Introduction
Welcome to Edition 19 of Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest. This edition has 66 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
When I started editing Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest, my primary goal was to show the blind community, at least those who read English, what mainstream publications say, hence, what sighted people read and likely believe about us. At first, I left out articles about crimes in which blind people were victimized but, over the past 19 weeks, I've seen so many of these stories that I felt they should be included if only to emphasize how often members of our community are victims of violent crimes. I also left out articles about accidents that happen to blind people but over these few months, I've learned that many of these events were the direct result of bad accessibility which ultimately causes members of the community to come to harm. In the beginning of the digest, I tried to focus mostly on the sort of stories that I personally found interesting and over this period I've learned that the community of people with vision impairment is far more diverse than I had expected.
Thus, I try to make this digest as comprehensive as possible as I don't know if any specific reader will be interested in gene therapy, blind soccer or make-up and skin care products. I'm trying to be as inclusive as possible and if you find a story that we've missed, please send the link through the contact form or post it as a comment and I'll make sure it goes in the following issue.
Technology
Humanity should get the best from AI, not the worst – UN disability rights expert
"Artificial intelligence has fundamentally altered the terms of existence for human beings," said UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities Gerard Quinn. “New technologies can be of enormous benefit to persons with disabilities and drive the search for inclusive equality across a broad range of fields such as employment, education and independent living." This story came to us from: OHCHR.
Envision's New Smart Glasses for Blind People Arrives
Just like the recent blind-assisting techs, the new smart glasses of Envision also rely on artificial intelligence. But, this new AI-based wearable doesn't make blind people see the objects in front of them. Instead, it allows them to detect the things around them through sound. This story came to us from: Tech Times.
Blind people could one day see with high-tech glasses (which have the backing of Stevie Wonder
This headline is highly misleading as it implies that Stevie has endorsed this project. If you read the article, you will hear that Stevie tried "a similar technology" last year. The "similar technology" is the Envision smart glasses which, in fact, aren't terribly similar to the project being described in this article. Envision's glasses are a smart system designed for blind users that communicates information to the user via audio; the project described in this article is an implant, requires surgery and works in an entirely different manner. I wonder if Stevie even knows his name is being used in their marketing propaganda.
Technology is still some years away, tests of implants in monkeys are promising. This story came to us from: Daily Mail.
Science and Medicine
Reminder of wellbeing services for blind and partially sighted during Mental Health Awareness Week
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has offered a reminder of its range of wellbeing services. This story came to us from: Ross-Shire Journal.
Allowing blind people to see again with a wireless implant
Being able to see without eyes sounds like a miracle, but in the not-too-distant future, a new brain chip could allow the blind and visually impaired to perceive images again. This story came to us from: Medical Xpress.
Scientists reveal retinal cell mapping could promote accurate therapies for blindness
ANI: Researchers have identified discrete differences between the cells that make up retinal tissue and the findings can help in developing targeted therapies to treat various diseases that affect the eye’s retina. The findings of the research were published in the journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.' This story came to us from: ThePrint.
Making untreatable vision problems treatable: WVU receives $11M for visual sciences
With a new $11 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, West Virginia University has become just the second university in the country to receive funding for a visual-sciences Center of Biomedical Research Excellence. The COBRE grant will help WVU develop innovative ways to prevent, treat and slow the progression of vision problems that are currently incurable. This story came to us from: WVU Today – West Virginia University.
Atsena Therapeutics Announces Presentations at ARVO 2022 Annual Meeting and ASGCT 25th Annual Meeting
Atsena Therapeutics, a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on bringing the life-changing power of genetic medicine to reverse or prevent blindness, today announced that research on two of its next-generation adeno-associated virus (AAV) technologies will be presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2022 Annual Meeting, which is being held May 1-4 in Denver, and the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) 25th Annual Meeting, which is being held May 16-19 in Washington. This story came to us from: Yahoo Finance.
As of June 1, the government expects to clear a backlog of nearly Rs 1.02 crore in cataract procedures
The central government plans to launch a special effort over the next three years to erase the backlog in cataract and severe vision impairment surgeries caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This story came to us from: Bollyinside.
New Virtual Training Takes on Vision Loss Due to Glaucoma
Led by eye care nonprofit Orbis with support from FedEx, the training will enhance eye care professionals' surgical skills to minimize the impact of glaucoma in Vietnam. This story came to us from: Yahoo Finance.
Getting to the heart of pediatric vision loss and blindness
Cortical/cerebral visual impairment (CVI), a condition related to brain injury, is visual impairment resulting from damage to the visual pathways in the brain. This story came to us from: Optometry Times.
What Is Orbital Cellulitis?
