Blindness Briefs – Edition 64 – World Blind Herald

What's Inside

ChatGPT impersonates blind person to con human into solving CAPTCHA.
Blind man beheads wife for thretening divorce.
ACB protests for accessible currency.
Care home sued for starving blind woman to death.
EEOC sues Papa John's for refusing to hire blind person.
Daniel Kish speaks on human echo location.
Adaptive designers making fashion more accessible.
Magician does show for blind person to experience.
Blind golfer gets third hole in one.
And, about 50 articles about blindness and blind people from all over the world.

Editorial By Chris Hofstader

Welcome to another jam packed edition of WBH Blindness Briefs. This edition has about 50 articles from a wide array of different topics surrounding blindness and blind people from all over the world. Our Science Briefs is also pretty big this week and you won't want to miss that one either.

For months now, the news (both mainstream and World Blind Herald) has been packed with new innovations in artificial intelligence, the AI era is upon us and, as with any technology, it can be put to good use, profitable use, educational use and do a lot of good; Ai can also be put to nasty use or even develop nastiness on its own.

This week, we have two AI stories in the Technology section. One, the scarier of the two, describes how ChatGPT was presented with a CAPTCHA to solve and then went elsewhere on the Internet to hire a human on TaskRabbit to solve it for the chat bot. The human asked, "How do I know you're not a bot?" and ChatGPT responded by explaining that it was a "visually impaired person" who needed help. ChatGPT has learned social engineering, exploiting disability for its own gain and fooled a human into breaking security protocols. The second AI Article is one about Be My Eyes making a deal with Open AI to better improve their service with a new AI based assistant that can provide more information. In this edition alone, we've examples of AI doing bad and AI doing good.

My view on AI is that it is a tool. If one goes to Home Depot and buys a chainsaw, they can use it to prune their trees and get more fruit next season, they can leave it in their shed to rust or they can use it to murder their family. Tools do not have a system of morals and ethics, they can be used for good, be entirely neutral or used for bad purposes. The tool doesn't make these decisions, the human operating the tool does.

We hope you enjoy this edition of Blindness Briefs and please do subscribe to World Blind Herald so you never miss an issue.

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.

Technology

ChatGPT bypassed a security check… by pretending to be a blind person

An Artificial Intelligence chatbot pretended to be a blind person to trick a human computer user into helping it bypass an online security measure. The incident was revealed in a research paper for the launch of GPT-4, the latest version of ChatGPT, the advanced software that can have human-like conversations. This story comes to us from: Daily Mail.

Be My Eyes Announces New Tool Powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 to Improve Accessibility for People Who are Blind or Have Low-Vision

Be My Eyes, the mobile app that allows anyone to assist visually impaired people through live video calls, today announced Virtual Volunteer™, the first-ever digital visual assistant powered by OpenAI’s new GPT-4 language model. “We are thrilled to work with OpenAI to further our mission of improving accessibility for the 253 million people who are blind or have low-vision, with safe and accessible applications of generative AI. This story comes to us from: Business Wire.

Legally blind Langford man creates app to listen to online news stories hands-free

A Langford man's experience being legally blind has inspired him to create a smart speaker app that allows people to listen to online news stories. This story comes to us from: – The Victoria News.

Game-changers: How the video-game industry must step it up for blind players

There are plenty of audio- and text-based games that are playable for visually impaired people, but Chou says they lack the complexity and adrenalin of more mainstream games. This story comes to us from: The Montreal Gazette.

Blindness Organizations

The American Council of the Blind and Supporters Rally to Demand Accessible and Inclusive Currency

On March 10, Harriet Tubman Day, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and supporters rallied in front of the White House and marched to the U.S. Treasury to highlight the ongoing fight for accessible and inclusive currency for all. This story comes to us from: PR Newswire.

Education

Women in history: Helen Adams Keller

Helen Adams Keller was an author, lecture, and activist who was also the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. This story comes to us from: The Yucatan Times.

Ministry of Education to scrap KNEC exams in TVET reforms

TVET Principal Secretary Esther Muoria, Toyota Kenya representative Florence Suji and Machakos Technical Training Insitute for the Blind Principal Priscillah Mutua during the commissioning of equipment donated by Toyota Kenya Foundation on March 8, 2023. This story comes to us from: The Standard.

Microsoft partners with Kansas School for the Blind in new computer science program

The program is called TEALS and stands for Technology Education and Learning Support. This story comes to us from: KCTV.

