What's Inside
- 3D technology helps blind "see" with tactile graphics.
- Why one shouldn't be afraid to hire a blind person.
- More business partnerships to help blind people secure employment.
- First Islamic blind school opens in Ghana.
- 80 year old blind man set ablaze in reprisal attack.
- More on MrBeast controversy.
- Schedule released for IBSA World Blind Football games.
- Woman accuses blind man at gym of staring at her and refuses to shut up when she learns he's blind.
- And, more than 50 articles about blindness and blind people from the entire world.
Editorial By Chris Hofstader
This was another solid week for news of the blind and blindness from around the world. We've more than 50 articles in this edition and I found quite a few of them to be really interesting.
While a lot of the articles this week are very serious, some are downright tragic, I found myself seeking refuge in the sports stories as sometimes editing Blindness Briefs can get pretty sad when I need to read a lot of articles about the downsides of blindness. We have quite a few sports articles this week. The IBSA announced the schedule for both the men's and women's football championships. Blind cricket, a sport about which I personally know only what we've run in previous editions of Blindness Briefs, has a couple of stories in this edition and now I want to learn more about the sport. We have an article about a blind skateboarder and more. If you're not a sports fan, there's a lot in this edition you will find interesting.
I'd like to add that we've added David to our team. He is a blind person living in Louisianna with a masters degree in library science, is a terrific researcher and he is helping edit the briefs with me each week. His help has been terrific and we'll be publishing an introduction to him and adding him to our staff page in the next week or so.
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How It's Organized
WBH Weekly Blind News Digest is a very simple page to read. The categories are at heading level 2 and the stories are links at heading level 3. So, navigation to the sections and stories you find interesting is quite simple.
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Technology
3D technology helps blind woman 'see'
Dave explained he could make a Lithophane from Bob’s image which creates a raised/textured example of the image which could be ‘felt’ by Ritta enabling her to ‘see’ the image. This story comes to us from: Mid Devon Advertiser.
Hyderabad woman goes temporarily blind due to 'wrong smartphone usage
Here are 8 simple tips that smartphone users should follow to protect their eyes. This story comes to us from: Gadgets Now.
Blindness Organizations
Lighthouse Central Florida to Host Sight & Sole Walkfest
On Saturday, February 25th, Lighthouse Central Florida will host its family-friendly Sight & Sole Walkfest to raise awareness and funds for critical services for those living with blindness or visual impairment in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. This story comes to us from: West Orlando News.
Blind people regularly suffer falls says Sight Concern boss
The leader of a sight loss charity has spoken of the challenges and dangers facing blind people in the city centre, including the risk of injury. We reported last week how Rachel Foylan, who is registered blind, had to navigate an 'assault course' every time she went out in Worcester city centre. This story comes to us from: The Worcester News.
Blind and deaf Iowans oppose changes in Reynolds' agency reorganization bill
Cindy Ray, first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa, said she’s lived in other states where she was unable to get employment because of her blindness, but Iowa’s services for the blind are better than most other states, she said, because it’s run by and for blind people. This story comes to us from: Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Being blind hasn't slowed down veteran Woodrow Fryer from helping others
“We try to help people every day and we want everyone to know that we have a Blind Veterans Association right here in Augusta, Georgia. This story comes to us from: WJBF.
Helping blind and visually-impaired Texans gain independence
Financial independence and success are two things we all strive for. But career opportunities shouldn't be limited for those who are blind or visually impaired.
Austin Lighthouse, a nonprofit in Austin, hopes to break that cycle. This story comes to us from: KVUE.
Education
Tuition Waiver for Blind Students
This story is just a list of tuition waivers offered and contains no explanatory or other interesting information. If you're not specifically interested in attending U. Minnesota, I'd skip this one. This story comes to us from: University of Minnesota Morris.
Students Sing and Dance for Blind Man Who Graduated from University and Went for NYSC
A Nigerian man who is blind has completed his university education and has been enlisted for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). After his orientation camp, the man named Mustapha Yusuf Olagoke returned to his school of the blind to celebrate the feat. This story comes to us from: Legit.ng.
Employment
'Don't be afraid to employ a blind person
The Cape Town Society for the Blind (CTSB), since it was established 93 years ago, has been a beacon of hope for blind and visually impaired people. This story comes to us from: IOL.
