What's Inside
- Smart glasses that support Indian languages.
- Education for blind people in Brazil.
- Caregiver accused of fraud against blind.
- DEI initiatives should include disability.
- Hasbro sued for inaccessible web site.
- RNIB takes to Twitch to show off how blind gamers play.
- Legally blind man with autism becomes children's book illustrator.
- Canadian blind archer heads off to tournament.
- And, about 40 stories about blind people and blindness from all over the world.
Editorial By Chris Hofstader
Welcome to edition 68 of Blindness Briefs. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe that we've been posting this news digest about all things blindness for nearly 70 consecutive weeks. While editing the briefs is a pretty repetitive task, it's also one of the most interesting that we do each week. I'm forced to look at virtually every article about blindness in the world, choose which are worthy of including in the digest and find that I'm far more well informed than ever before about our community.
This week, we have about 40 stories about the titular subject of Blindness Briefs and it's kind of hard to pick my favorites. It's an eclectic group and, while I usually mention those I found most interesting in the editorial, this week that would be far too many and too diverse a list. This one is chock full of excellent stories.
We hope you enjoy this edition of Blindness Briefs.
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
Bernard Newcomb, Blind Software Engineer, Helped Launch E*Trade
In the early 1980s, William A. Porter had an outlandish idea: People should be able to trade stocks via their home computers, and for software expertise, he turned to the recently deceased Bernard Newcomb, a legally blind programmer who grew up in the small town of Scio, Oregon. This story comes to us from: The Wall Street Journal.
Orlando teen hopes to change how the blind see the world
Tiffani Gay created a prototype visor to help those with vision problems; The visor has sensors that inform the person that something is approaching them. This story comes to us from: News 13.
Unlike market competitor, our smart vision glasses support Indian languages
There are currently an estimated 15 million blind people in India and another 135 million people with some form of visual impairment. This story comes to us from: The Financial Express.
AI tool helping the blind
Danish phone app Be My Eyes is testing using ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot, to analyze images and explain them to customers. This story comes to us from: – CBS Miami.
Blindness Organizations
American Council of the Blind Applauds ScripTalk Talking Label Pilot at Wegmans
The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is pleased to share the announcement of the ScripTalk Talking Prescription Label pilot. This story comes to us from: PR Newswire.
JCPenney Executive Vice President, Chief Merchant Michelle Wlazlo to Be Honored by Foreseeable Future Foundation at the Organization's Annual Fundraising Gala
Foreseeable Future Foundation (FFF), a leading national nonprofit organization advocating for the visually impaired and blind community through educational awareness events as well as funding athletic endeavors, will honor Michelle Wlazlo, JCPenney's Executive Vice President and Chief Merchant. Ms. Wlazlo will be honored alongside fashion icon, entrepreneur, and human rights advocate Kathy Ireland at the organization's annual Seeing Past Sight gala, taking place on the evening of May 16, 2023 at New York's Tribeca 360. The announcement was made by Griffin Pinkow, Founder and CEO of Foreseeable Future Foundation. This story comes to us from: Yahoo Finance.
Education
University of Baguio graduate is first blind Bar exam passer
A University of Baguio law graduate defied expectations and became the first blind examinee to pass the Bar examination. This story comes to us from: Inquirer.net.
Kentucky Edition | Changing How Blind People Read
The American Printing House for the Blind is revolutionizing the way blind people read via a multi-line refreshable braille device. This story comes to us from: PBS.
Interesting Facts About José Álvares De Azevedo, The "Patron Of Education For The Blind In Brazil
He was the first blind Brazilian teacher, introduced the Braille system to Brazil, is regarded as the “Patron of Education for the Blind in Brazil. This story comes to us from: Time Bulletin.
Discrimination and Inaccessibility
Blind Vermonters share their challenges with public transit and the struggle for independence
There are many blind or visually impaired Vermonters who share Kylee's challenges. This story comes to us from: The VTDigger.
Safety
Cyclists refuse to stop for blind man and a wheelchair-user at London bus stop
Video shows bikers weaving past wheelchair-user and blind man at controversial 'floating bus stops' that force pedestrians into path of bikes. This story comes to us from: The Daily Mail.
Blind man and wife deal with tornado aftermath
One blind man and his wife made it through the storms in Arkansas safely, but now his disability is impacting their recovery. This story comes to us from: YouTube.
Crime
Legally blind Arlington man still missing three weeks after disappearance
Edward Leydon, 56, of Arlington was last seen wearing jeans, sneakers, and a blue windbreaker jacket on the morning of March 20. This story comes to us from: Boston.com.
Caretaker of a blind, handicapped woman accused of fraud
RACINE — A caretaker of a blind and handicapped woman has been accused of making more than $1200 in fraudulent purchases using the woman's debit card. This story comes to us from: The Journal Times.
Fraudster who conned blind woman out of £9,500 faces jail
Blind woman conned out of £9,500 by fraudster who never completed croft work. This story comes to us from: Press and Journal.
Politics
Connecticut turns a blind eye to the visually impaired
Low vision and blind CT residents are denied the most basic tool for navigating through their lives thanks to a legislative budget bumble. This story comes to you from: CT 11Mirror.
Why DEI initiatives should include disability
Henry, the founder, president, and chief executive officer at Vancouver-based Northwest Association for Blind Athletes, prefers the term “IDEA” (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) because he says it’s a more comprehensive definition of equity. This story comes to us from: The Business Journals.
Legal
Hasbro class action claims fan site not accessible to blind, visually impaired visitors
Toro claims Hasbro is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, … SoulCycle settles class action over ADA website accessibility. This story comes to us from: Top Class Actions.
