Editorial By Chris Hofstader
This is edition 26 of Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest so I'm celebrating half a year of publishing this thing every Tuesday. In that time that started on Louis Braille's birthday (January 4) and continues has included roughly 1690 articles and I've probably rejected about ten times as many. It's pretty much a one man show and I'm proud of all of the work I've done on it this year and look forward to its expansion into the future.
The average edition of the digest contains approximately 65 aricles. This one has 60 so it's a slower week for blind news than average. Nonetheless, there are a lot of interesting stories here with my typical wide range of topics. I hope you enjoy it.
How It's Organized
Gonz Blinko's 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
Information Boards Written In Braille For Bishnupur Monuments
ASI protected monuments in Bishnupur, West Bengal, turn disabled friendly with information boards written in Braille and tactile paths. This story came to us from: outlook India.
Why we need to publish more books in Braille
India has a dearth of innovative art books for the blind or the partially impaired. … “Painting is a blind man's profession,” Picasso said. This story came to us from: The Week.
Technology
Blind Scientist Envisions A More Accessible World Through Inclusive Technology
Josh Miele is a friend of mine. He is one of the smartest people I know in the blindness community but, at the same time, he's also one of the sweetest, most kind and generous people you may ever have the chance to meet. He's very active with LightHouse/SF and, if my information remains current, he works on accessibility at Amazon.
When Dr. Joshua Miele was just 4 years old, he was the victim of a senseless tragedy that cost him his eyesight. A neighbor with mental health problems poured acid over the little boy’s head, altering the course of his life. This story came to us from: InspireMore.
Science and Medicine
Humans can learn to echolocate like bats within just 10 weeks
New research has shone light on a human ability few even know exists – echolocation using 'click' noises, similar to how bats navigate. This story came to us from: Yahoo News.
How blind people are helping to diagnose breast cancer through touch
Christine Kanetzki takes almost an hour to check the patient for breast cancer. She gently feels each centimetre of her breasts and the lymph nodes under her arms, on her neck and near her collarbone. The inspection gives her an overview of the temperature, shape and tissue firmness. This story came to us from: The Star.
Study: Children with vision impairment more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety
A study by Orbis International found that children with myopia experienced significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety than their peers without vision impairment. This story came to us from: Ophthalmology Times.
Epilepsy drug found to thwart nervous system tumor growth
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have … benign but can still cause serious medical issues such as blindness. This story came to us from: Interesting Engineering.
Ending neglect, ending disease: River blindness in West Africa
We need to end river blindness and other neglected tropical diseases, and we need to do it soon. Otherwise… we may find ourselves back where we started. This story came to us from: gates foundation.
Pfizer sets sights on elimination of blinding disease trachoma by 2030
Pfizer said it would extend until 2030 a drug donation programme aimed at eliminating trachoma, an eye disease responsible for blindness. This story came to us from: Digital Journal.
Eye Doctor Warns Vaping And Smoking Could Cause 'Permanent Blindness
This is a very poorly sourced article and may be the opinion of a single doctor.
An eye doctor has warned that smoking and vaping could lead to blindness. This story came to us from: LADbible.
Study: Glaucoma diagnosis not associated with steeper rates of cognitive decline
Previous studies have looked for links between glaucoma-;a neurodegenerative disorder that's the leading cause of irreversible blindness-;and cognitive function, but they've generated mixed results. Findings from a large study recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggest that any association may be small or absent. This story came to us from: News-Medical.Net.
Blindness from diseased cornea is reversible but Nigerians need to embrace cornea donation
MEDICAL Director, Eye Bank for Restoring Sights, Nigeria (EBRSN), Dr. Mosunmade Faderin says cornea blindness, the fourth most commonest cause of blindness due to diseases of the cornea, can be reversed through cornea grafting and Nigerians should embrace cornea donation and transplant. This story came to us from: Tribune Online.
Cortical blindness: a rare neurological condition
Cortical blindness is an eye disease that results from an impairment of the visual cortex, the area of the brain responsible for receiving and processing images captured by the eyes in the form of electrical impulses, giving them meaning and allowing us what we, to all intents and purposes, call vision. This story came to us from: Emergency Live.