It requires urgent medical care and can lead to blindness. This story came to us from: Very well Health.
Top 12 emerging gene and cell therapy technol
More than 150 life science and biotechnology companies have been established … 9 gene-editing therapy for a severe form of childhood blindness. This story came to us from: EurekAlert.
Making healthcare accessible, is the key to preventing blindness due to eye diseases
It is estimated that around 4.5 million people in the world are blind due to this disease. Glaucoma is a progressive eye disease that causes vision loss and blindness by damaging the optic nerve in the back of the eye . It accounts for 8% of the total blindness across the globe. This story came to us from: Times of India.
Blindness Organizations
Oklahoma School for the Blind invites students with visual disabilities to register for free
Oklahoma School for the Blind will host two free summer camps for students who are blind or visually impaired. This story came to us from: Muskogee Phoenix.
Members raise concerns over 'integrity' of charity for the blind keeping State grant
Fighting Blindness given €200000 grant to cover Covid-19 fundraising losses but its income rose. This story comes to us from: The Irish Times.
Lifeline' charity for blind looking for new home in Shropshire
The East Shropshire Talking Newspaper must leave its current base in Ketley in June. This story came to us from: BBC.
Moving Ahead After-School and Summer Program
The Moving Ahead Program is a high-quality, state-licensed, after-school and summer program in the J.W. “Blind” Boone Community Center that provides an effective mix of one-on-one tutoring and fun cultural and physical activities. This story came to us from: Columbia Housing Authority.
Learn more about Valley Center for the Blind
This is a video that tells one all about this interesting center for the blind. This story came to us from: YouTube.
School for the Blind gets literary boost from NCB Foundation
Though blind from birth, grade seven student Aleria Bent read fluently to NCB’s Constant Spring Financial Center Manager, Maxine McKenzie and her fellow students during Read Across Jamaica Day on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. This story came to us from: Jamaica.loopnews.com.
A place for hope Lighthouse for the Blind teaches independence
“We help people overcome a feeling of helplessness,” said Jason Druding, director of program services for the private, nonprofit program with centers in Winter Haven and Tampa. This story comes to us from: theledger.com.
American Foundation for the Blind honors SFA's Dr. Shannon Darst with award
Dr. Shannon Darst, assistant professor of education studies in Stephen F. Austin State University’s James I. Perkins College of Education, and two colleagues recently received the Corinne Kirchner Research Award from the American Foundation for the Blind for creating a tool called the Visual Impairment Scale of Service Intensity of Texas, which identifies the level of instruction a blind student needs in order to succeed. This story comes to us from: The Gilmer Mirror.
Our Sponsors – | American Foundation for the Blind
By working with AFB, you are asserting your commitment to an inclusive society and a no limits future for people who are blind or visually impaired. This story came to us from: American Foundation for the Blind.
Georgia Academy for the Blind students receive 3d touch yearbook
Engineering students from Mercer University presented the graduating class of the Georgia Academy for the Blind with a gift they'll never forget. This story came to us from: 41NBC News.
MutualOne Charitable Foundation’s $5,000 Grant To Support Blind and Visually Impaired Organization’s Efforts in Natick
Mark Haranas, MutualOne Bank CEO and MutualOne Charitable Foundation chairman, announced that the Foundation has awarded $5,000 to the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI), a division of MAB Community Services, to support their assistive technology training center located at the Natick Community/Senior Center. This story came to us from: Framingham SOURCE.
Ukrainian War
I can smell a Russian tank," says 'Badass' blind gran who was rejected by the Ukrainian army
The lady told a reporter she tried to volunteer for the army in her native Ukraine while holed up in her apartment in an undisclosed location. This story came to us from: echno Trenz.
Education
Indore: DAVV to give 'vision' to the blind
First university in the State, if not in the country, to come up with a course exclusively for visually impaired persons. This story came to us from: Free Press Journal.
Employment
Video Blind man's radio show airs across globe
Monte Sieberns, who was told no by so many, is now an inspiration to others to live their dreams. This story came to us from: ABC News.
Safety
Blind man hit by train because of failure to clearly mark the edge of platform
The absence of tactile paving 'caused and contributed' to the death of a blind charity volunteer who fell into the path of a train. This story came to us from: Metro.
Poverty
Horror footage of blind woman's mould-infested flat sparks outrage on social media
Horrific videos of a family's mouldy flat have sparked outrage as the blind, bed-bound tenant and her NHS worker daughter have been forced to live in the revolting conditions for years. This story came to us from: The Mirror.
A tax error took everything from a disabled Charlotte woman and left her sleeping in a parking deck
On Feb. 6, 2019, Barbara Ryan was forcibly evicted from the only house she’s ever known in Charlotte after it was auctioned for taxes she had already paid. This story came to us from: Charlotte Observer.
