Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest – Edition 16
Introduction
Welcome to Edition 16 of Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest. This edition has 62 stories about blind people and blindness from all over the world. We're certain you will find articles that you think are interesting, informative and, in some cases, funny.
Editorial By Chris Hofstader
This is another very interesting edition of Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest. It has 62 articles about quite a diverse set of issues in the blindness community from all over the world. As I like to do, I put the section on braille at the top and this week we have a category for weirdness which is at the end.
I made one large change to the digest this week. Instead of including articles about preventing blindness in the science and medicine section, I've moved them into a category of their own. This is a blind news digest so preventing blindness didn't feel like it fit in with articles about cures, sensory substitution and implants. But I also felt that some readers would find articles about preventing blindness interesting so we didn't remove them from the digest entirely.
Braille
Blind mother, daughter team up for Las Vegas challenge
The mother and daughter have embarked on the monthlong “Braille Across America” challenge, a pandemic-inspired grassroots fundraising event by the National Braille Press, a Boston-based nonprofit that aims to raise money to benefit Braille literacy programs, such as converting textbooks and school materials as well as children’s books. This story came to us from: Las Vegas Sun.
Roff competitor earns medal in Oklahoma School for the Blind's 20th regional Braille Challenge
Oklahoma School for the Blind awarded a bronze medal in the sophomore category to Kolten Pennington, from Roff, in the 20th Braille Challenge. This story came to us from: The Ada News.
New World Translation Available in Three Additional Languages in Braille
Over the past few months, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was released in braille in three languages: German, Korean, and Ukrainian. Electronic files were made available on jw.org.
This story came to us from: jw.org.
Technology
Microsoft's Newest AI technology, “PeopleLens,” is Helping Blind People See
PeopleLens is a platform that uses computer vision algorithms to help blind people engage with their social surroundings. This story came to us from: Analytics India Magazine.
THE DOT WATCH IS THE FIRST BRAILLE SMARTWATCH IN THE WORLD
Braille is one of the most important writing systems in the world today. The centuries-old system is still very much being used these days. Despite the advent of technology, the tactile writing system for the visually impaired is still deemed a significant language. This story came to us from: Yanko Design.
Science and Medicine
People with vision impairments up to four times more likely to suffer mental health problems
Research by international development organization Sightsavers, University of Ilorin, and the Kogi State Ministry of Health, in Nigeria has revealed links between vision impairment and poor mental health. This story came to us from: EurekAlert.
Night blindness: Do humans have the ability to see in the dark?
Owls are able to move around in the dark with disconcerting ease. But have you ever wondered if some humans have the same ability? This story came to us from: Gentside.
the Impact of Low Vision Assessment in a Tertiary Academic Hospital in Jordan
This project aims to describe the characteristics of patients with visual impairment referred from a tertiary academic hospital in Jordan for a comprehensive low vision evaluation and to study its impact on their functional needs. This story came to us from: Dove Medical Press
KOÇ UNIVERSITY PROJECT TO TACKLE VISION IMPAIRMENT RECEIVES EUROPEAN RESEARCH COUNCIL GRANT
Koç University's Sedat Nizamoğlu will receive 2 million euros from a European Research Council's (ERC) Consolidator Grant to develop retinal implants with high visual acuity and a wide field of view for sufferers of visual impairments. This story came to us from: Science X.
Editas Medicine doses first pediatric patient in clinical trial for LCA10
The trial marks the first-ever in vivo delivery of an experimental CRISPR gene editing medicine to a pediatric patient, with the company on track to complete dosing of the pediatric mid-dose cohort in the first half of 2022. This story came to us from: Ophthalmology Times.
Accessibility
RightHear Is On a Mission to Make Public Spaces More Inclusive and Accessible for Everyone
Accessing basic information might be difficult for those with visual impairments. How does a blind person get their bearings and determine the best path? This story came to us from: NewsBreak Original.
Blindness Organizations
Northwest Association for Blind Athletes celebrating 15th anniversary
For years, Vancouver resident Bob Cavanaugh wanted to learn how to ski.
Because he is visually impaired, he couldn’t head straight onto the slopes, but he dreamed of one day cruising through the soft powder of Mount Hood Meadows.
Cavanaugh’s dream came true last winter when he attended a skiing event held by the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes. This story came to us from: The Columbian.
Join Us In Supporting World Blind Union's Ukrainian Benefit Concert
Since the declaration of war on Ukraine, the World Blind Union (WBU) has prepared an initiative to provide support for Ukrainians. In particular, those who are blind or partially sighted. This story came to us from: BlindSquare.