Pueblo eye doctor sees 'heartbreaking' cases of blindness among patients who put off care
Puebloans who are skipping preventative medical care are suffering unintended consequences such as blindness. This story came to us from: Pueblo Chieftain.
Tightening a molecular "zipper" could help prevent hereditary blindness
A new study has identified a molecular "zipper" mechanism that may be behind retinitis pigmentosa, and yield clues to treating it. This story came to us from: New Atlas.
Glaucoma and Dry Eyes: Connection, Symptoms, and Treatment
It's one of the most common causes of vision loss in adults and can lead to blindness. This story came to us from: Healthline.
Dihydroberberine: A powerful ingredient to get a healthier life
I would only read this article with a heaping pile of skepticism. It starts by saying that modern medicine is useless and gets worse from there.
These include heart, liver, and kidney disease, peripheral neuropathy, blindness, dementia, and several cancers. This story came to us from: Digital Journal.
Patient left blind after doctor accidentally removes wrong eye
A doctor accidentally removed the wrong eye during an operation, leaving the patient blind. This story came to us from: Daily Record.
Blindness Organizations
Vision Forward raising awareness of services for blind, visually impaired
The number of Americans ages 40 and over with blindness or visual impairment is expected to double between 2015 and 2050. Vision Forward can help. This story comes to us from: The Journal Times.
American Foundation for the Blind Announces Third Access and Engagement Report, Observing Impact of COVID-19 as Students with Visual Impairments Returned to In-Person Education
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) today announced the release of the third Access and Engagement research report, which examines the continued negative impact of systemic and COVID-19-specific issues on the education of students who are blind or have low vision. This story came to us from: PR Newswire.
NCBI CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO TACKLE COST OF LIVING AND SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR VISION IMPAIRED
NCBI, the national sight loss organisation, say the Government must develop a roadmap to address the additional costs faced by people with disabilities, informed by the Cost of Disability Report as a matter of urgency because we know that people with disabilities are more than twice as likely to experience poverty and deprivation than those without disabilities. This story came to us from: Dublin people.
Blind Veterans UK moves from Ovingdean to Rustington
The charity's new home is more suited to residents with visual impairments, rather than the current seven-storey building. This story came to us from: BBC News.
DeafBlind
Rly intervention agencies and families of children and youth in Washington state who are deafblind, ages birth to 21. Our educational team provides consultation and training to help identify next steps for meaningful learning and access to the general education content. Our services are funded by federal and state grants to increase awareness of the unique developmental and learning needs of children and youth who are deafblind, including those with complex health and significant support needs. This story came to us from: Washington State School for the Blind.
Foundation Fighting Blindness announces leadership changes
I am distrustful of FFB. They have what I think is the single largest endowment in the world of blindness but they spend relatively little money on programs and seem to spend much more on fundraising. I don't know a lot about them but the numbers on Charity Navigator are accurate as far as anyone can tell.
Jason Menzo is named CEO, while Russell Kelley, PhD, MBA, will become managing director of the RD Fund. Ben Yerxa, PhD, will take the helm of Opus Genetics, the first RD Fund- and foundation-backed spin-off company. This story came to us from: Ophthalmology Times.
Ending neglect, ending disease: River blindness in West Africa
We need to end river blindness and other neglected tropical diseases, and we need to do it soon. Otherwise… we may find ourselves back where we started. This story came to us from: Gates Foundation.
Ukrainian War
'Calls kept coming': Ukraine's network for the blind shelters displaced people
Hours after Russia’s invasion started, Serhiy Kit was receiving phone calls from members of the Ukrainian Association for the Blind at his factory’s office in Dnipro. Like everyone else in the country, Ukraine’s visually impaired were terrified when the invasion began. In their case, they had an 88-year-old association for visually impaired Ukrainians to fall back on. This story came to us from: The Guardian.
Education
$10k scholarships awarded to 15 visually impaired students
Some students who are visually impaired are celebrating $10,000 scholarships. Providing the opportunity for students here in Vermont and in New York the chance to further their education. This story came to us from: WCAX.