Increase business partnerships to help blind people find jobs
Author decries the huge debate generated by the recent YouTuber who "cured" blindness in 1,000 people where much more reporting on the staggering number of unemployed blind people — often ignored — might be of more benefit. This story comes to us from: Arizona Capitol Times
Evolve: VR, a Comprehensive Plan to Strengthen SSB
Changes perceptions and biases around hiring people who are blind, visually impaired, and DeafBlind so more employers recognize this talent pool. This story comes to us from: MN.gov.
Empathy and Inclusion: Miami Lighthouse Bridges Gap for Blind, Visually Impaired Students
One of their goals is to bridge the gap for blind students when they are ready to enter traditional schools. This story comes to us from: NBC 6 South Florida.
BNY Mellon Launches App with The Poona School and Home for the Blind to Improve digital literacy.
BNY Mellon today announced the next phase in its 10-year relationship with The Poona School and Home for the Blind, as it looks to boost the institution’s technological capabilities and improve its students’ learning experience through the launch of a Vision Companion & Student Companion App. This story comes to us from: India Education Diary.
Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind benefits from 3 Senate bills
Sponsored by Sen. John Bell of Loudon County, SB 1493 would transfer the school’s Board of Visitors (BOV) from under the supervision of the state secretary of education to under the Governor while SB 825 and 826 would allow VSDB to access criminal records for those applying for positions at the school. This story comes to us from: WHSV
Fundraiser by Alifa Sallah : FIRST ISLAMIC SCHOOL FOR BLIND IN GHANa
The project which is targeting our Muslim brothers and sisters who are visually impaired and has no education but rather depend on begging for alms on the street. This story comes to us from: GoFundMe.
Safety
Watch selfish cyclists ignore pedestrians on zebra crossing in footage that fueled petition to No10
The petition set up by the NFB has been signed by 163 blindness and visual impairment organisations. This story comes to us from: Daily Mail.
We are citizens, too' – Blind man begs Government to fix broken sidewalks
Neil Reid, the blind man who narrowly escaped serious injuries or even death after he fell into a hole in a sidewalk in Kingston, has appealed to the Government to address the 'death traps' on public pavements. This story comes to us from: Jamaica Star.
Woman almost blinded after piercing eyeball on glass shard in freak injury
A woman has been left almost blind in one eye after a 30cm shard of glass pierced her eyeball in a freak accident. This story comes to us from: Yahoo News
Poverty
Rising costs push a blind couple out of Ethiopia's middle class
Seid spends his day providing psychosocial support for vulnerable people. As a civil servant, it is his job to allocate government resources to the rehabilitation of marginalised communities, including sexual harassment survivors, migrant returnees and people with disabilities. Despite being a university graduate with eight years of experience and holding a mid-level job at a government office, he still struggles to make ends meet. This story comes to us from: Al Jazeera.
Man who is registered blind struggling to get help for home without central heating
John Parkin's house at Balderton in Nottinghamshire has no central heating, a broken toilet, a leaking kitchen, and rotting windows. This story comes to us from: ITV.
Crime
Reprisal attack: 80-year-old blind man set ablaze as soldiers invade Anambra community
“The community has been deserted and soldiers are still patrolling the area. Houses that were not burnt had their glass windows smashed. This story comes to us from: Tribune Online.
Andhra Pradesh: Young blind girl assaulted and hacked to death in Tadepalli!
In an atrocity that took place in Tadepalli of Guntur district, a young woman was brutally murdered in the NTR Katta area by a man living in the same area under the influence of marijuana. This story comes to us from: The Hans India.
Blinding As A Weapon
Iranian protesters suffer eye injuries due to attacks by security forces. This story comes to us from: IranianWire.
Guide Dogs
Blind woman starring in show about guide dogs is denied cab ride
Currently in Calgary performing Raising Stanley/Life with Tulia, a show the blind activist helped create to tell her stories of living and working with guide dogs, Kilpatrick says she was denied a cab ride after a matinee performance this week — because of her guide dog, Ginger. This story comes to us from: Calgary Herald.