American Foundation for the Blind Announces New Research Report on COVID-19 Impact
Journey Forward study identifies critical challenges encountered by blind, low vision and deafblind adults during the pandemic—digital accessibility problems and transportation barriers chief among them. This story came to us from: PR Newswire.
KZN Floods : Twenty-four blind people stranded after their care home was flooded
This is another story I didn't know how to categorize. We don't have a category for natural disasters as they rarely involve blindness. I put stories about schools for the blind in this category and this is a home for blind people so I put the story here.
Twenty-four blind people have been left stranded after the Jep Home for the Blind, in Durban, was flooded on Tuesday. This story came to us from: News24
Ukraine War
For this blind Hurricanes fan, a big goal in mind: Helping refugees from Ukraine
A blind diehard Carolina Hurricanes fan in Finland has a different kind of goal in her sights: Helping visually impaired refugees from the war in Ukraine. This story came to us from: CBS 17.
Poverty
Blind woman forced to become beggar due to poverty
Poverty and not having anyone to depend on forced an 80-year-old blind woman to travel from one district to another to beg money from the public. This story came to us from: New Straits Times.
Woman went partially blind because of high cost of insulin
One woman says she went partly blind because she rationed her insulin due to the high cost. This story came to us from: Spectrum News.
Education
Blind Entrepreneur Helps Thousands of Visually-Impaired Kids Build a Future In STEM
Karnataka entrepreneur Vidhya Y, who has been blind since birth, learned from her own struggles with her disability to empower thousands of visually impaired children with Vision Empower, an enterprise that encourages these students to pursue STEM education. This story came to us from: The Better India.
Preventing Blindness
Not paying attention to the eyes could lead to total blindness
The Ghana Optometric Association (GOA) has warned that not paying attention to the eyes could lead to total blindness and cause economic hardship for people and the country. This story came to us from: Modern Ghana.
Recipients of the 2022 Prevent Blindness Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision
Prevent Blindness names VOSH/International as the recipient of the 2022 Jenny Pomeroy Award for Excellence in Vision and Public Health. Marissa K. Shoji, MD, and Hursuong Vongsachang, MPH, announced as co-recipients of Rising Visionary Award. This story came to us from: Yahoo Finance.
High blood pressure can put you at a greater risk of 'irreversible blindness' – symptoms
APART from hiking your risk of medical emergencies, ranging from heart attacks to stroke, high blood pressure can also put you at a greater risk of irreversible blindness. This story came to us from: Daily Express.
Pandemic leading to alarming levels of avoidable blindness, warns Cambridge charity
International disability charity, CBM (Christian Blind Mission), based in central Cambridge, is warning that the Coronavirus pandemic is having an alarming impact on the numbers of people living avoidably blind. This story came to us from: cambridgenetwork.co.uk.
Politics
I'm Blind, but I Can Clearly See What's Happening in Chile
Campillai. 38, is one of the main advocates for the Amnesty Law for prisoners of the 2019 social uprising, during which she lost her vision. This story came to us from: Havana Times.
Israel is turning a blind eye to abuse of the disabled
Handcuffs, movement restrictions of various types and forcible isolation are frequent occurrences in institutions for people with disabilities. This story comes to us from: Haaretz Editorial.
Crime
Drunk Cop Abuses Blind Men, Booked
A drunk police constable attacked two blind men selling incense sticks in Triplicane when the duo asked him road directions. This story came to us from: Times of India.
Blind Leeds grandma left in tears of joy after secret fundraiser to replace stolen device
The device is adapted for the blind to read out everything on the screen, track Sandra's location and let her connect with people online. This story came to us from: Yorkshire Evening Post.
How fake report led villagers attack blind Muslim man's family near Khargone
I am blind and, ever since I lost my eyesight, I have been forced to stay at my wife's house due to financial constraints. This story came to us from: India Today.
Legal
NYS to Create Statewide Accessible Absentee Ballot Program After Legal Battle Settled
A coalition of activists and advocates for people with disabilities has settled a lawsuit launched in 2020 under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) against the State Board of Elections (BOE). People with disabilities are now set to avail of a new, statewide, accessible, absentee ballot program. This story came to us from: Norwood News.
Arizona Attorneys Charge Blind Inmate’s Access to Special Accommodations Constitutional Rights Violated During Death Watch – Execution Date May 11
The Arizona Department of Correction, Rehabilitation and Reentry’s (ADCRR) denial to provide death watch inmate Clarence Wayne Dixon with legally mandated accommodation for his disability has led his attorneys to file a lawsuit compelling ADCRR to respect Dixon’s federal statutory and Constitutional rights. This story came to us from: Davis Vanguard.