Amsoil class action alleges website denies disabled customers equal access to goods, services
Plaintiff Janelys Hernandez says she is legally blind and requires screen-reading software to access website content on her computer. She says she attempted to purchase transmission fluid from the Amsoil website but was unable to independently complete the transaction due to accessibility issues. For screen-reading software. This story comes to us from: Top Class Actions.
Lifestyle
Royal National Institute of Blind People’s Twitch Livestreams Shows What It’s Like to Game with Sight Loss
Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and The&Partnership have launched a new initiative – Design for Every Gamer – to challenge perceptions and create real change in the world of gaming. To launch the initiative, RNIB and The&Partnership have joined with sighted and blind and partially sighted gamers on livestreaming platform Twitch. Together, the gamers will play popular video games and have an honest conversation about this very real issue. This story comes to us from: lbbonline.com.
Opinion | Going Blind: Anger, Fear and Hope
I have been gradually going blind for the past 20 years. I didn’t pay attention — I thought I needed better glasses — until one night I popped out to go to the bathroom in a crowded movie theater. When I returned, the people and the seats had disappeared. I couldn’t see anything except the screen. I stood in the back of the theater until my partner, Laurie, came to find me. This was disconcerting, but I went about my business in my usual state of cheerful denial. This story comes to us from: The New York Times.
I was called a 'drama queen' with low pain tolerance — until I went blind
Hazal Baybasin's doctors insisted that she was just getting excruciating migraines and had a low pain tolerance — then she went blind in 48 hours. This story comes to us from: New York Post.
[Orlando teen hopes to change how the blind see the world][
One Orlando teenager hopes to change how the blind interact with the world around them. This story comes to us from: News 13.
Art and Artists
Blind man with autism becomes book illustrator
The illustrator has overcome a lot in his life. Sebastian Franco was diagnosed with autism when he was about 1.5 years old, and he's legally blind. This story comes to us from: WFMZ.
Great Falls roommates who are blind share vision for filmmaking
A pair of blind Great Falls filmmakers are taking part in the Easterseals Disability film challenge with their film 'Now Then Forever'. This story comes to us from: KRTV.
Scared of the Dark will help public understand sight loss, says blind contestant
Chris McCausland says Channel 4 show gave him the experience of ‘being the most able’ competitor. This story comes to us from: The Guardian.
Blind Can Film Festival highlights blind people doing amazing things
The festival isn't just about creating and showcasing movies, it's also about teaching blind people how to use camera equipment to be able to become filmmakers themselves. This story comes to us from: WTXL.
Legally blind Wichitan with autism overcomes obstacles to become children’s book illustrator
Despite the obstacles, Sebastian Franco’s talent and creativity are on display in works of children’s literature. This story comes to us from: KWCH.
20 Famous Blind Piano players
Jeff Healey was a Canadian guitarist, singer, and songwriter known for his virtuosic blues and rock guitar playing style, Despite being blinX###Sports and Athletes
Sports and Athletes
How a blind Mexican runner's belief in destiny cleared his hurdles on the way to Boston Marathon
It's also part of an eternal healing process for Juarez, who was left blind from a stray bullet that struck him below the left eye 28 years ago. This story comes to us from: ESPN.
Blind Wabash Valley man climbing world's tallest mountain
Climbing the world's tallest mountain is steep goal, climbing it when your blind, is an even rockier challenge. This story comes to us from: MyWabashValley.com.
###Camp Wood YMCA hosts Ranch Weekend for blind, visually impaired students
In 2017, Pinkow founded the Foreseeable Future Foundation to 'advocate for the visually impaired and blind community through educational awareness events as well as through funding athletic endeavors. This story comes to us from: The Emporia Gazette.
[Local high school students release 3-minute documentary on blind skate boarder
Chad Rivera, a North County skater and jiu-jitsu instructor who is also blind, has inspired others in the community with his perseverance and positivity. This story comes to us from: The Encinitas Advocate.
'I'm going to jump the darkness' – Blind skateboarder Marcelo Lusardi
Skateboarder Marcelo Lusardi refuses to let his visual impairment stop him from his passion: skateboarding. This story comes to us from: Eurosport.
India's first-ever Women's team for the Blind Announced, will tour Nepal from 25th April
On the 11th of April 2023, the selection of India's first-ever women's team … Congratulations to India's First Ever Blind Women Cricket Team. This story comes to us from: Female Cricket.
Alberta teen with limited vision among all-star Canadians heading to international archery competition
An Alberta teenager will join some of the country's best archers at an international competition in South Africa this summer — but it's not just her skills on the range that are making an impression.
"Being legally blind, it was something I struggled with from an early age is fitting in," 18-year-old Anna Kim told CTV News Edmonton. This story comes to us from: CTV News.
In Memoriam
Alfred Lanzilotti Obituary (1944 – 2023)
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made in Alfred's name to the National Federation of the Blind. This story comes to us from: Legacy.com.
[Bernie Newcomb, the blind programmer who created E-Trade, dies at 79][
Born legally blind, he co-founded the company that revolutionized stock trading — “a broker in a box," as one newspaper put it. This story comes to us from: The Washington Post.
Weirdness
Everything is in God’s vineyard: Woman grants rare wish of going blind by applying chemicals to her eyes
Jewel Shooping was born in North Carolina, United States, and felt the need to be blind when she was 6 years old. He assures that he must have been born with this disability, which is why he always tried to change his vision and thus fulfill his dream. This story comes to us from: Nation World News.
Blind Nigerian man proposes to best friend whom he thinks is his girlfriend
In a TikTok video that has received a lot of love reactions, Obianna revealed that he knew Juliet before he got blind and that they have been best of friends for five years. . This story comes to us from: GhPage.