Legally blind student awarded White Cane bursary
When Kylie Paddison graduates from Peter Skene Ogden Secondary this month, she will have the distinction of being the first legally blind student to do so in the past 10 years. This story came to us from: 100 Mile House Free Press.
Employment
Architect goes blind, says he's gotten better at his job
This story is told primarily in the video on YouTube and has little text associated with it.
A social worker tried to tell him about "career alternatives" after he lost his sight, but Chris Downey wasn't about to stop being an architect. This story came to us from: YouTube.
Ipswich blind holistic massage therapist – Justin Ballantyne
Many of us have dreams of following our passions and starting our own company or side hustle. But what if starting a business was the only way to pick yourself up? This story came to us from: East Anglian Daily Times.
Safety
Blind man 'minutes from death' after falling on train tracks at Bellgrove station Glasgow
Michael Tornow plummeted off the platform edge at Glasgow's Bellgrove railway station just five minutes before a train was pulling in. This story came to us from: Glasgow Times.
Poverty
Blind woman 'forced to sleep on floor' as London council left her with blow up bed she couldn't inflate
A blind woman said she was forced to sleep on the floor when she moved home due to council failures. This story came to us from: MyLondon.
Crime
Detroit neighbors say 3-year-old boy found dead in freezer was blind; family called CPS 13 times this year
The body of a 3-year-old boy named Chase was found in a freezer in Detroit. Neighbors said they tried to help the mother, who also had other children living at the home, but she refused. This story came to us from: FOX 2 Detroit.
Man pistol whips blind victim continuously "over a joke he made
The incident happened on November 5th, 2021 when officers arrived on scene for reports of an assault. The affidavit states that Brandon A. Garcia and the victim were parked outside the victim's sister's work. The victim's sister and Garcia were in a dating relationship. They were waiting for her to leave work and while they were waiting, Garcia was starting to get angry at the victim over a joke he made. Police say that Garcia got out of the car and went to the front passenger side where the victim was sitting and opened the door. Garcia then pulled the victim out of the car and began hitting him over the head with a handgun. This story came to us from: KVII.
WARRANTS: Richmond County man hit, choked blind woman
According to arrest warrants, 49-year-old David Shankar Smith unlawfully confined the victim, who is blind, from June 11-15 at a home they appear to have shared on Wiregrass Road. Smith repeatedly hit the victim — who has a shunt implanted in her skull — in the head on June 11 and 14, according to warrants. This story came to us from: The Richmond Observer.
Federal commission guards brutalise blind jobseekers, several hospitalised
Members of the Association of Technology Inclined Visually Impaired Persons of Nigeria have accused security guards attached to the Federal Civil Service Commission, Abuja, of brutalising them during a peaceful protest. This story came to us from: punchng.com.
Shocking details emerge about a man 'pouring petrol' over a one-year-old girl in Wollongong
He allegedly poured petrol over a girl, aged one, and abused her grandmother. The grandmother was allegedly hit over the head with a glass during the incident. He was refused bail in court on Wednesday. This article came to us from: Daily Mail.
Guide Dogs
[Blind couple had to find own way to Salmon Arm because of guide dogs][
As a guide dog handler myself, I feel like I've been kicked in the gut whenever I add yet another discrimination story resulting from having a service animal. I've been ditched in too many different cities to remember by Lyft and/or Uber, I've been refused service at Middle Eastern restaurants and I've been asked to not come into certain stores with the dog. It just sucks.
A blind Kelowna couple tells Castanet they feel their rights have been ignored as they were refused service by Ebus. This story came to us from: Castanet.
Politics
Biden administration announces new at-home Covid tests for blind and low-vision Americans
Well, it's about time…
The Biden administration on June 23 rolled out free at-home Covid-19 tests that are designed to be more accessible for people who are blind or visually impaired. This story came to us from: ABC17NEWS.
Disabled Utah voters are asking the state for e-voting
Another case like this one we included a few weeks ago was lost and the blind people in that state no longer have the right to vote in secret. Let's hope Utah does a better job.
Driving the news: Utah's primaries are set for Tuesday. Leading up to them, blind Utahns only have two ways to cast ballots. They can vote by mail with another person's assistance, which means they can't vote in secret.
