What's Inside
- Gucci using technology to assist blind customers.
- Can AI tools improve web accessibility?
- Who won the 2023 audio description awards?
- Employment for disabled people at all time high.
- Blind woman refused 23 Uber rides in a month due to guide dog.
- Blind man charged with rape of a minor.
- An action packed sports section.
- And, abut 50 articles about all things blind people and blindness from the entire world.
Editorial By Chris Hofstader
Welcome to the 81st edition of Blindness Briefs. This is a pretty solid week with about 55 stories about a lot of aspects of blindness.
We're hearing a lot about artificial intelligence and how it's being used to aid blind people. I'm finding this all to be very interesting but wish I understood it better. I'm going to try to find an Ai expert to write a featured article for our readers describing how it actually works and what we can realistically expect from the emerging technology. There's an awful lot of hype but what is the reality?
I certainly hope you enjoy this edition, David and I work pretty hard every week to bring it to you and we're quite excited about the recent growth in our number of subscribers.
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.
Braille
Inclusive Innovator: Blind Entrepreneur Converts Menus to Braille, Improving Accessibility in Local Restaurants
Learning Braille took a lot of persistence and perseverance, though it also felt natural to now 22-year-old Mason Fessenden of Dana Point. This story comes to us from: Dana Point Times.
Technology
How Gucci is using tech to aid blind and low-vision customers
The Kering-owned brand is rolling out a partnership with virtual accessibility assistance app Aira. It’s a step forward that shows just how much fashion has historically overlooked accessibility. This story comes to us from: Vogue Business.
Blind people can use AI to learn about their surroundings
The glasses are used for convenience rather than other augmented reality products In addition to generative artificial intelligence (AI). This story comes to us from: Nation World News.
How generative AI tools like ChatGPT can revolutionize web accessibility
The WCAG provides a definitive framework for ensuring digital inclusivity, while the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) enforces adherence. This story comes to us from: VentureBeat.
ABC Chair Ita Buttrose on the launch of Audio-Description service on ABC iview
Television works through a combination of words and visual images. More than half a million Australians, however, are living today with blindness or low vision, and have limited or non-existent access to those on-screen images. And disturbingly, the prevalence of blindness and vision impairment in Indigenous Australians is three times that of non-indigenous Australians. This story comes to us from: About the ABC.
Blindness Organizations
2023 Audio Description Project Award Winners
The American Council of the Blind announces the 2023 Audio Description Project Award Winners ALEXANDRIA, VA, July 07, 2023 /24. This story comes to us from: Digital Journal.
Leaders in serving the blind and visually impaired in Tampa Bay
More than 19,000 residents of Pinellas County, FL are blind or visually impaired. Every seven minutes another person is diagnosed with blindness. This story comes to us from: WFLA.
Making history: Overbrook School for the Blind elects first blind president of board of trustees
He spent 13 years as a student before graduating in 1977. His wife graduated the year prior. Sine went on to have a career with Verizon Communications. This story comes to us from: 6ABC.
Education and History
Who Is Srikanth Bolla? Denied Seat In Indian Colleges, This Blind Man Went On To Study In MIT, Became Entrepreneur, Now Owns Multi-Crore Business
Success Story: Srikanth Bolla's business makes a staggering hundred crores in annual revenue and employs hundreds of people. This story comes to us from: Zee News – India.com.
Sawbridgeworth woman hopes to raise £1,000 for school in Uganda where father-in-law was headteacher
The Sawbridgeworth mother of three will swim 7.5 miles end to end in 16-degree Ullswater in the Lake District on Saturday July 15 to raise money for a Ugandan school where David Kanabahita was headteacher. This story comes to us from: Bishop's Stortford Independent.
Loan of AFB Archive to American Printing House
When the AFB Helen Keller Archives were loaned to APH in 2020 by the American Foundation for the Blind, they were accompanied by the equally important but less-glamorous AFB Archive which contains files on early prototype braillers. This story comes to us from: The American Printing House.
Visually Impaired Muskan Charts History, Becomes a College Cadre Lecturer at RKMV Shimla
Muskan, singer and brand ambassador of the Election Commission of India, has achieved a Ph.D. This story comes to us from: – HimbuMail.
'How I studied Law as a blind man and later bagged Ph.D'
I was actually taught by a blind man who had gone to study at the Royal College of Music in Edinburgh, Scotland. This story comes to us from: The Tribune Online.