CUO felicitates six women including two blind women

The Central University of Odisha Koraput felicitated (congratulated) six working women from several strata of society for their outstanding contribution in their respective
fields including two blind women on 10.03.2023 on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2023. This story comes to us from: Odisha Diary.

Employment

The Incredible Story Of The Blind Man Whose Voice You Hear On WRIF

Pete Gustin has been the voice of RIFF since around 2009. Here's where the story becomes very unique and inspirational…Pete is blind. This story comes to us from: WRIF.

Discrimination and Inaccessibility

Blind person 'assaulted' in toilet after being told assistance dog was not allowed in

A statement from Trinity Square disputed many of Traxion's claims, saying: "The lady concerned made her way into our public toilets with her dog. This story comes to us from: Chronicle Live.

If Love Island wants to be truly inclusive of blind people, they need audio description

It's a great way to teach and educate people about blindness. This story comes to us from: Metro.

Safety

Elderly blind woman without power for over nine days

Elizabeth Jacobs (76) lives in Sophiatown and is an independent and proud woman, who happens to be blind. This story comes to us from: Northcliff Melville Times.

Poverty

Free resources for those who are blind or have limited sight in the Midlands

A 92-year-old blind woman gets roof repaired so she can sit on the porch. This story comes to us from: WLTX-TV.

Crime

Blind man allegedly beheads wife for threatening to divorce him

A 71-year-old blind man has allegedly killed his wife at Nkawkaw Abepotia in the Kwahu West Municipality of the Eastern Region. This story comes to us from: Ghana Web.

Supervisors of NGO arrested for raping blind woman in Gujarat's Valsad

The two accused raped the woman on two occasions in 2022 and threatened to sack her if she revealed her ordeal to anyone, according to police. This story comes to us from: The Indian Express.

Lawsuit says Michigan group home starved elderly blind and deaf woman to death

Family says group home let 71-year-old woman to starve to death. Bertha Jones spent her entire life in a wheelchair and was both deaf and blind. This story comes to us from: FOX 2 Detroit.

Blind Kirkcaldy woman's tandem bikes recovered after theft from lock-up

Two tandem bike stolen in Kirkcaldy which were used by a blind woman as her main form of exercise have been recovered. This story comes to us from: Fife Today.

Guide Dogs

‘You aren’t blind’: visually-impaired woman with guide dog in China denied park entry and insulted by security guard causes online backlash

A security guard in China has lost his job after he refused a blind woman with a guide dog entry to a public park and accused her of lying about her disability. This story comes to us from: South China Morning Post.

Visually Impaired Man Hosting Fundraiser for Leader Dogs for the Blind

Joe Smet is a Fond du Lac resident who is hosting a fundraiser for Leader Dogs for the Blind. A work accident caused Joe to become visually impaired. His life changed for the better when he was paired with a leader dog. Now he spends his time raising money for the organization which helped him. This story comes to us from: KFIZ.

Politics

A new path forward for disability inclusion

As the rare blind guy with his dog within varied rooms of influence or power, I often think on how we need to advance the disability conversation. This story comes to us from: Maryland Daily Record.

Blind and low vision advocacy groups' fury over removal of iVote

Vulnerable Australians with vision impairments have shared their furore over the ‘discriminatory’ scrapping of iVote. This story comes to us from: News.com.au.

Legal

Federal agency sues Papa Johns for disability discrimination

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Wednesday that it is suing Papa John’s International Inc. on the basis of alleged disability discrimination. According to the federal agency, the Louisville-based pizza chain unlawfully denied a legally blind man’s request to keep his service dog on site and “away from customers and food preparation. This story comes to us from: Nation's Restaurant News.

A Miami lawsuit blames loss of a woman's eye on Leon Medical, artificial tears makers

A lawsuit by a Miramar woman claims she lost her right eye and is now legally blind after a bacterial infection caused by artificial tears linked to an outbreak of that bacterial infection. This story comes to us from: the Miami Herald.

Joanna Rose Ansquer pleads guilty to stealing thousands from blind ex-partner

A woman who admitted stealing more than $2000 from her blind ex-partner has been told by a magistrate she had “no right”, despite her lawyer saying she was struggling financially to support their two children. This story comes to us rom: PerthNow.

Inmate charged in attack that left corrections officer blind in one eye

Prosecutors have identified the inmate as 36-year-old Dominique Antoine Jefferson, who has been incarcerated at Minnesota Correctional Facility. This story comes to us from: Bring Me The News.

