Heritage for The Blind News Archive

The story of a visually impaired teacher

2008-09-24T07:56:00.000-07:00

The story of a visually impaired teacher

My former student from HKU, Billy, is visually impaired.

Even before I got to know him in class, I had read stories about him in the newspaper.

He was then studying BEd in English Language Education at HKU and aspired to teach English in a mainstream school.

What's your response? Difficult? Impossible? Guess what? Billy graduated this year and has found a part-time teaching post in a mainstream school.

Isn't it a dream come true?But can you imagine the various hurdles Billy has to face?In his last email to me, he wrote:

These are some practical things I would like to solve. In fact, emotionally I sometimes feel bad having the feeling that I am an inferior teacher who is unimportant at the school (Iʼm taking 12 lessons from the 25 periods my co-op teacher has per week).

I know it takes time for the school to be confident in me but I just canʼt help feeling bad sometimes. Anyway, I will always work and solve practical problems and I believe one day my peers and the school can see my passion and ability. A week later, I got an uplifting email from him: Wanted to share with you something exciting!

Today I talked with a student from my class. He is visually impaired too and he told me that a classmate of his wrote about me in his blog. I found his xanga site and here it is:

http://weblog.xanga.com/j_l43210/673963323/9263761126085----33521259913503635506.htmlHe wrote it last Thursday after I helped them with oral practice after school. Though I shouldn't base my performance only on students' feedback, what he said really encourages me to go on and keep believing that one day more and more people will recognize my effort and passion.

I really admire Billy. When we are complaining about our jobs, our students and our lives, perhaps remember that there are some people whose lives are much more difficult - and yet they are living with an indomitable spirit and tremendous courage.

For Billy, there are still lots of difficulties ahead. How can he convince the parents that he can teach their children well? How can he maintain classroom discipline? How can he establish rapport with his students?

I am hoping to write about Billy's story again.

Blind donors have a vision for the visually-impaired

2008-09-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

Blind donors have a vision for the visually-impaired

Tryambak Mokasare, 45, lost his eyesight 35 years ago, but the visual impairment could not fade his vision for a better morrow. Last week, the teacher at the school for the blind run by the Blind Relief Association (BRA) in Nagpur donated his healthy cornea so that it may bring back the beauty of nature and rainbow colours in the life of someone who covets an eye!

“When you donate an eye, you actually gift Sun to someone,” Mokasare says. When the doctors told him that his cornea was healthy, he decided to donate it post-death. “Even if it doesn’t light the vision of a person, it could come in handy for the purpose of medical research,” says the teacher.

Mokasare’s initiative triggered a spontaneous response, with his co-teachers and students above 18 years of age pledging their eyes in a programme hosted by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s Mission Eye project in their school premises.

This is perhaps the first occasion when the blind have donated eyes for the blind, says Sushma Fulari-Mankar, coordinator, civic body’s Eye Mission. “This is remarkable when you see a normal person reluctant to donate his or her eyes. We hope this gesture will motivate healthy persons to donate their eyes.”

“I’ve seen the nature’s colours, unending blue canvas of sky and a free flowing river; I’m now confined to the perpetual darkness of blindness. Who’d know the importance of an eye and sight better than I do?” remarks a poetic Mokasare.

He lost his vision to an eye-infection for which his family had no means for the treatment in his northern Maharashtra village. As he finished his education and joined the school as a teacher some 22 years ago, he and his wife wished if they could donate their eyes.

“Since my wife has normal vision, her eyes can surely light someone’s life, but I wasn’t sure whether I could donate my eyes.” informs Mokasare. When doctors confirmed that his cornea was healthy, he did not blink twice to pledge it!

Equally inspiring is the decision of his student at the BRA’s training workshop, Kiran Pawar, 18, who too lost his eye-sight when he was 10 years of age. Kiran is among the students of the Blind School who pledged their eyes on the same day.

Kiran, who comes from Mahurli village in Washim district, heard about eye-donation on the radio while working in the workshop.

“I may never see again, but if my cornea brings back someone’s vision, it would be my bit for the nation,” says the teenager, who is now driving his batchmates to pledge their eyes and corneas if the doctors find them worth someone’s eyes!

Doctors would now conduct a check-up on them to find out if their corneas were healthy and could be used for transplantation. “Even if the corneas are unhealthy, I would still like to donate my eyes for medical research,” insists a partially blind Anita Deshpande, a trained special teacher with the school.

Last Saturday, President Pratibha Patil also set an example by pledging to donate her eyes post-death and completed the formalities. A delegation of the Mahatme Eye Bank, Nagpur, met her in Amravati during her two-day tour.

Over 44,000 people in Nagpur and close to 1.5 crore people in India are blind, but the eye donation scenario is worse than that of voluntary blood donation.

In 2007, ten eye banks of Nagpur received only 364 eyeballs in donation. Only 37 could be transplanted while 181 were put to use in medical study. The remaining 146 got ruined due to various factors, mostly natural, according to the data.

“But our campaign has helped evoke a good response,” says Sushma, who has been dedicatedly holding the eye-donation programmes for the last one year in schools, social organisations, government establishments and public places.

“This year, over 5,000 people of the city have pledged to donate their eyes and have registered with us,” she reveals. “I hope the blind teachers and students will inspire those who have normal vision.”

Raghuveer Kurmi, another blind teacher with the school, says he’s donating his corneas too. He only prays doctors find it as healthy as his spirit!

Federal court to decide more distinguishable currency for visually impaired

2008-09-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

Federal court to decide more distinguishable currency for visually impaired

The next generation of dollar bills may not look or feel the same as the ones in your pocket.

An ongoing federal appeals court decision may phase out the current design of American paper money, switching it to a revamped paper currency that is more accessible to the blind and those with limited vision.

