Blindness Briefs – Edition 78 – World Blind Herald

What's Inside

Yet another smart cane developed.
Program teaching cyber security to blind starts.
Almost 10 million Americans have diabetes related eye disorders.
Blind chef opens pizza shop in Florida.
Blind man thrown out of gym for "staring" at a woman.
Blind girls take to runway in fashion show.
An action packed sports section.
And, about 60 more stories about blindness and blind people from all over the world.

Editorial By Chris Hofstader

Welcome to the 78th edition of Blindness Briefs. This edition has 59 stories and we're certain you'll find some of them to be quite interesting.

This week I'm especially pleased to see another article about Mick Curren and Jamie Teh, the dynamic duo who brought us the NVDA screen reader. Because Mick and Jamie chose to use a GPL license on NVDA, it is actually owned by the entire blind population of the world. It has become the world's most widely used Windows screen reader and it's in more languages than any other screen reader. How did two young guys in Australia develop a screen reader that would have more users than JAWS? This again speaks to the free libre open source software philosophy, volunteers from all over the world were able to contribute to NVDA and many of them chose to localize the screen reader into languages that the commercial screen reader vendors felt were too small to warrant the cost. This is how Richard Stallman's four freedoms were expected to work and Mick and Jamie did a great job with it. If you've a few extra bucks laying around, please consider donating to NVAccess and help the only screen reader run entirely by blind people continue to thrive.

We have lots of other terrific stories in this week's edition and we hope you enjoy them, subscribe to World Blind Herald and keep coming back each week.

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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Braille

Inaction denying blind South Africans access to Braille books: Blind SA

The blind and visually impaired are discriminated against by the government which has failed to ratify an international treaty to provide Braille books despite a Constitutional Court order removing barriers to ratifying the treaty, says Blind South Africa. This story comes to us from: TimesLIVE.

Technology

Award-winning therapy brings light into darkness

A tiny green alga has shown researchers new ways towards a therapy for RP. This story comes to us from: Mirage News.

Australian Story produced an episode where half the interviewees were blind and had developed NVDA software

One producer, one camera operator and two blind men rushing through Auckland Airport. This story comes to us from: ABC.

Youth in Afghanistan makes smart glasses, canes with sensors to aid blind

Bashir Ahmad, a young man, has made "smart" glasses and canes for the blind in Nangarhar. This story comes to us from: ANI News.

Childhood blindness: AI program may help detect condition that causes it

Retinopathy of prematurity is an eye condition that affects preterm babies and can cause visual impairment or blindness unless detected and treated during the early stages. This story comes to us from: Medical News Today.

Preventing blindness with technological innovation

Claire Ferguson, Divisional Chief Executive at electronics manufacturer Halma, shares how healthcare innovation in eyesight can save US$270bn annually. This story comes to us from: Healthcare Digital.

How the Legally Blind Can Achieve Enhanced Vision

Roland Mattern, Director of Product Marketing at eSight Eyewear, shares how eSight’s technologies are being used to bring sight back to people living with central vision loss. He also discusses key learnings from his 30-year career in the pharma and medical device sectors, his predictions and hopes for the future of ‘smart eyewear. This story comes to us from: PMLiVE.

Blindness Organizations

Partially sighted Love Island finalist Ron Hall becomes blind charity ambassador

The 25-year-old financial adviser, from Essex, was the first partially sighted contestant to appear on the ITV2 reality dating show and is now promoting RNIB. This story comes to us from: Yahoo Canada Style.

Carter Center Celebrates Trachoma Elimination Milestone in Mali

Science & Health … in Mali are screened for trachoma, a neglected tropical disease and the world's leading infectious cause of blindness. This story comes to us from: VOA.

Education

Project Access Trains Blind Students in Cybersecurity

Now in its second year, the program gives vision-impaired students Windows-based laptops with assistive technology to learn text-based coding and run through password-attack and credential-harvesting simulations. This story comes to us from: Government Technology.

Behold a 19th-Century Atlas of the United States, Designed for Blind Students

In 1835, the New England Institution for Education of the Blind (now known as Perkins School for the Blind) acquired a printing press. This story comes to us from: Open Culture.

One-Week Inquiry about Gravity Force with a Student Who is Blind

The student who is blind needs to be involved by using his/her senses other than sight, namely auditory and tactile senses. This story comes to us from: RIT Scholar Works.

Students at Georgia's School for the Blind cherish memories with 3-D yearbooks

'Tis the season for students to reflect on highlights of the school year. This story comes to us from: WBUR.