Visually impaired man files suit against Eero over website accessibility
It sounds like this fellow makes a hobby of filing ADA lawsuits.
A man who has been legally blind since childhood is suing Eero LLC, claiming its digital properties are not accessible to individuals who are visually impaired. Plaintiff Eric Foreman filed the complaint on March 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Eero LLC, alleging violations of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Foreman has filed several other similar lawsuits in federal court. This story came to us from: Madison – St. Clair Record.
Crime
[Butte woman accused of embezzling more than $600,000 pleads guilty][
A Butte woman pleaded guilty on Monday to allegations that she stole more than $600,000 from a blind woman under her guardianship. This story came to us from: KXLF.com.
Tattooist 'going blind' believed to have killed partner and himself in murder-suicide
"Ramona was a pure, perfect soul" said one woman, while another added: "She was an absolute angel. This story came to us from: The Mirror.
Couple Accused of Taking Advantage of Blind Woman
This happens so often in Florida that I'm surprised it even makes the news anymore.
The caretaker of a blind, elderly woman and her partner have been arrested in Miami-Dade for alleged financial exploitation. This story came to us from: NBC 6 South Florida.
Transportation
Visually impaired man raises over £1700 after visiting every London Underground station in two days
Ritchie, from Elgin, was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa in 2013 and is registered blind. This story came to us from: Association of Optometrists.
Canberra woman Belinda O'Connor is Australia's first licensed bioptic motorcyclist
Ms O'Connor has a rare condition called achromatopsia, which causes colour blindness and sensitivity to light and glare. This story came to us from: ABC.
Guide Dogs
Blind man and service dog kicked out of Hudson restaurant
Mike Keech says he was humiliated when a server asked him to leave a restaurant because his dog, a service dog, was not allowed. This story came to us from: WFLA.
Editorial: Guide Dogs for the Blind remains the pride of Marin
For generations, it has provided trained dogs that further the goals of blind and visually impaired men and women to live independent lives. This story came to us from: Marin Independent Journal.
Education
For years, blind and limited-vision workers ran state office cafés. Then, COVID-19 hit
Ben’s All-Star Café in the Ottawa Building was once a buzzy hub for state workers, with a sought-after salad bar convenient for a quick lunch. It saw especially high foot traffic during the winter, as workers used the subterranean tunnels that connect it to other buildings to avoid the cold. This story came to us from: Lansing State Journal.
Business
Screen Reader Market Major Strategies Adopted By Leading Market Companies
Screen Reader Market study by “Marketreports.info” provides details about the market dynamics affecting the Screen Reader market, Market scope, Market segmentation and overlays shadow upon the leading market players highlighting the favorable competitive landscape. This story came to us from: Blooming Prairie Online.
Tactile Printing Market demand and future scope with Russia-Ukraine Crisis Impact Analysis
The Tactile Printing market is globally one of the leading markets involving innovative techniques development and extremely categorized sector. After a thorough investigation conducted over the industries under Tactile Printing market, the market report delivers in-depth information, based on the data related to export and import along with the ongoing industry trends in the global market. This story comes to us from: energysiren.co.ke.
On 18th April Dynamic Entrepreneur Arjun Deshpande celebrated his 20th Birthday In An Innovative Way
The daily life of blind people is already full of challenges. One of the most important safety concerns is understanding the right medicines. India's youngest entrepreneur and founder of Generic Aadhaar Arjun Deshpande saw this same problem faced by blind people and came up with a very innovative idea to make their work easier. This story came to us from: Mid-Day.
Glaucoma Treatment Drugs Market: Intense Competition but High Growth & Extreme Valuation
The Latest research coverage on Glaucoma Treatment Drugs Market provides a detailed overview and accurate market size. The study is designed considering current and historical trends. This story came to us from: Tiorienteering.
Vision Care Market is set to grow at a healthy CAGR of 7.3% between 2022 and 2028
The increasing usage of electronic devices, changing lifestyle and hygiene have led to vision-related problems worldwide. The number of patients with vision-related problems have increased and so is the need for vision care products. This story came to us from: Market Research Blog.
Inherited Retinal Disease Market study and Demand with Forecast Overview To 2036
The market report provides an up-to-date estimate and forecast for the global Inherited Retinal Disease market at the global, business and regional levels. The report provides a detailed view of global demand for Inherited Retinal Disease from 2020 to 2025, with 2020 being the base year and 2025 being the planned end date. Data for the period 2020-2020 are included, together with information and analysis of past results. This story came to us from: politicalbeef.co.uk.