Crime
Enormously aggressive' Gloucester woman tried to kill disabled victim with pillow
An "enormously aggressive" 52-year-old Gloucester woman, tried to kill a blind paraplegic woman by pressing a pillow down on her face. This story came to us from: Gloucestershire Live.
Hammond man could get time served for forcing blind woman with mental disability into prostitution
"Time served" seems like a minimal punishment for a serious crime. This guy should go away for a long time like any other human traficker might.
A Hammond man could get time served after admitting he forced a blind woman with a mental disability into prostitution. This story came to us from: Chicago Tribune.
Blind grandma rescues kids offered for N70,000 to ritualists in Akwa
A blind grandmother, Mrs Bassey Ekong, has rescued two children, Gideon Edet and Kingsley Edet from the hands of suspected ritualists in Akwa Ibom State. This story came to us from: Within Nigeria.
Blind man reunited with £6500 puppy after bat-wielding thugs made off with her
We carried the story about this man having his precious dog stolen and I'm happy to say the story has a happy ending.
A blind man has been reunited with his new £6,500 puppy after she was stolen from him by baseball bat-wielding thugs. This story came to us from: The Mirror.
Hope Blossoms for Hearing-impaired Women, Girls
Blind and deaf women lament sexual violence, like rape by the men who may think no one will listen to them even when they report such incident. This story came to us from: THISDAYLIVE.
Guide Dogs
Blind Woman Says Uber Driver Canceled Ride After Seeing Service Dog
This is not at all an isolated incident, in fact, I think we have an article about a blind person with a guide dog getting ditched by an Uber or Lyft driver almost every week in this digest.
In a viral TikTok video, a blind woman says her Uber driver canceled her ride and drove away after seeing her service dog. This story comes to us from: The Daily Dot.
A new dog learns some important tricks: Helping his blind owner
"To handle an environment like D.C., you need a dog with some oomph and some gumption,” says Kathryn Roberts, a trainer with Leader Dogs for the Blind. This story came to us from: The Washington Post.
'Paws for Applause' concert fundraises for guide and hearing dog charities
Sound and Vision group are putting on a concert to raise money for Guide dogs for the Blind and Hearing dogs for Deaf People. This story came to us from: Press and Journal.
Puppies in training get opera experience
About a dozen puppies and their handlers converged on the Ellie Caulkins Opera House to take in some classic opera, and work on some important training. This story came to us from: ABC 12.
Legal
Whole Foods Class Action Claims Website Not Accessible To Blind, Visually Impaired
A would-be Whole Foods customer is suing the health foods company for allegedly failing to maintain a website that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), thus denying equal access for blind and visually impaired people. This story came to us from: Top Class Actions.
Class action complaint filed against All Elite Wrestling, LLC for allegedly violating the Americans With Disabilities Act
The class action lawsuit, filed on May 4th, alleges that All Elite Wrestling, LLC has denied equal access to the AEW Shop website. This story came to us from: Wrestling News.
Business
Screen Reader Market Reports to have Growing Revenue during 2022 – 2029 – Amedia Corporation
On a variety of market pillars, the study has produced consistent, comparable, and timely data. By analyzing regional and global trends in the business, Screen Reader market participants may be able to expand capacity in the future. The research focuses on market dynamics as well as significant Screen Reader industry trends. This story comes to us from: manufacturelink.com.
Inherited Retinal Diseases Market Is Booming Market to Rapidly Growing 2028 with Top Key Players
The persuasive Inherited Retinal Diseases market Potential business report highlights the most recent market trends. This market document unveils vulnerabilities that may emerge because of changes in business activities or presentation of another item in the market. It is designed in such a way that it provides an evident understanding of Inherited Retinal Diseases Potential industry. In addition to detailing about competitive landscape of the key players, this report also offers complete and distinct analysis of the market drivers and restraints, detailed analysis of the market segmentation, key developments in the market and details of research methodology. This story came to us from: magnolianews.net.
Tactile Printing Market 2022 Global Competition by Opportunity Assessment and Forecast
The “Global Tactile Printing Market” research report represents major insights on the current growth dynamics as well as the primary revenue generation elements that are available in the Tactile Printing industry along with various other factors over the predicted period 2022-2028. The report on the Tactile Printing market is focusing on a series of parameters including top manufacturing strategies, industry share, prime opportunities, industrial channel, profit margin, etc. The research study on the global Tactile Printing market is liable to showcase essential development in the distinct regions including the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific, and China. This story came to us from: magnolianews.net.
