What's Inside
- Another smart cane developed, this one in Nigeria.
- Amazon reveals new accessibility features.
- Teacher invents new ways to teach StEM subjects to blind students.
- July is disability pride month.
- Blind fashion show.
- Italy hosts blind baseball clinic.
- And about 45 articles about all things blindness and blind people from all over the world.
Editorial By Chris Hofstader
Welcome to edition 77 of Blindness Briefs. If you read the editorial in last week's edition, you would know that my father died suddenly. My family was spread from as far west as Hawaii and as far east as Athens, Greece on the day my dad died and we all had to get to Denver Colorado for a funeral and such. As a result, because World Blind Herald is a small operation and much of the work is done by me, we haven't been too active for the past two weeks.
As we did last week, I've combined the Science Briefs with the Blindness briefs this week both to save time and because we only had three or four science articles this week it didn't seem worthwhile to break them out into their own post. Science Briefs will return next week.
We haven't published a feature article in a couple of weeks either due to the hectic schedule my family tragedy caused. We will have one this week and our new schedule publishes those articles on Thursdays.
This week we have 47 stories from all over the world and I hope you enjoy them.
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
Malmesbury blind woman given bionic eye to help see again
A blind woman is learning to see again thanks to a new ground breaking trial involving a microchip placed in her eye. This story comes to us from: BBC News.
Female high school students in Nigeria invent smart walking sticks for the blind
Demonstrating remarkable innovative skills in robotics and coding, the girls invented Smart Sticks that can detect obstacles. This story comes to us from: Face2Face Africa.
Amazon Shares '11 Most Helpful Accessibility Features' In Newly-Published Blog Post
In 2019, the American Foundation for the Blind honored Amazon with the highly prestigious Helen Keller Achievement Award for what Landau described as “its work to improve access to its products and services for people with disabilities." This story comes to us from: Forbes.
Congressman Mike Thompson introduces Access Technology Affordability Act
Mark A. Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind, noted that his wife, two of his daughter (sic) and he are blind. This story comes to us from: Daily Democrat.
Science and Medicine
Novel gene therapy developed to treat intraocular pressure of glaucoma
After many years of research, we were able to sequentially identify an MMP – namely, MMP-3 – that was able to digest away built-up proteins, increase the outflow of aqueous, and thereby decrease this IOP. This story comes to us from: The Medicine Maker.
Unmasking Anosognosia: Revealing Hidden Brain Networks in Unawareness
Visual anosognosia, also known as Anton syndrome, involves complete cortical blindness and unawareness of this vision loss. This story comes to us from: Neuroscience News.
Glaucoma: Understanding the symptoms, causes, and treatment
Known as the "silent thief of sight," glaucoma is a leading cause of permanent blindness by damaging the eye's optic nerve. This story comes to us from: NewsBytes.
Higher levels of diglycerides and triglycerides adversely associated with glaucoma
Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most common form, and yet the cause of this disease is poorly understood; findings from previous genome-wide association studies suggest that there is a complex metabolic network that affects optic nerve health. This story comes to us from: EurekAlert!
COVID shots associated with increased risk of blindness
The broad range of reported side effects is also astounding. They involve just about every part, organ and system of the body, including a range of eye problems. For example, looking at the list of reported side effects in 18-and-over age group in the CDC’s PRR document,3 we find: Ocular discomfort, Eye contusions (bruising), Eye color change, Eyelid sensory disorder, Hypoesthesia eye (numbness of the eye, typically resulting from nerve damage and/or blood clots that result in tissue damage), Retinal vein occlusion (blood clot in the vein that carries deoxygenated blood from your retina back to your heart), Retinal artery occlusion (blood clot in the artery that feeds blood to your retina). This story comes to us from: Beaufort County Now.
Blindness Organizations
[On the Move: Beyond Blindness Expands Board of Directors, Ophthalmic Advisory Board][14
Beyond Blindness, an Orange County-based nonprofit, announces nine appointments. This story comes to us from: Orange County Business Journal.
Legally blind York County man rappels down Holiday Inn
74-year-old Tom Keasey and his supporters raised over $10,000 to help VisionCorps and its mission to empower the visually impaired. This story comes to us from: The York Daily Record.