Judge James Robertson of the Federal District Court in Washington D.C. ruled in 2006 that the U.S. Treasury Department failed to "design, produce and issue paper currency that is readily distinguishable to blind and visually impaired" people, which violates federal law under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.The currency designs in use are the same size and shape, said Sue Ann Hansford, a counselor for the Division for Blind Services located at Texas Tech.

She said there is no inherent way to distinguish between the different values of paper currency.When the U.S. Court of Appeals returned the issue back to the district Court for further consideration, Judge A. Raymond Randolph said in his dissension that it would cost $3.5 billion to replace food and beverage vending machines and ATMs.No final decision about whether or not to change U.S. paper currency has been made, but Jeff Lovitky, an attorney for the American Council of the Blind, said he expects Judge James Robertson to issue an order in the next few weeks that will develop the case further.

"I think the only real opposition to it in the past is that it will be a tremendous expense to fix a situation for a small population," said Larry Phillippe, managing director of Tech's Student Disabilities Services.The 2006 National Health Interview Survey reported a total of 21.2 million people in the United States responded that they were blind or unable to see at all or had trouble seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses. The U.S. Census Bureau reported an estimated U.S. population of less than 300 million people in 2006.

Thus, blind and visually impaired individuals comprised about 7 percent of the population in that year.

Faith Penn, a visually impaired senior public relations major from Dallas, said she has been able to function adequately without currency that has different sizes, shapes or colors.Penn was born with glaucoma and lost her working vision in 2006.

She said she has been cheated by dishonest cashiers in the past, but she used the experience to become a stronger, more assertive customer."If you're getting change back from a cashier," she said. "and you don't know what you're getting back, ask the cashier.

"Also, she said she folds her money so she can recognize the difference between bills of different values."I don't think the world needs to cater to us," Penn said.

And it may not.

Lovitky said nothing is certain because the council is "in the middle" of a legal battle.

Groups help the hearing, visually impaired vote

2008-09-24T07:51:00.000-07:00

Groups help the hearing, visually impaired vote

As 19-year-old Cecilia Milligan pointed out during a brief speech Wednesday at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind, all Americans have the right the vote, but for some that right is difficult to execute.

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Rick Moses, 33, of Spartanburg, center, gets help from Hampton Miller in using technology that helps residents who are hearing impaired or visually impaired vote. The systems were introduced Wednesday in Spartanburg.

Voting at the SCSDB
Milligan is in the deaf school at SCSDB and a senior at Dorman High School. This election cycle is her first opportunity to vote, and thanks to new technology she easily can.
SCSDB and South Carolina Election Commission representatives were at the school Wednesday to unveil a video demonstrating the voting process for the deaf or hard of hearing community. The event also included a voter registration drive and demonstration of touch-screen voting systems equipped with headphones and Braille for visually impaired voters.

"The deaf have that right," Milligan signed, "the right to vote for whomever we want to vote for. So thank you."

Scott Falcone, SCSDB director of the Midlands regional outreach center, represented the school on the South Carolina Disability Voting Coalition to help create the video. The DVD, which will be available at all handicap-accessible polling locations, will run on a loop, taking voters step by step through the voting process. It features audio, sign language and closed captioning communication.

"It provides a sense of independence," Falcone said. "I'm very happy and proud of the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind, the South Carolina Election Commission and everybody else who was involved in this."

Those who viewed the video for the first time also had the opportunity to participate in a demonstration of the touch-screen voting systems to be used in November. Visually impaired voters receive audio confirmation of their vote, and Braille directs them to buttons instead of the touch screen.

Elaine Sveen, SCSDB director of research and accountability, talked briefly about the challenges her son Rick, who is blind, has faced while voting.

"He had to trust me, as we debated political issues, to vote the way he chose to vote," Sveen explained. "I am so thankful that today he can go to the voting booth independently and do it with privacy."

The machines, which are battery operated, can also be removed from stands and taken to voters in their wheelchairs, cars or any other easily accessible place.
The video can be viewed online at http://www.scvotes.org/. Click on the "voters" link then scroll down to "voters with disabilities."

New Bluetooth System Orients Blind And Sighted Pedestrians

2008-09-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

New Bluetooth System Orients Blind And Sighted Pedestrians

A new Bluetooth system designed primarily for blind people places a layer of information technology over the real world to tell pedestrians about points of interest along their path as they pass them.

The Talking Points urban orientation system was developed at the University of Michigan. Researchers will present their work at two conferences on Sept. 24.

"Blind people can get from point A to point B. They learn to count steps if they have to, but they miss the journey because they don't always know what they're passing.

The idea behind Talking Points is to enhance the journey," said James Knox, adaptive technology coordinator for the University's Information Technology Central Services and one of the system's developers.

"Talking Points can be viewed as a first step in the direction of an audio virtual reality designed for people with blindness and very useful to the sighted community as well," Knox said.

For the sighted community, the system could give passersby a peek at the specials or sales inside a business. It could offer on-the-go access to customer reviews. For blind pedestrians, it could do the same, but it would also fill those gaps in knowledge. Talking Points could help visually-impaired people find public restrooms, police stations, public transportation and restaurants with Braille menus, for example.

"If it caught on, this would be an effective way to tag the whole world," said Jason Stewart, a master's student in the School of Information who is involved in the project. "Anyone with a reader could use it to find out more information about where they are."

Similar systems exist, but Talking Points is the first known to use Bluetooth, cater to both the sighted and the visually-impaired, allow people to operate it entirely with voice commands, and incorporate community-generated content through a website.

Knox and collaborators in the School of Information and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science created an early version of Talking Points years ago.
A group of master's students and undergraduates has given the project new energy.

They shrunk the receiver and switched the transmitting technology from RFID to the more popular Bluetooth. They are also exploring other technologies such as GPS.