Guide dog users say they face 'tiresome' discrimination in rideshares and travel
A few months ago, Kate Higgins ordered an Uber to get home from a dentist appointment in Watertown. “I got a message from the driver saying, ‘I'm not going to cancel, but I'm not going to pick you up,’” she said. Higgins, who is blind and uses a guide dog, a yellow lab named Dodger, felt she had no choice but to pay $5 to cancel the ride and request a new one. She suspected the first driver didn’t want to pick her up when he saw her dog. When the second driver arrived, they explicitly told her she couldn’t ride because of Dodger. “It was like my two strikes in a row,” she said. Finally, a third driver picked her up and she went on her way. This story comes to us from: WGBH.
Legal
Woman suing Guelph General claims misdiagnosis caused blindness
A Guelph woman and her children are suing Guelph General Hospital (GGH) and several doctors for a collective $1.57 million, claiming misdiagnosis of the woman’s condition led to her becoming permanently blind. This story comes to us from: Guelph Today.
Business
Age Related Vision Dysfunction Market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 130 Billion by 2033
rising incidence of visual impairment and blindness is a primary driver of the global age related vision dysfunction market’s expansion. This story comes to us from: PharmiWeb.com.
Purdue Ventures invests $250,000 in assistive educational technology company
Purdue Ventures, which manages three funds to support Purdue University-connected startups, has invested $250,000 in Tactile Engineering Inc., a company that has developed assistive educational technology to enable people affected by blindness and low vision. Purdue Ventures’ investment is part of a larger $1.5 million funding round for Tactile Engineering that includes investments from Elevate Ventures, Queen City Angels and private individuals. This story comes to us from: EurekAlert.
Lifestyle
Disabilities Disney+ Needs To Showcase – What's On Disney Plus
Throughout 2021 and 2022 I’ve written several articles about Disney+ and disabilities, but now I want to take a look at several disabilities that I feel need more light shined on them and why Disney+ could be the perfect home for Disney to tell stories about what is, in my opinion, the most forgotten minority group, the disabled. This story comes to us from: What's On Disney Plus.
Matthew Korpman: Is MrBeast the Antichrist?
Although helping 1,000 blind people to see is usually considered a positive thing for society, many on Twitter are mad that the viral YouTuber “MrBeast” has made a video about it or that society required his generosity at all. This story comes to us from: Adventist Today.
[Accounts vary on Valentine's Day origins, but with a Possible Blindness Connection]30]
Stories say the imprisoned Valentine actually was writing to a blind woman he purportedly healed, and signed the note "from your Valentine." This story comes to us from: Magnolia Banner News.
Bristol family face 'race against time' to save blind boy's hearing
The family of a 10-year-old boy who was born blind have said they are facing a "race against time" to save his hearing. This story comes to us from: BBC.
I surprised my partially blind wife by secretly learning to do makeup
Maryland, has gone viral on TikTok and Twitter after sharing that he secretly learned how to do makeup after his wife went partially blind. This story comes to us from: New York Post.
Wife of blind man 'let down' by North Middlesex Hospital
wife of a 50-year-old blind man with serious mobility issues says she feels “angry and let down” after their hospital cancelled an appointment without telling them. Elizabeth Woolley took her husband Lee to North Middlesex hospital on Wednesday (February 15) for a scheduled appointment. Her husband, who was forced to retire because of his medical issues, is blind and has multiple disabilities, including microvascular disease and severely ulcerated legs. This story comes to us from: Enfield Independent.
Hit by a car, wife battling cancer, and supply burned: Mesa vendor refuses to give up
Sebastian Ibañez is legally blind and partially deaf. When no one would give him a job, he took matters into his own hands and became an entrepreneur. This story comes to us from: 12News.com.
Art and Artists
Claudia Winkleman show The Piano leaves people in tears as blind girl gives 'beautiful' performance
Viewers were left in tears after watching a blind 13-year-old girl flawlessly perform Chopin on the piano at a train station in Birmingham. This story comes to us from: Daily Mail.
“Living with vision loss is challenging”: Actress Maureen Okpoko pleads for assistance
The troubled movie star admitted she is blind and suggested that if immediate medical help is not obtained, the issue might eventually result in irreversible blindness. This story comes to us from: Legit.ng.