Joweria Suleiman becomes 1st blind Egyptian student to obtain IB degree with distinction
Suleiman stated her blindness was caused by a rare genetic disease that had stumped doctors. This story comes to us from: Egypt Independent.
Employment
June 2023 Jobs Report: Employment hovers around all-time highs for people with disabilities
THIS GRAPHIC COMPARES THE LABOR MARKET INDICATORS FOR MAY 2023 AND JUNE 2023, SHOWING INCREASES IN THE EMPLOYMENT-TO-POPULATION RATIO FOR PEOPLE WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES. This story comes to us from: EurekAlert!
Karnataka: Gokak youth defies blindness; works in Belagavi civic body
Sumit Motekar, who is blind, is working as the Second Division Assistant (SDA) in the Health Division of the Belagavi Municipal Corporation. This story comes to us from: ETV Bharat.
Discrimination and Inaccessibility
All aboard the inaccessibility express: Yorkshire's ticket office closures
The ticket purchasing process is about to become an uphill task for many passengers; particularly, vulnerable groups, including the elderly, disabled, and those without digital means, often depend on ticket offices for assistance. This story comes to us from: Yorkshire Bylines.
Legally blind woman refused 23 Uber rides in six weeks due to guide dog discrimination
Australian Kathryn Beaton and her dog guide Romeo have been refused Uber trips 23 times in six weeks. This story comes to us from: ABC.
Safety
Blind man from Overton asks council to clear footpaths
Steven Temple, who lives in Overton, said overgrown footpaths and signage along paths had led to him having a number of accidents. This story comes to us from: Basingstoke Gazette.
3 Abangs Stop To Help Blind Elderly Woman Cross Road In S'pore, Earns Praise For Kindness
3 men were seen helping a blind, elderly woman cross the road in Singapore, leading to them earning praise on the Internet. This story comes to us from: MustShareNews.
Jersey Proud: Lifeguard comforts blind woman in Wildwood waters
The woman who posted this photo wrote that the woman in the picture is blind. The lifeguard stood with her for an hour in the water. This story comes to us from: News 12 New Jersey.
60-year-old legally blind man dies in house fire
Family says the victim in a Tuesday night house fire near 29th and Bobolink was a 60-year-old legally blind man. This story comes to us from: YouTube.
Crime
Innocent blind man (62) battered by UDA thug who called to WRONG door
Today the Sunday World reveals the true nature of the drug-dealing Ulster Defence Association members in south Belfast. This story comes to us from: Sunday World.
Blind Man Faces Trial For Defiling Neighbour's 13-year Old Girl
A visually impaired man, Francis Ugachukwu, has landed in trouble in Lagos State for allegedly defiling his neighbour's 13-year old girl by forcefully engaging her in sex. This story comes to us from: The P.M.EXPRESS.
Guide Dogs
Legally blind woman refused 23 Uber rides in six weeks due to guide dog discrimination
Blind Citizens Australia says rideshare and taxi drivers discriminating against people with service animals appears to be an escalating issue. This story comes to us from: ABC.
More than just a pet, guide dogs give their owners 'absolute freedom
Legally blind woman left anxious and in tears after rideshare drivers refuse to pick her up 23 times in six weeks. This story comes to us from: ABC.
First blind man to use a seeing-eye dog was a Tennessean
When you see a blind person with a seeing-eye dog, remember that this practice started with a young man from Nashville. This story comes to us from: Rhea County Herald-News.
Blind woman says restaurant patio refused service because of her guide dog
A woman who is blind says she was refused service at a Park City restaurant because of her guide dog. This story comes to us from: KSL News.
Primark issues apology after blind woman with guide dog 'wrongly' denied entry into store
Primark issues apology after blind woman with guide dog 'wrongly' denied entry into store. This story comes to us from: Yorkshire Evening Post.
Lampeter blind woman on a mission to raise money to fund guide dog
When Louise lost her sight she felt lost and alone — until she was paired with a guide dog. This story comes to us from: Cambrian News.
Meet Guide Dogs for the Blind
At Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), we believe that everyone deserves to move through the world safely. This story comes to us from: Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Politics
New Oklahoma law allows blind voters to receive electronic ballots
Lawmakers last year passed House Bill 1711, which allows legally blind voters to request the electronic delivery of an absentee ballot. This story comes to us from: – Tulsa World.
Legal
Dollar General class action alleges website not accessible to blind, visually impaired customers
Dollar General violated the law by making one of its websites inaccessible to Americans who are blind or visually impaired, a new class action lawsuit alleges. This story comes to us from: Top Class Actions.