Stewart and fellow School of Information master's students Jakob Hilden and Michelle Escobar will present papers about Talking Points on Sept. 24. Stewart and Hilden will present at the Ubicomp 2008 conference in South Korea. Escobar will present at the Accessible Design in the Digital World conference in the United Kingdom.

The Talking Points system includes several components:

A mobile device picks up the Bluetooth signals and speaks or displays information to the user. In the future, a cell phone could be the receiver, but this prototype isn't a phone. It is slightly larger, about the size of a paperback book. If a user wants more information about a beacon, she can tell the device by voice or touch.

Bluetooth beacons, or tags, would be located at points of interest where owners wish to give information to Talking Points users. Businesses could purchase these beacons, which cost less than $20. Cities could tag information centers, parks or other buildings, for example.

A website would allow Talking Points beacon owners to program their tags. They could update their messages regularly.

Once a beacon is added, other community members could add their comments about the point of interest. Pedestrians using the system could then choose to get those comments.
"This project enables a type of augmented reality," said Hilden, one of the students who will present the research at Ubicomp.

"It shows how we can take user-generated information from the Internet and lay it over reality to help people make sense of where they are in their environment and what the possibilities are around them."

In addition to developing a prototype receiver, the students tested their system in field simulations with visually-impaired and sighted people and conducted focus groups.

"Location-based guide systems of one kind or another have been built and re-built by academic researchers for over a decade now, but this is the first project that has really focused on the needs of the visually impaired and gone out to make sure the system is being developed to meet those needs," said Mark Newman, an assistant professor in the School of Information and the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Newman is a co-author of the papers that will be presented.

Car Donations For The Blind

2008-09-24T07:27:00.001-07:00

Car Donations For The Blind

Heritage for The Blind offers publications and service aid locating for the Visually Impaired powered by your donations. Car donations can be made in all 50 States and are 100% free to pick up. The Heritage also offers a valid tax deduction for the year and a voucher for a free vacation in over 200 dofferent resorts.

You can donate your vehicle by visiting http://www.1800donatecars.com/ The Heritage for The Blind Vehicle Donation web site or call 1-800-DONATE-CARS.

Visually impaired inspiration in the outdoors

2008-09-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

Visually impaired inspiration in the outdoors

Keith Salmon did his first hill skills course for the visually impaire ( Vi) in 2000 here at Glenmore Lodge.

It was supported by the MC of S. Keith had been struggling with guilt about whether he should even be walking in the hills, but the fact that two organisations were putting their name to such a course made him feel for the first time he had just as much right to be in the hills as fully sighted people. That one week course changed his life because it wasn't a walking holiday for visually impaired, it was a practical course to learn skills for the hills that was adapted for visually impaired people.

This year Keith came back to do a talk to the (Vi) course and this is an email we received after the event:''It was fantastic speaking to some of the group and it made me realise just why I'd got so much out of the two Vi courses (summer and winter) that I did at Glenmore. Even though I'm visually impaired myself, hearing everyone talk about their first two days on the course made me realise that it really doesn't matter that someone has little or no sight, the average group of Vi people will have the same amount of determination, the same amount of enthusiasm and the same amount of 'bottle' as any average group of fully sighted folk.

Glenmore Lodge is the right place for this course and in supporting it as you have since 2000 you have, I'm sure, made a great deal of difference to a lot of people ....keep up the good work.''Finally, to coincide with Keith's painting exhibition - yes painting! - he has just launched a new website dedicated to the Scottish Hill paintings he is doing. It contains around 80 of the paintings and drawings which show well on screen.

They are really worth a look The address is:http://www.keithsalmon.org/

Vodacom caters for visually-impaired

2008-09-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

Vodacom caters for visually-impaired

Mobile giant Vodacom has unveiled three “Vodacom Speaking Phones”, as part of its drive to make cellular communication accessible to people who are blind or partially-sighted.“Vodacom is proud to be the first operator in SA to increase accessibility to cellular communication products and services in line with our Specific Needs Initiative, launched in 2004,” says chief communications officer Dot Field.

She explains that text-to-speech software is loaded onto the Vodacom Speaking Phones that converts the information displayed on the cellphone screen to speech, including text messages and contacts. This software also enables the user to check other information, including battery life and signal strength.Speaking phones are available on Vodacom Contract, Top Up and Prepaid packages and are available at participating Vodacom approved outlets.

“Vodacom Speaking Phone users will not pay extra for the text-to-speech software as Vodacom has subsidised this cost,” adds Field.

Vodacom will also continue to offer the “voice bill” service, which allows visually-impaired or blind customers access to their itemised billing electronically through reader software on their computers.

For more information on Vodacom Speaking Phones, customers can contact Vodacom's dedicated Specific Needs Contact Centre, which can be reached on 12580, free from a Vodacom cellphone, or on 082 12580 from any other phone (standard rates apply).

Customers can also send an SMS to 12580 (free from a Vodacom cellphone) or e-mail 12580@vodacom.co.za. Information is available on the Vodacom Web site http://www.vodacom.co.za/, under the Specific Needs section.

Vodacom launches phones for the visually impaired

2008-09-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

Vodacom launches phones for the visually impaired

In an effort to be more inclusive, Vodacom Group has launched speaking phones for customers who are blind or partially sighted.

"Vodacom is proud to increase accessibility to cellular communication products and services in line with the specific needs initiative launched in 2004," said Dot Field, chief communications officer of Vodacom Group.

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The phones are loaded with text-to-speech software that converts the information displayed on the cell phone screen to speech, including text messages and contact lists. The software enables the user to check other information, including battery life and signal strength.
"Vodacom Speaking Phone users will not pay extra for the text-to-speech software, as Vodacom has subsidized this cost," Field said.