Education
Classmates of a young boy in Arizona raising money for classmate going blind
FOX News Reporter Irene Snyder has more on what the classmates are doing and what they hope to accomplish. This story comes to us from: Daily Telegraph.
Prevent Blindness leads efforts to address the impact of vision loss and blindness on mental health
Presentations and active discussions related to mental health and vision will be the focus of Prevent Blindness’ second day of the organization’s upcoming 2023 Focus on Eye Health Summit (July 13). This story comes to us from: Optometry Times.
Teacher Invents a Device That Revolutionizes Braille, STEM and Art Learning for Blind
According to the National Federation of the Blind, only 10 percent of blind children were learning to read and write (Braille). This story comes to us from: EIN News.
July is Disability Pride Month
An article that looks at the history of several advocacy organizations for the blind and how they have made life better for blind people and even the sighted. This story comes to us from: Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA.
Lighthouse Guild Awards College Scholarships of $10,000 Each To 15 Students Who Are Blind
Funds Help Recipients Offset Education Costs To Pursue Academic and Career Goals. This story comes to us from: Yahoo Finance.
Seeing Hand Association Hands Out Scholarships | News, Sports, Jobs
Colton Ashbury, Sadie Macfarland, and Haley Nisperly are the inaugural recipients of the Bob Hicks Memorial Scholarship from the Seeing Hand Association whose mission is to help the blind and visually impaired lead fulfilling and independent lives. This story comes to us from: The Intelligencer.
West Michigan educator wins national Braille Teacher of the Year award
"There's so much great work going on in the education and the advancement of visually impaired and blind students." This story comes to us from: FOX 17.
[Dangerous toxic plants which cause blindness spotted near Bolton][43
Blindness can also be caused if Giant Hogweed gets into the eyes; therefore, to help people avoid the dangerous plant, an interactive map has been published. This story comes to us from: Yahoo News UK.
Employment
Kaduna: NGO empowers wives and daughters of blind beggars – The Sun Nigeria
The women learned how to make everyday small chops like cupcakes, doughnuts, popcorn and puff-puff. This story comes to us from: The Sun Nigeria.
Transportation
New phone app helps blind people get round Brighton station
The Thomas Pocklington Trust and Sight Loss Councils says 65 percent of blind and partially sighted people say access to public transport matters. This story comes to us from: Brighton and Hove News.
Discrimination and Inaccessibility
Blind Women Removed From P&O Cruise Ship – gCaptain
Two blind women from West Sussex, Pam May and Jennie Bailie, have publicly expressed their distress and humiliation after being escorted off a P&O vessel. This story comes to us from: gCaptain.
Poverty
A Girl and Her Blind Grandma Need the Spotlight Before Getting Help
The public is directly questioning of the Thai government after the story of a 4-year-old girl who has to take care of her grandmother. This story comes to us from: Khaosod English.
Crime
'Horror' as blind cat shot with air rifle – Yahoo News UK
Volunteers at an Accrington cat rescue were horrified to discover that a blind cat they rescued from the streets had been shot with an air rifle. This story comes to us from: Yahoo News UK.
Sex offender accused of roughing up blind woman on walker
The report noted the woman is completely blind and has “no way to leave the residence without assistance. This story comes to us from: Villages-News.com.
CCTV shows 'predatory' Plymouth woman tricking a vulnerable blind man
Police have released images showing how a serial fraudster targeted an elderly blind man as part of a series of offences. This story comes to us from: Plymouth Live.
Man blinds his ex partner in one eye after hitting her in face with phone
Craig Gibson, 33, attacked his ex partner at her home in Barry and caused her permanent injury to her left eye after hitting her to the face. This tory comes to us from: Wales Online.
Guide Dogs
Bolton blind man's challenges in memory of guide dog
A man who has been blind since birth will be undertaking daredevil challenges including a bungee jumping and zip-lining in memory of his trusted guide dog. This story comes to us from: The Bolton News.
Legal
Lewis v. Overbrook School For The Blind et al
Christopher J. Kelly of Cozen O'Connor has entered an appearance for Carol Havens-Dobbs and Overbrook School for the Blind in a pending lawsuit over alleged employment discrimination. This story comes to us from: Law.com Rada.
