Driverless cars could one day empower blind New Jerseyans

By: Devon Williams and Lucy Harper

Outlets: NJ State House News Service

Published: July 10, 2026

Words: 1,153

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 3 days ago

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Linda Melendez paints a vibrant picture of autonomous vehicles, a future that is not cold and robotic but instead liberating and empowering for the 65-year-old, who is blind.

The Keyport woman has a hereditary condition that led to loss of eyesight in her late 30s. She and her two sisters were born with sight only in one eye, and doctors warned the seeing eye would also one day go dark.

Melendez says …

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