"As a disabled person, I understand how important independence, accessibility and mobility is," said Karen Smit, senior specialist for Specific Needs and Employment Equity at Vodacom Group.
"I think this is the coolest thing," said Judy Okite from Kenya. "It is high time we saw more initiatives like this."

Scholarship opportunity for blind/visually impaired students at San Francisco and San Jose State

2008-09-24T07:18:00.000-07:00

Scholarship opportunity for blind/visually impaired students at San Francisco and San Jose State

An article came across my desk today about some scholarship winners - and I thought I'd post it just in case anyone out there in HPS land, or on the NOAH boards etc. is thinking about attending college at either of these university systems.

It seems there's a little scholarship money out there if you call, find out, and apply next year. The Dale M. Schoettler Scholarship was established in 1991 for San Francisco State and San Jose State University students. When Schoettler, a blind businessman, died in 2001 he left the CSU $4.8 million from his estate to assist blind and visually impaired students across the 23 campuses.

Link to the article about this year's winners: http://www.redwoodtimes.com/local/ci_10490215

Club Vision: One strict membership requirement -- you must be blind

2008-09-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

Club Vision: One strict membership requirement -- you must be blind

MURRAY - Matina Katis' friend kept bugging her for more than a year to attend a social group for legally blind folks like herself.

She refused to go to Club Vision.

She didn't need a free lunch. She didn't want to bother someone for a ride. And she didn't want to navigate a new place, possibly bumping into tables and chairs.

But Katis finally decided to visit the group in May. And she's been at the "awesome" club luncheons every week since.

"I should have come when I was invited a long time ago," said the 84-year-old Salt Lake City resident. "It's awesome."

The club is also known as The Andrew S. Rowan Reading Room for the Blind. It's open
Club Vision to anyone who is legally blind. Club members, mostly seniors, meet three times a week at the Cottonwood-Murray Elks Lodge for a free luncheon, where volunteers sing and read to them. This month, the group is celebrating its 100th anniversary.

The reading room was started by Mrs. Andrew S. Rowan, who's brother was blind, and a group of ladies who wanted to help improve the lives of people who couldn't see. Until 1949, the group met four days a week at the downtown Salt Lake Public Library; they've move around a bit since, finally settling in Murray in 2002.

At its peak attendance in the mid-1950s, some 70 people regularly showed up, according to the reading room's history. Today, the club has a list of 35 members - ages 46 to 94 - and about 17 of them attend the thrice-weekly luncheons, organizers said. The program, which has an annual budget of about $60,000, is funded by foundation grants, said Bob Kelly, a reading room board member.

Club members said they come to be with other folks who deal with poor to no vision and who are growing older. They also said that because leaving If you go;

What: Club Vision
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Where: Cottonwood-Murray Elks Lodge, 4894 S. State St., Murray
What to expect: A free luncheon and entertainment for anyone who is legally blind. For information or to volunteer, call Susie at 262-3769. the house is sometimes a challenging task, the club is a way for them to escape from their homes and visit with people.

Eileen Wood has been involved since 1972, when she was in her 20s. Then, about 35 people attended the luncheons, she said. She left the group a few years later when she got pregnant and didn't return until 1995 when her two kids were teenagers. Wood, 65, said if it wasn't for the club, she'd just stay at home listening to records. She's glad she and her husband, Eugene, have a place where they can talk to other visually impaired people about medical problems and what's happening in their lives.

"It really means a lot to me - we feel like family," she said.

Wood even makes sure she plans her other appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

"I don't want to miss anything," she joked.

Jim Hefferon, an 87-year-old Salt Lake City resident, started coming to the meetings four years ago. It gives him a chace to "get out and meet good people," he said. He especially enjoys the club's entertainment, from jazz singers to volunteers reading jokes to them.

Susan "Susie" Woolstenhulme, who is legally blind in one eye, has been the club's director for six years. She said anyone who is legally blind is welcome to the luncheons, and there are free rides by volunteers for those who live in the Salt Lake City area.

"I want them to have a good time and socialize . . . and forget about their eyesight for awhile," she said.

For Katis, the free ride is partly what keeps her coming.

She said the friendly volunteers are helpful and even come pick her up at her front door. "They . . . get us home nice and sound."

Mobile revolution now provides service to visually impaired too

2008-09-24T07:13:00.000-07:00

Mobile revolution now provides service to visually impaired too

Vodacom, world leader in providing cellular communication products and services has taken one step ahead of the present mobile revolution going in the world. By launching speaking mobile phones with inbuilt text-to-speech software, Vodacom aims at providing cellular communication accessible to people with specific needs, especially to customers who are visually impaired.

This effort by Vodacom will help lacs of visually impaired people around the globe to access mobile communication services. The launch news at the official website of the company drew out the following:

Text-to-speech software is loaded onto the Vodacom Speaking Phones that converts the information displayed on the cellphone screen to speech, including text messages and contacts. This software also enables the user to check other information, including battery life and signal strength. Speaking phones are available on Vodacom Contract-, Top Up- and Prepaid packages and are available at participating Vodacom approved outlets.

World Sight Day combats vision problems

2008-09-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

World Sight Day combats vision problems

Thursday October 9th 2008 will be officially designated World Sight Day, as part of an effort to raise awareness of preventable sight loss and vision impairment.

World Sight Day provides a platform for the work of Vision 2020, an international collective of NGOs, professional associations and eye care institutions coordinated in part by the World Health Organisation.

Vision 2020 is working towards the goal of completely eradicating the 75% of cases of blindness which are treatable or preventable by the year 2020.90% of blind people live in low-income countries, with limited access to treatments that can cure cataracts, glaucoma and refractive error - three of the major causes of blindness worldwide. Sight lost due to uncorrected refractive error can, in many cases, be restored with something as simple as a sight test and glasses.