Blind man who fell on to rail tracks sues Network Rail over lack of tactile paving
The firm is aware of a number of blind people who have fallen from platform edges. This story comes to us from: The Guardian.
Mo. Docs Won't Face Suit Over Man's Partial Blindness
A Missouri appeals panel on Tuesday threw out claims from a man alleging that negligence on the part of two doctors led to him going blind in one eye. This story comes to us from: Law360.
'Roadblocks are my specialty': blind White Bear First Nation lawyer called to the bar
Connor StandingReady who is legally blind, says he is the first lawyer to come from White Bear First Nation. This story comes to us from: Regina Leader Post.
Lifestyle
Blind Fashion Show "Not My Eyes Showcase" Diary
I did not even think modeling was a possibility for a young blind woman. This story comes to us from: POPSUGAR.
Lubbock Thrifter Goes Viral For Discovering Amazing Shoes At American Council for the Blind Store
The blue and white pair with cherries came from Shoe Bakery where shoes cost several hundred dollars, considerably more than the $20 the thrifter paid. This story comes to us from: FMX 94.5.
MSU welcomes INSIGHT camp for 16th year
Morehead State welcomed 26 students from the Kentucky School for the Blind to campus June 5-9 for the 16th annual INSIGHT camp. This story comes to us from: Morehead State University.
Art and Artists
Who is America's Got Talent star Putri Ariani?
Seventeen-year-old blind singer, huge in Indonesia,, and Blind at three months old, won Indonesia's Got Talent aged eight, goes from strength to strength. This story comes to us from: The Daily Mail.
Taiwan in Times: The blind storytelling legend
During the late 1940s, two blind teenage girls Accompanied by a guide could be seen walking with their moon lutes from Badu to Keelung. This story comes to us from: The Taipei Times.
The 11 Best Blind Anime Characters of All Time, Ranked – whatNerd
These incredible blind anime characters prove that you don't need sight to kick butt. This story comes to us from: whatNerd.
This blind Ifugao artist makes amazing woven sculptures
The artist behind these amazing woven sculptures is a blind man, and Kidlat Tahimik is a fan. This story comes to us from: ABS-CBN News.
Sports and Athletes
BCS Outlaws helping the blind play baseball
The BCS Outlaws became one of four teams in the state of Texas and 28 total teams in the United States to compete in the sport known as beep baseball over a decade ago. This story comes to us from: YouTube.
Lions help with Washington State School for the Blind Track and Field Day
Ridgefield Lions, from left, Roxanne Cortez, Dean Stenehjem and John Schroeder assist blind athlete Lincoln Bradshaw with the modified shot put. This story comes to us from: The Columbian.
Commentary: Paul Sandoval, a blind Nuggets fan, could see this team was destined for greatness
Before the pandemic, Sandoval attended six or seven home games per year, the voice of Nuggets play-by-play man Jason Kosmicki in one ear. This story comes to us from: The Spokesman-Review.
"Scarier than fighting" – Fighter discloses competing with complete blindness in left eye …
UFC women's flyweight contender Miranda Maverick made big statement regarding her left eye blindness during the last round of her fight. This story comes to us from: Firstsportz.
Italian Blind Baseball Association hosts players and coaches from the US for one-week clinic
Players from the United States Blind Baseball Association and the New York Lions Adaptive Blind Baseball Team, together with five coaches, participated in the initiative. This story comes to us from: World Baseball Softball Confederation.
Hundreds of West Midlands volunteers sought for blind games – BBC News
The 2023 International Blind Sport Federation World Games takes place for ten days in August. This story comes to us from: BBC.
Weirdness
Blind man and the Deceptive forest
The blind man boasted that he knew this path very well as he had led many lost souls through this meandering trail in search of their sanctuary. This story comes to us from: The Jamaica Gleaner.
Sydney woman Cristina Corales killed by bees while walking blind dog
People in the small town where Corales ran the Peru Street Dogs sanctuary have been holding vigils for the much-loved Australian. This story comes to us from: WAtoday.