Or they can go to a polling place for an audio ballot — but navigating there may be difficult. This story came to us from: Axios.
Legal
Insomnia Cookies class action alleges website not accessible to blind, visually impaired
Insomnia Cookies does not make its website accessible to blind and visually impaired people using screen readers, in violation of the law, a new class action lawsuit alleges. This story came to us from: Top Class Actions.
Furniture Store Beats Manager's Disability Discrimination Suit
A former store manager for a furniture company failed to show he was fired for being a blind and Hispanic man, a Mississippi federal judge ruled. This story came to us from: Law360.
Business
Website Accessibility Software Market to Witness Huge Growth by Key Players: Google, Siteimprove, DYNO Mapper, Deque, BoIA, Level Access
The top-notch information research report published by ReportsnReports is a vital asset that offers qualitative and quantitative factors of the Website Accessibility Software market. The research study and methodologies mentioned in the report examine the critical vendors by considering their contribution to the global market. Furthermore, the report offers an in-depth insight into leading players’ performance based on revenue generation and client requirements. Also, the research report reveals market characteristics of fragmentation, dominance, amalgamation traits, and accumulation.
The report also highlights top graded market insights by monitoring market share, trends, and size with all-inclusive information. In addition, the report provides market classification by incorporating information about recent developments, new product launches, geographies, and investments. Finally, the Website Accessibility Software research report offers in-depth insights about future technologies, product developments & R&D activities. This story came to us from: designer women.
The Global Ophthalmoscopes market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.69% during 2022-2027
The following factors are likely to contribute to the global ophthalmoscope market growth during the forecast period: • Raising Awareness Among Patients Population by Increasing the Eye Care Services in Developed Countries. This story came to us from: Yahoo Finance.
Preventing Blindness
Prevent Blindness Declares June 28-July 4 as 2nd Annual Fireworks Safety Awareness Week
In the event of an eye emergency, Prevent Blindness recommends: Seek medical attention immediately. This story came to us from: InvisionMag.com.
Saudi medical volunteers help to combat blindness in Bangladesh
Between June 2 and 14, the Saudi aid organization helped 5,282 patients, carrying out 3,618 consultations and 502 cataract surgeries. This story came to us from: Arab News.
Eyes closed to increasing number of avoidably blind
South Africa runs the risk of an added barrier to achieving its national goals if it continues to close its eyes to the increasing number of people who are avoidably blind. Cataracts and uncorrected refractive errors continue to be an under-reported barrier to education, employment, and health. This story came to us from: Health-e News.
KSrelief launches volunteer project to combat blindness in Yemeni region
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) inaugurated Tuesday the voluntary medical project to combat blindness and its causes in Seiyun district of Hadhramaut Governorate, in cooperation with Al-Basar International Foundation. This story came to us from: Saudi Gazette.
Lifestyle
Helen Keller Day 2022: Little-Known Facts About the History’s First Deaf Blind Person and Disability Rights Advocate
This was a hard one to categorize so, as is my habit, I put into "Lifestyle" as it tends to serve as my catch all. It's nice this article came to us this week as we've Douglas' article about Ann Sullivanand Helen Keller at the top of this edition.
This day is observed as a holiday by international organizations, especially those blind and deaf. It is generally known for the fashion show held on June 27 annually for fundraising purposes. Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880 and was the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree. This story came to us from: Latestly.
Central Florida blind ham radio operators compete in Field Day
This year Dave Hillebrandt, station captain of Blind Guys Station, and Tom Moore, a member, want to show people that anyone can help others. This story came to us from: WESH.
Experience: I lost my sight overnight
On the evening of my 31st birthday in November 1983, we were docked in Trinidad and a group of us went ashore to celebrate. I still smoked in those days, and by the time I tumbled into my bunk I’d worked my way through a number of rum punches. But when I opened my eyes the next morning, I knew I was suffering from more than just an ordinary hangover. Other than a vague perception of blurry smears of light, I could see nothing. This story came to us from: The Guardian.