North America Medical Laser Systems Market is expected to reach US$ 2,257.13 million and Growing at a CAGR of 13.7% during forecast period 2022-2028
A lot of lasers are used in eye surgeries. According to a new market research study of “North America Medical Laser Systems Market Forecast to 2028 – COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis by Product Type, Application, End User and Country. This story came to us from: Digital Journal.
Lifestyle
Kentucky School for the Blind student TaMyah Jordan makes her runway debut at Los Angeles Fashion Revolution show
TaMyah Jordan, a residential student at the Kentucky School for the Blind, made her runway debut as a blind model for Target on the Runway of Dreams stage. This story came to us from: Kentucky Teacher.
We Need to Change How We View Disabled People
My disability does define me – and I'm proud of that. Just like being a Jewish woman, an American woman, a Zionist woman, I'm a blind woman. This story comes to us from: aish.com.
Blind awareness: 'I'm blind but I can still live
Claire Sisk from Stevenage starting losing her sight at 29 years old after having two strokes. This story comes to us from: YouTube.
Love Wins: Visually Impaired Couple Says Family, Friends Discouraged Them from Getting Married
The two met in school of the blind, became friends and got married, an idea many, especially their families and friends discouraged. This story came to us from: Tuko.
Blind man rejects money from a good samaritan
The lady handed her hard-earned money to the blind beggar out of generosity, but the guy flung it back at her because he thought the money was bad. This story came to us from: GhPage.
Art and Artists
Blindness no barrier for Wollongong jeweller Keely Payne as she creates by touch
When Wollongong jewellery maker Keely Payne sits down to work, she does everything from choosing colours to threading tiny beads onto wire by touch alone. This story came to us from: ABC.
People were always trying to fix her': the 'blind enchantress' who wowed Mozart
Blind from the age of five, Paradis studied with Antonio Salieri. This story came to us from: The Guardian.
A blind contestant reaches the semi-finals of an international competition in Saudi Arabiadedicated to the most beautiful voices in reciting the Holy Quran
A blind contestant starred in an international competition in Saudi Arabia, dedicated to reciting the Holy Quran and delivering adhan (the Islamic call to prayer) based on voice only, without the accompaniment of any musical instruments. He reached the semi-finals, surpassing more than 40,000 applicants. This story came to us from: PR Newswire.
Sports
Shingan Cup Street Fighter 5 tournament live stream ft. blind players only[
We've seen many Street Fighter 5 tournaments throughout the years, but none quite like the Shingan Cup. Every player that's competing at the Shingan Cup is blind. Quite fitting since "shingan" in Japanese translates to "mind's eye.' This story came to us from: EventHubs.
Blind Man Attempts Heli-Skiing 25,000 Vertical Feet In one Day
Really cool story out of Canada where Mark Bentz, a skier who lost his vision at a young age, attempted to ski 25,000 vertical feet in one day. This story came to us from: Unofficial Networks.
Blind ice hockey league is changing lives
One organization joining that mix is the Washington Blind Hockey Club (WBHC), which began in 2016. Using ice rinks in various metropolitan locales, including Arlington’s MedStar Capitals Iceplex, SkateQuest in Reston and The St. James in Springfield, the co-ed club provides blind and visually-impaired individuals an opportunity to learn to skate and compete in hockey. This story came to us from:
Inside NoVa.
Blind Scrabble master takes on the country's best
A blind Scrabble player from Palmerston North isn’t afraid to go word for word with the country’s best. This story comes to us from: stuff.co.nz.
Marathon accommodating blind runners held in east Japan after pandemic hiatus
The 32nd Kasumigaura Marathon & International Blind Marathon was held here for the first time in three years. This story came to us from: mainichi.jp.
Falls Church Man Named Sport Ambassador For USA Blind Soccer
Kevin Brown, who competed in soccer and other mainstream sports in high school and college, was named a sport ambassador for blind soccer. This story came to us from: Patch.
He's amazing': Blind veteran gearing up to run Boston Marathon
Rob Sanchas is one of the thousands of people preparing for this year’s Boston Marathon and when he hits the pavement on Monday, his running guide Jeremy Howard will be by his side. This story came to us from: WHDH.
Marathon accommodating blind runners held in east Japan after pandemic hiatus
The 32nd Kasumigaura Marathon & International Blind Marathon was held here for the first time in three years. This story came to us from: mainichi.jp.
Weirdness
'Blind' Man on Disability Welfare Caught Looking at Woman's Bottom
A 60-year-old who claimed to be blind is accused of faking his disability after being caught looking at a woman's bottom. This story came to us from: Breitbart.
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