Delhi HC seeks response from DUSIB on plea moved by a blind man seeking allotment of plot
The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought a response from Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) on a plea moved by a blind man. This story comes to us from: Devdiscourse.
Business
INCOCEGLA revolutionizes medical appointment management with innovative Chilean Artificial Intelligence technology
The Institute Against Glaucoma Blindness (INCOCEGLA) is driving a true revolution in its management processes with the implementation of Enix. This story comes to us from: Nation World News.
Lifestyle
6-year-old girl losing eyesight to rare genetic disorder
The 6-year-old's family is trying to do and see all they can before she goes fully blind. This story comes to us from: 14 News.
Navigating life as a legally blind woman with only 10% central vision
Editor: This story is told as a video.
This story comes to us from: 60 Minutes Australia.
Man celebrates 106th birthday, surrounded by friends and family in California
Paul Thompson, of Fresno, said he's legally blind, has a decent memory, and plays a mean game of pool. This story comes to us from: WWMT.
I am a blind person who feels a lot of love and force: a testimony of life
A few years went by, then I started to get closer to blind people and I realised that there were many blind people in Madrid. This story comes to us from: Pressenza – International Press Agency.
Art and Artists
Blind And Autistic Singer Lavender Darcangelo Stuns On ‘America’s Got Talent’ And Gets Heidi Klum’s Golden Buzzer
Darcangelo, accompanied by her father Wil, introduced herself as both a blind and autistic woman. “I've been singing since I was three years old." This story comes to us from: ET Canada.
Blind man draws near-perfect picture of Billie Eilish based on how her music sounds
BlindTobes (real name Toby Addison), has never seen the singer, but used the sounds of her mellow music to draw his conclusion. This story comes to us from: Indy100.
Sports and Athletes
Italy to host the first-ever Blind Baseball European Championship in October
The event will be held in Bologna on 7 and 8 October.
WBSC Europe announced that Bologna, Italy, will host the inaugural Blind Baseball European Championship on 7 and 8 October. The tournament is organized by WBSC Europe, the Italian Baseball Softball Federation (FIBS) and the Italian Blind Baseball Association (AIBxC, a WBSC Associate Member). This story comes to us from: World Baseball Softball Confederation.
New headsets bring Wimbledon to life for visually impaired fans
I feel like we all need to all throw our phones in the river and stop our brains being overtaken by
AI. This story comes to us from: The Guardian.
U.S. Blind Soccer team is driven to grow the sport, win Paralympic medal at L.A. Games
David Brown hears the ball. As it rolls across the soccer pitch, it contains rattles that make the crunching sound of soldiers marching through a sand pit. This story comes to us from: Los Angeles Times.
Blind golfer Amanda Cunha's inspiring journey
Blind golfer Amanda Cunha's inspiring journey. This story comes to us from: YouTube.
Blind swimmer to cross Strait of Georgia
Editor's note: In a video story, Scott who has RP is portrayed along with his plans to swim the 30 kilometer body of water, cold currents and all. This story comes to us from: CTV News Vancouver.
England blind and partially sighted squads named for IBSA World Games
The Para Lions will be represented on home soil by the men's and women's blind teams and the men's partially-sighted squad. This story comes to us from: England Football.
Fixtures announced for World Blind Games and Disability Premier League
For the first time, England will have both men's and women's teams competing in August at the IBSA World Games in Birmingham. This story comes to us from: Cricket World.
UEFA film highlights five life-changing stories about football and disability
Through the club, he has met his Man City hero Jack Grealish who famously … Amire Schwarz: 'One of the few sports where sighted and blind people play together. This story comes to us from: UEFA.com.
Cunha's inspiring journey despite being blind
Learn about Amanda Cunha, an Adaptive U.S. Open Player. This story comes to us from: NBC Sports.
In Memoriam
Francisco Guevara Obituary (1950 – 2023) – Owosso, MI
Frank to most, and Junior to his close friends, was one of 11 children, nine boys and two girls with four of the nine boys blind due to a genetic abnormality that causes the retina to deteriorate. This story comes to us from: Legacy.com.
Blind 72-year-old man dies by suicide in Osun
Kareem Aderemi, a 72-year-old resident of Ede, Osun State, has shot himself dead at his residence in the Ede area of Osun. This story comes to us from: Pulse Nigeria.