Amadou & Mariam doc 'The Blind Couple From Mali' Doc Begins Shooting
Amadou & Mariam doc 'The Blind Couple From Mali' Doc Begins Shooting – Deadline
Deadline
The documentary brings together a team of filmmakers with a track record in telling stories about accessibility and people living with disabilities. This story comes to us from: Deadline.
Actress, Maureen Okpoko says she is going blind
Maureen Okpoko made this known in a social media post, where she also solicited for financial aid to treat her vision impairment before she goes blind. This story comes to us from: TheNiche.
Sports and Athletes
Blind Football: Men's and women's teams for the IBSA World Games
The IBSA Blind Football Sports Committee informs that the national teams that will compete at the 2023 IBSA Blind Football World Championships, integrated into the 2023 IBSA World Games, are set. The women’s tournament will take place between August 12 and 21 and will have eight (8) national teams competing for the world title. The countries are as follows: Great Britain, Germany, India, Japan, Morocco, Argentina, Ghana, and Mali. The men’s tournament will be between August 12th and 25th, and will have 16 teams from the following countries: Great Britain, France, Turkey, Germany, Italy, China, Thailand, Japan, Iran, Morocco, Mali, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Spain. This story comes to us from: International Blind Sports Federation.
The blind and low-vision women taking on cricket, and pushing it to a whole new level
It's a tough gig playing cricket when you can't always see the ball. Just ask Julie Neumann, who is a wicketkeeper for Queensland's Blind and Low Vision team. "My legs are completely covered in bruises and so are my hands. And people think that I'm crazy," Neumann said. This story comes to us from: ABC.
RIDING BLIND: Club helps visually impaired cyclists keep pedaling around New Orleans
Editor: This story is told entirely in a video.
This story comes to us from: FOX 8.
Ski lessons for the blind, visually impaired through nonprofit
The Omaha-based nonprofit "Outlook Enrichment" offered ski lessons for the blind and visually impaired at Mount Crescent Ski Area Sunday. The event ran from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It allowed people to pursue a passion or try something new with the assistance of Outlook Enrichment. This story comes to us from: KETV.
Blind Kansas City Chiefs fan checks Super Bowl off 'vision bucket list
One Kansas City fan will do anything to see a Chiefs Super Bowl LVII win because of what she's losing. Janae Nezerka is predicting a Chiefs win. Unfortunately, there’s one thing she could never predict. "In my left eye, I’m considered doubly legally blind. Right I still have some vision,” Nezerka said. An infection decades ago led to scar tissue leading this member of Chiefs Kingdom to go blind. This story comes to us from: KMBC.
Letterkenny man sets sights on Kilimanjaro
A LETTERKENNY man who was once left paralysed from a rare neurological disorder is set to climb Africa’s highest mountain in aid of the Irish Guide Dogs Donegal Branch. This story comes to us from: Donegal News.
Blind skateboarder Coco Atama is a ‘sports junkie’ and an inspiration
Atama, aged 27, uses his white cane to maneuvery around a popular L.A. skateboard park. This story comes to us from: Cronkite News.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): IndusInd Bank felicitates Indian Blind Cricket Team for historic win at 3rd T20 World Cup
The felicitation took place in the presence of the Managing Director & CEO of IndusInd Bank, Mr. Sumant Kathpalia, along with CABI President Mr. Mahantesh G Kivadasannavar and other senior Bank officials. As a token of appreciation, the Bank awarded the team with a cash prize for their consistency, unwavering spirit and dedication to the sport. This story comes to us from: The CSR Journal.
paralysed, Paralympian continues to love life and sport
Thomas Yong is a blind Paralympian who has represented Singapore in swimming and Bowling since 1988. Last year, he suffered a fall that left him paralysed from the neck down. Yet he remains resilient thanks to the love of his family. This story comes to us from: YouTube.
Weirdness
Woman at Gym Complains That Guy is "Staring" at Her, Turns Out He's Legally Blind
A blind gym goer said that he was confronted by a woman for "staring" at her while working out and that telling her he couldn't see didn't help. This story comes to us from: Distractify.
These centipedes 'see' sunlight, even without eyes
They use their antennae like a blind person's cane to essentially feel around in the dark. This story comes to us from: Science