A piece of software that translates market information from a real-time feed into audio form has found its number-one fan in a rather unexpected quarter. For Frank Freeman, a desk manager at commodities and futures brokerage Sucden, the MarketSound system has literally transformed his working life: Freeman has been blind since birth.

Throughout a 30-year trading career he has had to 'rely on my team to be my eyes'. The only way he could keep up with market movements was by constantly asking his colleagues to tell him prices. But a chance meeting on a train three months ago led to his discovery of the audio software. Hearing a MarketSound executive talking about it, Freeman invited him to demonstrate the system at his office the next day, and was instantly sold on it.