Even within the UK, however, the problems of sight impairment loom large, especially due to our aging population. The Oxfordshire Association for the Blind (OAB) has seen its client numbers increase by 110% over the last 10 years, following a move to central Oxford from Charlbury.

‘Basically, we support visually impaired people in Oxfordshire, providing information and advice based on our expertise’ says director Colin Cure. ‘We also have a research centre in Oxford where people can come and “see” the equipment available for visually impaired people’ - which can be anything from talking watches and kitchen equipment to large-print Scrabble.

OAB will be marking World Sight Day with an exhibition in Banbury’s Cornhill centre on Saturday 11th October, in association with local social services, health care providers and patients.Meanwhile, some research shows that even Oxford students should be aware of the effect their lifestyles can have on their vision. A 2004 Japanese study showed that prolonged periods of time spent at a computer screen may be linked to the onset of glaucoma.

With these problems of sight loss and vision impairment in mind, contact lens specialists Lens Shopper are running a competition offering the chance to win a year’s supply of contact lenses.

Details can be found at http://www.lensshopper.com/world-sight-day/

Association of Blind Citizens Grant for Adaptive Devices

2008-09-24T07:10:00.002-07:00

Association of Blind Citizens Grant for Adaptive Devices

The Association of Blind Citizens operates the Assistive Technology Fund. The Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) will provide funds to cover 50% of the retail price of adaptive devices or software. The ABC board of directors believes that this program will allow blind and visually impaired individuals access to technology products that will have a significant impact on improving employment opportunities, increase the level of independence and enhance their overall quality of life.

The products covered by this program must retail for a minimum of $200 with a maximum retail price of $6,000. Persons eligible to apply for assistance must have a family income of less than $50,000 and cash assets of less than $20,000. Applications will be reviewed by the Assistive Technology Committee (ATC) and recommendations will be submitted for board approval. If applicants are selected to receive a technology grant, applicants will be asked to provide documents such as tax returns, bank statements and any other documents that the ABC board or it’s designee would deem necessary to assess financial need for the grant.

Applicants must be legally blind and a resident of the United States to qualify for this program. Applications must be submitted by June 30th and December 31st for each grant period (two per year). Applicants will be notified if their request for a grant is approved. Applicants may submit one request per calendar year. All applications must be submitted via e-mail. You will be notified by ABC within 45 days after the application deadline. The grantee will have 30 days after notification to purchase the product. If the purchase cannot be made within 30 days ABC reserves the right to withdraw the award and assign it to another applicant.

All decisions are final.

Three more blind patients helped by gene therapy

2008-09-24T07:10:00.001-07:00

Three more blind patients helped by gene therapy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Three more patients treated with an experimental gene therapy approach have reported better vision, U.S. researchers reported on Monday in a study that lends further support to the approach.

The patients, all in their early 20s, reported markedly better vision after getting the treatment, Artur Cideciyan and James Wilson of the University of Pennsylvania and colleagues reported.
"Day vision improvement could range up to 50-fold from pre-treatment levels. Night vision was quite dramatic and ranged up to 63,000 times" better, Cideciyan said in a telephone interview.
Their findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, lend weight to similar results from rival teams all treating the same condition -- Leber congenital amaurosis, or LCA.

The condition is caused by a mutation in a gene called RPE65, and experts have long thought it is a good target for gene therapy. Gene therapy is an experimental field of medicine that aims to correct diseases by replacing faulty genes.

LCA damages light receptors in the retina.

It usually begins affecting sight in early childhood and causes total blindness by the time a patient is 30. There is no treatment.

All the teams used a virus called an adeno-associated virus to deliver a normal version of the damaged RPE65 gene into the eyes of patients. The virus itself causes no symptoms in people.

Naked streets are no good for blind people

2008-09-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

Naked streets are no good for blind people

Simon Jenkins' article (Elle Macpherson deserves a medal for defying the health and safety gods, September 19) ends in a justification that "eyes are the best traffic policemen" and shared space is the answer to many of the highway safety issues faced in our public spaces. He goes on to say: "Naked streets have even proved safer for the disabled."

Over two years Guide Dogs has done an enormous amount of research on shared-space street design, which puts blind and partially sighted people - like me - at an immediate disadvantage. Our research shows that these new developments are becoming no-go areas for blind and partially sighted people and other groups, and that people fear for their safety in trying to negotiate their way through cars, lorries, cyclists and other road users.

Two days before Jenkins' article was published I was addressing members of the Royal Town Planning Institute, where I called for an immediate halt to shared surface projects and for designers to rise to the challenge highlighted by our research. I was joined outside the conference by a number of wheelchair users as well as blind and partially sighted people, who all want attractive people-friendly streets but ones that are accessible by all.

The article debates the merits of helmets for cyclists' safety. We are concerned for the safety of all users of our streets. Last month a three-year-old child had his leg broken when a cyclist hit him on a shared surface in Newbury. From childhood we are all taught to "stop at the kerb". When you introduce design concepts with no kerb we are all put at risk.

Jenkins misses the point, and I would invite him or another of your journalists to come with me, put on a blindfold, and experience the reality of shared surfaces.

Tom PeyDirector of external affairs, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association

Simon Jenkins' claim that cyclists are safer not wearing helmets fails to take into account the reality that there are two kinds of accidents: those that you recover from, and those that you don't.

Yes, cyclists wearing helmets are more likely to have accidents because they feel safer and cycle with less care, but because they're wearing helmets they're generally going to suffer the kind of injuries that will heal. Those not wearing helmets, while statistically less likely to have accidents, are in no way immune from having them, and are obviously far more vulnerable to the kind of injuries, namely brain damage, that they may not recover from.