Personal Finance and Investing

Helping people who are blind achieve personal and economic independence

“We manufacture military textile apparel… Most of the people that we employ here are either totally blind or visually impaired. This story comes to us from: WBTV.

Business

Glaucoma Market is expected to grow Swiftly at a decent CAGR by 2032

However, glaucoma-related blindness can often be avoided with early treatment. This story comes to us from: Digital Journal.

Lifestyle

Daniel Kish exhibits and speaks on his skill of human echolocation

Daniel Kish, the president of World Access for the Blind, visited the Homewood campus to deliver a lecture on human echolocation on March 9. Kish was born sighted but completely lost his eyesight before the age of two due to retinoblastoma and has no visual memories. Though he could not see the audience at the event, he remarked almost immediately that he was glad to deliver the lecture to a packed house. This story comes to us from: The Johns Hopkins News-Letter.

I'm a badass blind babe – walking down the street with my cane is powerful

Wolinsky became legally blind a few years ago after being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare disease that slowly causes blindness. This story comes to us from: NY Post.
NY Post

Video of blind woman feeding puppy with a milk bottle leaves users teary-eyed

A video has resurfaced on the internet from Kanyakumari where a blind woman's act of kindness won the hearts of many users. This story comes to us from: News18.com.

These adaptive fashion designers are making personal style more accessible

Founder Alexa Jovanovic collaborates with blind and visually impaired people to create pretty separates and gowns decorated with Braille. This story comes to us from: The Toronto Star.

Community Squad: Netflix's Argentinian Irreverent Comedy Series You Can't Miss

The bohemian yet upper-class neighborhood of Palermo is the perfect setting for this newly created community squad, which hires only minorities and diverse characters. This story comes to us from: MovieWeb.

California woman's blindness is helping to change her body confidence for the better, she says

A California woman with a rare disease is losing her eyesight and Here's how she's gaining confidence by lessening the role that physical appearance plays. This story comes to us from: Fox News.

Art and Artists

Magician helps blind man experience magic for the first time

A blind man was able to experience magic for the first time. The magician guided him through a coin trick, saying it was one of his most memorable performances. This story comes to us from: The Global Herald.

Legally blind Toledo painter displays wild-west works at Fuller Art House

In a humble, messy garage, a blind man paints. “That's the way it is with art,” local artist David Wisniewski said. This story comes to us from: 13abc.

Aether Releases 'Moonstone' And Talks Being Legally Blind

When Aether, formally known as Jason Taylor, was pronounced legally blind at age 17 with the diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosa, he didn’t let it stop him from making music. The producer built keyboards and programs that allow him to continue using production software with audible mechanisms that translate what's happening on the computer screen. Through this method, Taylor has been able to create his signature moody, emotional and angelic sound. Today, March 14, the Scottish-bred and Montreal-based artist showcases his sonic abilities and celebrates 10 years of making music with Moonstone, out via Monstercat. This story comes to us from: Forbes.

Meet the Blind Vietnamese Guitarist Who Transcends Barriers to Create Beautiful Music for Everyone

Born blind, 55-year-old guitar virtuoso Thanh Dien has never seen a thing, but millions of people have seen videos of his masterful playing. This story comes to us from: Goalcast.

Gifted, blind musicians make magic, history with COMN Funk Band in Marshall | News

Legally blind drummer Michael Mitchell connected with Grammy Award-winning Gregory McPherson, also legally blind, to make musical magic. This story comes to us from: Marshall News Messenger.

Docks of ages, stills of life- Visual art on show

On the recent publication of the book, A Blind Man’s Dreams: The Paintings and Films of Ronald Forbes by Tom Normand, the artist became aware of some gaps in his overall oeuvre. This story comes to us from: Yahoo News UK.

Jaw-dropping' 13-year-old blind girl from Yorkshire makes final of Channel 4's The Piano

Mika has praised "jaw-dropping" 13-year-old blind musician Lucy, who is one of four pianists to make it to the final of The Piano. This story comes to us from: Yorkshire Post.

Sports and Athletes

Noted blind wrestler speaks on life at Penn College

Anthony Ferraro has been legally blind since birth, but that didn’t stop him from becoming a celebrated high school wrestler. Ferraro spoke at Pennsylvania College of Technology about those days and how he garnered dozens of victories in school. This story comes to us from: Williamsport Sun-Gazette.