Blogs

There Is Something You Can Do If you grew up with vision loss, or any disability really, there's a good chance you are already familiar with some of the resources you need to find assistive technology (AT). Assistive technology includes products, devices, or equipment, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that are used to maintain, increase, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Those who learned about AT at a younger age probably received some training on it early on. Many of the clients I work with as a…

What Are Magic Glasses? Show of hands or better yet, clap if you like to make fundamental changes in the way you do everyday, daily living activities! Are you one of those folks who relish the idea of throwing away the computer mouse and trackpad to rely solely on keyboard shortcuts to do your work? Or suddenly read your favorite books and magazines by listening to them? Abandon your usual mode of transportation and just switch to Uber, public transportation, or a bicycle? A couple of you are clapping, but the rest of us recognize these changes will be time-consuming and inconvenient at best. Even the most adventuresome of us may find some of these fundamental changes in our lifestyle can be disorienting, have a negative impact on doing routine tasks, and be…

How Macular Degeneration Affects Vision A progressive eye disease, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) may occur in one or both eyes and may advance very slowly or quite rapidly. While the condition can be devastating, ophthalmologists reassure patients that macular degeneration alone will not lead to total blindness. The reason is that both the dry and the wet forms of macular degeneration affect the…

Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks Thank goodness the old saying, You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, has been proven wrong by those of us who are past our prime. We need to keep up, or we’ll be left behind. We’d be saying, Where did everybody go? On the Go with Smart Glasses The biggest and brightest star in the technology world for people who are blind or visually impaired are the smart glasses, brought to the accessibility scene by a company known as…

Caption: REV UP Campaign Logo, Courtesy of the Association of People with Disabilities While many people are vacationing, attending summer camp, relaxing by the pool, and firing up the grill, others will be hitting the streets spending this July focused on a voter’s registration campaign. Although the next national election is not until November, this campaign is concentrating its efforts early and specifically targeting the disabled voter. The REV UP Campaign is coordinating National Disability Voter Registration Week (NDVRW) during the week of July 16-20, 2018. The…

Editor's Note: With Independence Day just ahead, VisionAware peer Empish Thomas has written about a vital aspect of independence for people with vision lossgrocery shopping. Empish discusses some new ways that retailers are making it possible to shop more autonomously than ever before. Pickup or Delivery, a Different Way to Grocery Shop A couple of months ago I started a different way of grocery shopping. In the past, I would inventory my pantry and refrigerator to restock, make a list, and catch the bus to my favorite grocery store. Once there, I would venture over to the customer service counter, get assistance, and do my…