Nicholas FisherBath

If overactive traffic managers are the villains, then what reduced the UK's annual road deaths from over 8,000 45 years ago to 3,000 today? Could it be anything to do with speed limits, MoT tests, compulsory seat belts, one-way streets, breathalysers, cycle lanes, better vehicle and road design, crash testing ...

Michael SibleyBury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Workshop will support visually-impaired students

2008-09-24T07:07:00.001-07:00

Workshop will support visually-impaired students

The Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired will host a workshop on supporting students with visual impairments in the classroom, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Friday at the Killington Grand Hotel.The workshop, which costs $20 per person, is an opportunity for families and teachers of the visually impaired to learn from experienced professionals how to improve the lives of their children and students, said VABVI officials.

The event is designed to demonstrate what these students face on a daily basis. Participants will gain a better understanding of the students’ challenges and an appreciation of the efforts made by students and those who work with them.

The workshop will be conducted by VABVI’s staff of teachers, beginning with a keynote speech from guest Jay Stitely, Associate Manager of Field Operations from the Seeing Eye Dog Guide School. Activities to follow will include a visual impairment goggle simulation, a blindfolded luncheon and informative sessions on large print and reading Braille, as well as one on students with multiple disabilities including visual.

Qualcomm: Cell phone for the visually impaired

2008-09-24T07:06:00.001-07:00

Qualcomm: Cell phone for the visually impaired

Qualcomm and British RNIB (Royal National Institute for Blind) are developing a cell phone for the blind and visually impaired.

The development costs are covered by the $100.000 USD donation offered by Qualcomm. Qualcomm and RNIB are working together with the scientists from Loughborough University Ergonomics and Safety Research Institute to integrate screen-reading technologies and to develop a handset design that is easilty usable by the visually impaired. The aim of RNIB is to help those having problems with their eyesight in everyday life, besides providing Braille alphabet and audiobooks.

Walk to benefit Lighthouse's programs

2008-09-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

Walk to benefit Lighthouse's programs

BROOKSVILLE

Walk on Oct. 11 to raise money for Lighthouse

The Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind will host the White Cane Awareness Day Walk for Independence from 9 to 11 a.m. Oct. 11 at Nature Coast Technical High School, 4057 California St. Those interested can walk with friends and the visually impaired. Participants are to raise money through sponsors and donations, which will be used to continue the vision rehabilitation training offered at the Lighthouse. Visitors can also experience what it is like to have a visual impairment by wearing simulator glasses.

For information, call the Lighthouse at (352) 754-1132.

Roundabouts aren't safe for everyone

2008-09-24T07:04:00.001-07:00

Roundabouts aren't safe for everyone

Ann Byington relies on Spooky, her guide dog, to help her get around town.

But there's one place he can't help her.

"The main issue is the roundabouts are designed for drivers, so they don't have to stop when making a turn or crossing an intersection," Byington said.

Byington tells us her dog is trained to cross a street, but roundabouts don't go in a straight line, so it goes against the dog's training.

"In order for me to stop traffic, I have to basically step out in front of it, which is not where I want to be," Byington said.

Other roundabouts

City spokesperson David Bevens says there are nine roundabouts that he can think of in the city...Three on Wanamaker, one at Sixth, one at 37th and one at 41st.

There are two on Urish, one at 29th and now one going in at 21st and Urish. Two are located at SE Rice Road at I-70 and another one is at 45th and Croco. And the last one is at Highway 75 and NW 46th Street.

But not all roundabouts have curb cuts to make it easier to cross. Another problem, Ann says, is that roundabouts have no curb cuts so they can cross to the other side. She says the visually impaired aren't the only ones that have this problem, but people with disabilities and all pedestrians.

So what's the solution to make cars stop?

"We know that there are traffic needs in the city. We are not saying never put in a roundabout, but some sort of signal strategy would be helpful," Byington said.

Byington says some drivers even have trouble driving through roundabouts, but also says it's easier for them.

"The difference is that the cars can see, the drivers can see each other, and know when to stop," Byington said.

She says the visually impaired know it's hard to cross at a roundabouts, and they avoid them when they can, but when they do try to cross it's dangerous.

"Just put your life in your hands and go," Byington said.

Earlier today, while working on this story, one person crossed at that roundabout, and the person had to basically run across the intersection.

We contacted the city and city spokesman Dave Bevens says they take into consideration the blind and visually impaired.

He also said roundabouts aren't pedestrian friendly, but they do help with high volume of traffic and help prevent accidents.

New iPod nano praised for aiding visually impaired

2008-09-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

New iPod nano praised for aiding visually impaired

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) has applauded Apple's move to make iTunes and iPods accessible to blind and visually impaired people, saying, "The iPod nano, which was virtually unusable for people with vision loss, is now equipped with talking menus and large font options. Apple has also made improvements to the accessibility of iTunes."

In addition to adding talking menus to the new iPod nano, Apple has expanded the accessibility section of its website: According to Apple, screen reader users will also be able to access many more iTunes features, such as creating and managing an account and shopping for albums and songs in the iTunes store.

"This news is music to the ears of the 20 million Americans with significant vision loss," said Carl R. Augusto, president and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind. "I can't tell you how great it will be to find my Timbaland and Madonna songs without having to shuffle through every song in my music collection."

Vision fair focuses on resources

2008-09-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

Vision fair focuses on resources

DANVILLE — One Chrisman couple found help at the Danville Public Library with what they thought was a hopeless situation.Frances Coe, 81, drove her 83-year-old husband Donald to Danville after she heard about Monday’s Low Vision Fair by Visually Impaired People Inspiring Others, PACE of Champaign and the library’s outreach department.

The fair has been an annual event for 14 years.“I tried to call to make sure I had the right day,” Coe said. “My phone book was so old that it still had the old library in it. They told me where this new one was — this is our first time here. It’s beautiful!”Donald was reluctant to make the trip, but his wife prevailed.

