage.