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Did you know that the leading causes of blindness among working age adults, may also be one of the most preventable eye diseases? November is Diabetes and Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month. Diabetic Retinopathy, one of the eye diseases associated with diabetes, is the leading cause of blindness among working age adults, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI). In fact, NEI also reports that between 40%-45% of individuals with diabetes have some stage of diabetic retinopathy, yet only half that number are aware of it! During a…

World Sight Day is an international "day of awareness," coordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). The purpose of World Site Day is to focus attention on the global issue of avoidable blindness and visual impairment. It is held each year on the second Thursday of October. This year, World Sight Day will be held on October 11, 2018, with the theme of Eye Care Everywhere. Important Messages on World Sight Day These are the key international messages for World Sight Day: Approximately 285…

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…

Scientific Support for Braille and Print Caption: Man Reading Braille In Part 1 of this series, we provided perspectives of braille users concerning the relevancy of braille. Part 2 offered insights from individuals who are sighted about the importance of print in today's world.…

Caption: Older Man Reading with Magnifier In Part 1 of this discussion, several blind people of different ages and backgrounds described various ways they use braille, showing why it is essential to their daily lives. In Part 2, several sighted people describe various ways they use print in their daily lives, showing reasons they could not function without it. Sighted People Discuss the Importance of Print in Their Lives Carla Earley…

Caption: Writing Braille with a Slate and Stylus Trina Bassak Trina is a physical therapist. She described the results of a 3-way call between herself, Jeannie Johnson, and myself on the use of slate and stylus. "It came up because of my dismay in braille labeling and lack of options," Trina said. "I really was never taught formally the slate and stylus…" After discussing a few suggestions with Jeannie and Lynda, Trina decided to give it another go. "It turned out to be amazingly more convenient, efficient and useful for making all types of…