Coe drove to Danville since her husband no longer can.

“It only took us about 40 minutes,” she said.Donald Coe started having vision problems eight years ago, his wife said. He lost his license four years later. Six weeks ago, he had surgery to reattach the retina in his right eye. He still is healing from that.

“His left eye is gone,” Frances said.Frances fixed a plate of snacks for Donald to keep his spirits up as he worked with Pam Troxel, general manager of Chittick’s Family Eye Care. In a short time, with Troxel’s help and the assistance of a machine called the Optelec ClearView+, he was reading.That machine was just one of form of assistance available to those with limited or total lack of vision.Laura Booker, a rehabilitation case coordinator with the Bureau of Blind Services, said the group has three goals.

“We want our clients to stay in their homes, go back to work and stay independent,” she said.Booker’s office is part of Illinois Department of Human Services in Champaign. She said caseworkers will come to Vermilion County to assist those who need services.On the table in front of her, an oversized calendar, expense register and record of blood sugar readings were displayed.

“They’re simple things,” Booker said, “but they make a big difference.”Other accommodations available at the fair were an oversized remote, large type bingo cards and a ruler with enlarged markings.

Sometimes, help comes in the form of another human being. Karen Stefaniak, activities director at Bowman Estates, said the senior complex has several low-vision residents and some who are 100 percent blind.“We provide one-on-one escorts within the facility,” Stefaniak said.

“If the residents go out and need assistance, we can provide the same service.”

Stefaniak said at mealtimes, the certified nursing aides make sure the visually-impaired residents know who he or she is sitting with.

Special eating utensils and plates with a lip can make meals easier for the person to manage alone.DeaneGeiken of the Illinois Radio Reader explained to Joann Laird how his service works. Laird recently was diagnosed with a cyst on the retina of one eye.

Her vision has become blurred.Although she hopes the condition is treatable, Laird’s doctor told her it could spread to the other eye. That concerns her, since it’s difficult for her to read anything but the headlines on a newspaper.

Laird’s potential situation matches up perfectly with Illinois Radio Reader. The free service provides the special radio needed to receive the broadcasts.“I’ll have to keep this in mind,” Laird said.Back at Chittick’s display, Donald Coe read aloud an enlarged page of a magazine to his wife.“He didn’t want to come here,” Frances said.

“This is the first smile I’ve seen on his face since the surgery. He’s in Seventh Heaven.”

Blind feel like ‘second-class citizens’

2008-09-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

Blind feel like ‘second-class citizens’

Playing euchre at the Penetanguishene legion not long ago, Fran Moreau repeatedly had to remind others at her table to call out the cards they’d played.
For the Midland woman, it was yet another reminder of the difficulties faced by the blind living in a sighted world.

“There should be more said about people with low vision and how people should react,” said Moreau, 72. “It isn’t funny. You feel like you’re a second-class citizen.”
The retired nurse – she worked at Penetanguishene General Hospital for the better part of 40 years – started noticing problems with her eyes about nine years ago.
“I was finding the phone book very difficult to read,” she recalled. “I thought it was that famous getting-older thing.”

In fact, her declining eyesight was caused by macular degeneration, a progressive condition that attacks central vision. Approximately one million Canadians are affected to some degree.
Now considered legally blind – she can differentiate between light and dark, and retains a bit of peripheral vision in her left eye – Moreau helps others who are going through the same struggles she experienced.

A volunteer with the group Huronia Visually Impaired and a member of Midland’s accessibility committee, she pushes for changes to accommodate those with vision problems.
“The funny thing is, (people) all think you’re sick, that something’s wrong with you because your eyes don’t work,” she said. “Maybe they don’t know how to react.”

While overall awareness is the most important goal, Moreau said specific issues such as audible crosswalks, marked steps and curbs, and improved transportation are also on her wish list.
She described as a “godsend” the chiming crosswalk at King Street and Hugel Avenue in Midland, as well as the one at Main and Robert streets in Penetanguishene.

However, until they become the standard – and until sighted people stop complaining about the noise – she said her work will remain unfinished.

“We’ve been asking for more audible lights, but we were told they’re not in the (town’s) budget,” she sighed.

Another “pet peeve” of visually impaired residents is the lack of steps and curbs marked with bright yellow paint or tape. For those with some remaining vision, such a visual cue could mean the difference between a safe trip and a nasty tumble.

Amazingly, said Moreau, some folks complain about the supposed gaudiness of such markers: “People need to be reminded why those steps are yellow,” she said.

Public transportation is another shortcoming Moreau hears about from blind acquaintances.
Some with vision problems have trouble getting on and off a bus, while others are intimidated by the thought of standing alone at a bus stop.

As a result, it is common for the blind to rely exclusively on friends or family members, a situation Moreau said makes her feel like a burden.

“You just feel like you’re always interrupting him,” she said of her husband and frequent chauffeur, Ray.

Complaints aside, Moreau said there are positive signs for the blind and visually impaired in Midland and Penetanguishene.

One of those is the support offered by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and by Huronia Visually Impaired, a group started 14 years ago by Don Roszmann, Louise Desroches and Yvonne Fielding.

Another is the co-operation of businesses like the King’s Wharf and Galaxy theatres, both of which grant sighted chaperones free admission when accompanying a blind patron.
Most poignantly, a recent experience in downtown Midland gave Moreau hope that the awareness she fervently desires may be dawning. Needing to cross King Street, but unable to do so alone, she asked a nearby gentleman for a hand.

He agreed, taking Moreau by the arm and escorting her across the two-lane road.
A little stubbornly, perhaps, she insisted on trying to make it the rest of the way to her destination solo, only to be stumped by another busy crossing.
Whether by chance or out of concern for her safety – she suspects the latter – the same man appeared out of nowhere to help her once again.