Vermont State University student dreams of a career in audio

With determination, ingenuity and passion, Alek Wolfe calls live sports games and spreads a love of music. This story comes to us from: VTDigger.

Scholarships and Grants for Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired

The Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired offers the Ferrell Scholarship to students who are legally blind. This story comes to us from: American Foundation for the Blind.

D-G urges access to learning, written materials for the blind

The director-general said that Nigeria began the domestication of the Marrakesh Treaty with the signing into law of the Copyright Act on March 17, 2023,. This story comes to us from: Punch Newspapers.

US Population Disparities in Ophthalmic Care

Compared to US Census estimates, minorities may be underrepresented among ophthalmology patients, and compared to NHANES population estimates, Black individuals may be overrepresented among blind IRIS Registry patients. This story comes to us from: Physician's Weekly.

Almost 10 million Americans have diabetes-linked eye disease, finds new study

Nearly 10 million Americans are at risk for blindness from diabetic retinopathy. This story comes to us from: Medical Xpress.

Employment

Blind pizza chef shares journey to opening restaurant in Delray Beach

My dream was always to own my own restaurant. This story comes to us from: WPTV.

I trained my ears, hands to detect car faults – Blind mechanic

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, the father of two, who resides in Kano State, said he became blind while driving a car in 1996. This story comes to us from: Punch Newspapers.

Lighthouse Works and Genesys Collaboration Results in 25% of New Blind Jobs Created in the United States Last Year

Composability of Genesys Cloud CX platform enables Lighthouse Works to meet the unique needs of a blind and visually impaired workforce. This story comes to us from: PR Newswire.

Transportation

Staffordshire bus cuts will leave me isolated, says blind singer

Blind opera singer Denise Leigh said cuts to bus services in her area would leave her and her family isolated. This story comes to us from: BBC.

Govia Thameslink trials app to help blind and visually impaired passengers

An app to help blind or partially sighted rail passengers is being trialled at Stevenage station. The Aira wayfinding app guides passengers. This story comes to us from: BBC.

Qatar Rail, Al Noor Centre for Blind launch guide for Doha Metro

The project adhered to the strict and precise standards of the 'Americans with Disabilities Act' (ADA). This story comes to us from: The Peninsula Qatar.

Discrimination and Inaccessibility

Fury as council spends nearly £50,000 of taxpayer money on 'rainbow junction' Street Crossings

The National Federation of the Blind of the UK concerned about safety issues told the paper: "Inclusion must mean inclusion for all, including blind people." This story comes to us from: LBC.

I was thrown out of a gym for 'staring' — even though I'm blind

A man has recalled the harrowing moment he was kicked out of the gym for "creepily" staring at a woman — even though he is blind. This story comes to us from: New York Post.

Pune: Blind Woman Denied Gas Connection In Lonavala

A 36-year-old blind woman residing in Lonavala was denied a gas connection by the Parmar Gas Agency. This story comes to us from: Free Press Journal.

Safety

Jharkhand: Blind Girl Falls From Third-Floor Terrace, Miraculously Survives Without Injuries

Jharkhand: Blind Girl Falls From Third-Floor Terrace, Miraculously Survives Without Injuries. She was one of the 21 people who went to the terrace. This story comes to us from: Latestly.

Stray bullet knocks Radio for the Blind off the air

Stray bullet knocks Radio for the Blind off the air. This story comes to us from: YouTube.

Crime

Man sentenced to 12 years after attacking and robbing blind pensioner in his own home

Tommy O'Leary pleaded guilty to robbery and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. This story comes to us from: The Irish Post.

Hobart teenager breaks into blind woman's home, threatens at knife-point

An 18-year-old teenager who broke into the home of a legally blind woman and stole her jewellery at knife-point could be sent to jail. This story comes to us from: Pulse Hobart.

Inverness fraudster to pay back blind Sutherland woman he conned or risk going to jail

A registered blind woman who was conned out of £9500 by an Inverness man is set to get all her money back or the fraudster is likely to face an 18-month jail sentence. This story comes to us from: Northern Times.

AG accuses RI solar company of misleading customers including blind man

The man “told the salesperson that he was blind and was relying on him to accurately describe the contract,” Neronha alleged in the lawsuit. This story comes to us from: WPRI.com.

Guide Dogs

Tyneside woman's agony of two-year wait for guide dog

Healthcare worker Paula Richardson, from Tyneside, said she could not understand why the process to find her a dog was taking so long. This story comes to us from: BBC News.

Micaela Schmidt and guide dog Ellie were asked to leave Airbnb

Airbnb says it will take "appropriate action" against a host who kicked a legally blind woman and her guide dog out of accommodation. This story comes to us from: The Canberra Times.