Art and Artists
Jon Cauchi uses stand-up comedy to share humor in his experiences as a person with a visual impairment
I'm a big stand-up fan and I really like the thought that a blind person is out there showing the world that, indeed, we can laugh at ourselves.
Cauchi, who became blind at age 12, performed a comedy routine called “The Real and Funny Side of Having a Disability” that brought down the house during Laughfest in March 2020. This story came to us from: Second Wave Media.
Artist-in-residence makes science accessible
This could have gone under "Science" or "Art" but as we've so many articles in the science section this week, I put it under art. This page contains a number of stories, navigate by heading and you'll find this one somewhere in the middle of the page.
The Rossjohn Lab has had a unique addition since 2018 – a legally-blind artist-in-residence. Professor Rossjohn says one of his interests – aside from running a long way, and T cell receptors – is making science accessible. This story came to us from: lens.monash.edu.
Lisa Durden's upcoming documentary "Blind Divas" follows Krystle Allen and Naquela Wright-Prevoe, two Black women entrepreneurs, determined to challenge the stigmas and stereotypes about the blindness community
I wonder where we can watch this documentary as it sounds interesting to me.
Lisa Durden, an award-winning director/producer and media personality leads the production of ‘Blind Divas,’ a documentary following Krystle Allen and Naquela Wright-Prevoe, two blind, Black women entrepreneurs, determined to challenge the stigmas and stereotypes about the blindness community. This is not just a story about two determined women who are everyday champions in the blindness community, it’s also a story of triumph. This story comes to us from: WBGO.
Blind Photographer 'Hopes for the Best' in Capturing Stunning Macro Shots
Rachael Andrews initially took up photography to help navigate her sight loss, but soon found an artistic passion. This story came to us from: PetaPixel.
Differently-abled man's rendition of 'Pathala Pathala' wins hearts online
Sitting on a lush green field with coconut trees in the backdrop, he also uses a plastic bucket to create amazing beats. This story came to us from: The Indian Express.
Alabama Original: Blind Seamstress Inspires Others
This story has no text associated with it. It's a pretty good YouTube video though. This story came to us from: YouTube.
Sports
85-year-old, legally blind woman learns how to swim, with the help of a 10-year-old boy
You’re never too young or too old to face your fears. Just ask Mabel Malveaux and Langston Ashley. Malveaux is 85 and just now learning how to swim, with 10-year-old Ashley’s help. This story came to us from: KLFY.com.
Man with just 5 percent eyesight breaks two skateboarding Guinness World Records
Ollie is a jump performed without the aid of a take-off ramp.
Ryusei Ouchi performed 33 ollies in one minute blindfolded and followed it up with 122 consecutive ollies blindfolded.
Ouchi lost most of his eyesight to the disease retinitis pigmentosa just a few years after he started skateboarding. This story came to us from: Times Now.
Innovative audio-descriptive commentary available for all UEFA Women's EURO 2022 matches
Blind and partially sighted fans across the globe can follow the action like never before thanks to UEFA's new audio-descriptive commentary. This story comes to us from: UEFA.com.
Raleigh school teacher invited to national blind soccer coaching summit
A physical education teacher at Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh is among a group of 26 teachers and coaches across the United States invited to an inaugural coaching summit for the blind. Shawn Whitney is attending the USA Blind Soccer Coaching Education Summit on Wednesday and Thursday at the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind. This story came to us from: CBS 17.
Goalball: Portugal wins the bid for the World Championships
The International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) is officially announcing that Portugal will host the 2022 IBSA Goalball World Championships. This story came to us from: International Blind Sports Federation.
IBSA meeting with The Nippon Foundation
IBSA Vice President, Ilgar Rahimov, and IBSA Board Member, Eigo Matsuzaki, met with Yōhei Sasakawa, chairman of The Nippon Foundation. The meeting took place in Baku, Azerbaijan. The parties discussed the prospects for cooperation between IBSA and the Nippon Foundation. Mr. Rahimov and Mr. Matsuzaki spoke about IBSA activities, the planned reforms within the organization, the ideas of the Paralympic movement, including sports for the visually impaired. This story came to us from: International Blind Sports Federation.
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