On the day such understanding is commonplace, perhaps Moreau will never again be made to feel like a second-class citizen.tmealing@simcoe.com

Contact Information
Huronia Visually Impaired: 549-7611
Canadian National Institute for the Blind: 1-800-563-0887
Central Region); 728-3352 (Barrie office)

Web Community Brings Parents of Visually Impaired Children Together

2008-09-12T05:41:00.000-07:00

Web Community Brings Parents of Visually Impaired Children Together

When parents learn their child has a visual impairment, it can be overwhelming. Parents wonder, "Will my child fall behind at school?" or "Will my child make friends?" or "Will my child have a successful career" With only 93,600 visually impaired school-aged children in the U.S., over half of whom haveadditional disabilities, it's easy for families facing vision loss to feelalone.
To help these families connect with each other and give busy parents,grandparents and other caretakers a place to find comprehensive resources and support 24 hours a day, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments(NAPVI) has launched FamilyConnect, an online, multimedia community for parents and guardians of children with visual impairments.

FamilyConnect gives parents access to message boards where they can talk to other parents, compelling videos featuring real-life families, parenting articles, a mom-authored blog, a glossary of more than 30 eye conditions, and links to local resources. The site also features sections dedicated to multiple disabilities, technology,education, and every age group from infants to teens.

A recent NAPVI/AFB survey of parents of children with visual impairments showed that parents/guardians turn most commonly to physicians(82%), educators (76%), and websites (65%) for information and support regarding their children's vision.

Click this link to visit http://www.familyconnect.org.

Free Canes for the Blind

2008-09-12T05:40:00.000-07:00

Free Canes for the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), has launched an initiative to ensure that any blind person in the United States and Puerto Rico who needs a long white cane will have one, regardless of their ability to pay. The NFB will provide a free cane to anyone in the fifty states, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico who is blind or has low vision and who uses or desires to use a white cane in order to travel independently. This historic initiative is the largest effort ever of its kind to provide white canes to individuals who are blind or have low vision.
The long white cane provides an effective means for blind students to get to school, blind adults to get to work, and blind seniors to remain active.

It is estimated that 109,000 of the 1.3 million legally blind people in the United States use a white cane. By supplying canes free of charge, this program provides the opportunity for all blind Americans to have a white cane and to participate fully in society.

The National Federation of the Blind will provide a straight, light fiberglass cane to any blind individual in the United States or Puerto Rico who requires the cane for personal use. Canes are available in the following lengths: 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, or 63 inches. Individuals may only request one free cane in any six-month period.Click this link to apply for a FREE cane from NFB.For more information on the National Federation of the Blind free cane program, click this link to visit http://www.nfb.org, or contact:

Chris Danielsen

Public Relations Specialist

National Federation of the Blind

Phone: 410-659-9314, extension 2330

Email: cdanielsen@nfb.org

Perkins Brailler: An Overview

2008-09-12T05:39:00.000-07:00

Perkins Brailler: An Overview

If you were creating a list of classic American products, which products would make your list? Coca-Cola? Ford Motors? Burma-Shave? McDonalds? Certainly each of these companies and their products have attained a unique position in popular culture.

Add the Perkins Brailler to the list.

The Perkins Brailler has helped generations of blind and visually impaired individuals express the contents of their hearts and minds. It's been the braillewriter of choice at schools and among transcribers. Though first introduced in 1951, surprisingly few modifications have been made to the Perkins Brailler: the machine you use today is virtually identical to a Perkins Brailler your parent or grand-parent could have used.

How has the Perkins Brailler managed to remain relatively unchanged for all these years? Perhaps it's that the device's inventor, David Abraham, got it right the first time. Abraham invented a device that perfectly marries ease-of-use with tough-as-nails durability.

Features:
In some cases, the simpler the better. Abraham seems to have taken that maxim to heart when he designed the Perkins Brailler. The standard manual Perkins Brailler isn't equipped with a lot of bells and whistles. It sports nine individual keys: a Spacing Key, six Keys for dots 1 through 6, a Line Spacing Key and Back Spacing Key. Two side-knobs feed paper through the machine. There is a large Carriage Return Lever located above the row of Keys. Margin Stops let users set margins to their own preferences. A Bell sounds when the carriage is seven cells before the end of the line. And a grooved roller bar helps feed the paper without crushing the dots. The Perkins Brailler available for purchase through the American Printing House for the Blind weighs ten pounds. It has a cast aluminum case with a baked enamel finish.

In the Market for a Perkins Brailler?

If you are a student or teacher, you can purchase a Perkins Brailler through the American Printing House for the Blind. To do so, you'll need to contact your state's Ex-Officio Trustee. To locate the trustee for your state, follow this link to the APH Ex-Officio Trustee Directory. To learn more about purchasing a Perkins Brailler through APH, follow this link to the American Printing House for the Blind website.

You might also find used Perkins Braillers for sale in the Classified Ads of newspapers and at on-line auction sites (such as eBay).

Want to learn more about the Perkins Brailler and other braillewriters? Visit the APH Museum. The Museum has an extensive collection of artifacts relating to the education of the blind: its collection includes braillewriters dating back to the 1890s.

Guide dog week

2008-09-12T05:34:00.000-07:00

Guide dog week

GUIDE Dog Week next month will raise awareness of how people can provide can help the visually impaired.

This year’s campaign will promote the best and safest ways to guide visually-impaired people who might need assistance in difficult circumstances, such as at a busy road junction, in a railway station or entering a shop.

A How to Guide booklet and DVD will be available to the public and service providers, which gives helpful hints to enable people to feel confident in applying the guiding techniques.
The week, organised by Guide Dogs for the Blind, runs from October 6 to 12.