Politics

Blind advocate, veteran face off in Virginia House of Delegates District 65 Rep. Primary

Michael Kasey describes himself as a "positive," "persistent" and experienced advocate, who's faced many obstacles in life after losing his vision in his 30s. This story comes to us from: WJLA.

Legal

Wayfair class action alleges website not accessible to blind, visually impaired users

Wayfair LLC violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by operating a website that is inaccessible to blind and visually-impaired users. This story comes to us from: Top Class Actions.

BGL Team Secures $240,000 Jury Verdict for Blind Students in Discrimination Lawsuit Against the Los Angeles Community College District

The court has now set a status conference for June 20 to begin the next phase of determining the changes it will order LACCD to implement to ensure its compliance with the ADA going forward. This story comes to us from: Legal Reader.

Business

Bionic Eye Market Growth Status, Share, Size, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast 2032

Artificial vision systems that aim to restore partial vision or visual perception to individuals with severe vision impairments or blindness. Bionic eyes, also known as retinal implants or visual prostheses, are electronic devices that are surgically implanted into the eye or connected to the visual pathway to stimulate the remaining functional cells of the retina or optic nerve. This story comes to us from: Digital Journal.

Lancaster tattoo shop owner donates proceeds to local non-profit in honor of blind customer

Then I was like, 'Oh man, this guy is blind," This story comes to us from: fox43.

Lifestyle

Turning darkness to light: Blind entertainer, author, athlete, altruist Tom Sullivan conquers a sighted world

The referee would blow the whistle, and it would be 'now let's beat up the blind person. This story comes to us from: Easy Reader News.

Specially talented girls walk ramp with grace at Miss Junagadh

was thought to be difficult soon turned to be a huge success with the visually impaired girls. This story comes to us from: ETV Bharat.

A Father's Day reflection: Even in blindness there can be vision

Not only was he the oldest Dad on the block, but he was also older than all my friends' grandfathers. He was also a blind man. This story comes to us from: theledger.com.

Charity takes legally blind Clarksburg girl on dream trip to Disney

Thanks to the Sunshine Foundation, a Clarksburg, West Virginia girl was given the trip of a lifetime to Disney World in Florida. This story comes to us from: WBOY.com.

Blind Band Revives Traditional Worship in Lebanon's Churches

Boutros Wehbe (right) partnering with blind musicians in Lebanon. This story comes to us from: Christianity Today.

Art and Artists

People look at me just as a blind person, not as a musician

America’s Got Talent” is just a few episodes into its newest season, but singer Putri Ariani has already established herself as a contestant to beat: Her “AGT” audition has gone viral, amassing 38 million views on YouTube alone in just a couple of weeks. This story comes to us from: Yahoo.

Inside the First Art Gallery for Blind Artists and Audiences

Feel free to touch the art at Envision Arts Gallery in Wichita, Kansas. This story comes to us from: Thrillist.

Gujarat: Specially talented girls walk ramp with grace at Miss Junagadh

What was thought to be difficult soon turned to be a huge success with the visually impaired girls quickly learning the catwalk lessons within just a month's training. This story comes to us from: ETV Bharat.

Blind Musician Impresses Simon So Much He Asks for 2nd Song Before Giving Golden Buzzer

17-year-old blind musician Putri Ariani stunned everyone on AGT. In fact, Simon was so impressed, he requested she play a second song. This story comes to us from: GodUpdates.

Sports and Athletes

Amanda Provan Is Leading The Way For Women In Blind Hockey

She soon became the first woman to score a goal in international Blind Hockey competition, and to win a championship. This story comes to us from: Yardbarker.com.

Miami Marlins to host 'Touch Tour' for blind, visually impaired teens at loanDepot Park

According to event organizers, attendees will begin on the field with the opportunity to feel the clay and turf, and hear from one of the Marlins groundkeepers as they describe the playing surface in great detail. This story comes to us from: WPLG Local 10.

Beep ball gives chance for blind people to play baseball

News 4′s Steve Harris caught up with the team, comprised of people with impaired vision. This story comes to us from: KMOV.

Despite Going Blind at 14, Paralympic Swimmer and World Record Holder Creates a Wave of Change

The Paralympian had a hard time grappling with the change in the initial days. This story comes to us from: EssentiallySports.

CABJK to conduct cricket series for blind on June 24-25

According to the General Secretary of the Cricket Association for Blind Jammu and Kashmir, the organisers are leaving no stone unturned in making requisite arrangements for conducting the event in a most befitting manner. This story comes to us from: Rising Kashmir.

Weirdness