A Comprehensive Study exploring Tactile Printing Market
Tactile Printing Market study by “Marketreports.info” provides details about the market dynamics affecting the Tactile Printing market, Market scope, Market segmentation and overlays shadow upon the leading market players highlighting the favorable competitive landscape and trends prevailing over the years.
An exclusive Tactile Printing Market research report provides depth analysis of the market dynamics across five regions such as North America, Europe, South America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa. The segmentation of the Tactile Printing market by type, application, and region was done based on the thorough market analysis and validation through extensive primary inputs from industry experts, key opinion leaders of companies, and stakeholders and secondary research (global/regional associations, trade journals, technical white papers, company’s website, annual report SEC filing, and paid databases). Further, the Tactile Printing market has been estimated by utilizing various research methodologies and internal statistical model.
Tactile Printing Market report also provide a thorough understanding of the cutting-edge competitive analysis of the emerging market trends along with the drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities in the Tactile Printing Market to offer worthwhile insights and current scenario for making right decision. The Tactile Printing report covers the prominent players in the market with detailed SWOT analysis, financial overview, and key developments of the products/services from the past three years. Moreover, the Tactile Printing report also offers a 360º outlook of the market through the competitive landscape of the global Tactile Printing industry player and helps the companies to garner Tactile Printing Market revenue by understanding the strategic growth approaches. This story came to us from: themobility.club.
Politics
Charity campaigners to deliver e-scooter petition
A petition calling on politicians not to legalise the use of private e-scooters on public highways is being delivered to Downing Street. Sarah Leadbetter, from Leicestershire, is one of those campaigning with the National Federation of the Blind UK (NFBUK). The charity said e-scooters were not safe for vulnerable pedestrians. This story came to us from: BBC.
Preventing Blindness
May is Ultraviolet Awareness Month at Prevent Blindness
As the warmer weather begins to encourage more outdoor activities, Prevent Blindness, Ohio Affiliate, has declared May as Ultraviolet (UV) Awareness Month. This story comes to us from: – The Highland County Press.
Research to Prevent Blindness Opens Applications for up to $4.7 Million in Vision Research Grants
The awards offered cover a wide variety of topics in vision science, including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, ocular cancer, amblyopia, low vision, and many more. This story came to us from: Newswise.
Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation of Donor Corneal Tissue by Slit Lamp and Specular Microscopy
In India, donor eye collection and promotion of eye banking are insufficient to meet the needs. By adequately evaluating donor corneas, eye banks can maximize the number of viable corneas for transplantation. This study evaluated donor corneal tissue based on age, lens status, and cause of death by their morphology and endothelial cell count via slit lamp and specular microscopy. This story came to us from: Cureus.
Lifestyle
Blind Disney Guest Has Wild Ride Down Water Slide At Hotel
One Guest went down a water slide at Disney's Polynesian Resort blind, and had the most amazing and magical experience. This story came to us from: Inside the Magic.
A Day in the Life of a Blind Couple
With this couple, love is truly blind. This story came to us from: YouTube.
Legally blind mom of 5 says she's 'just like any other parent out there; I just so happen to be blind
She helped push for a law to help blind parents keep custody of their children. This story came to us from: FOX 5 Atlanta.
Blind Couple Who Attended Same Schools Gets Married, Bears Beautiful Kids
Pierre who is a physiotherapist said he loves his wife's personality. He was advised to marry a beautiful woman instead of a blind person. This story came to us from: Legit.ng.
Kind-hearted blind Millport man sets up new charity on island
A Millport man who went blind 12 years ago is working to establish a new charity which will offer people with sight loss subsidised holidays to the island. Spindrift Holidays is being founded by Greg Christie, who lost his sight in 2010 due to a rare condition. This story came to us from: Largs and Millport Weekly News.
Art and Artists
I Was Born Blind and Want to Help Everyone Enjoy the Arts
Micaela Schmidt is an inspiring young woman from regional Australia who speaks tough truths about making cultural stuff accessible to all. This story came to us from: Hope 103.2.
Albany filmmaker partners with deaf-blind fencer for PBS short
When PBS was looking for a short film companion piece for their new “American Masters” documentary “Becoming Helen Keller,” they struck gold with the subject of the nearly 8 minute piece, Elsa Sjunneson. She’s a Seattle-based, deaf-blind writer and activist. She also happens to be a fencer. This story came to us from: Times Union.
Galloway Young Man Writes Book About Living With Blindness
Chris Cruz, a resident of Galloway Township, has been working on a special project for several months – it's a book about what it's like to be blind. This story came to us from: Cat Country 107.3.
Sports
What's your story? Blind golfing tournament held at Bayou Desiard
Dr. Chad NeSmith has won multiple national championships as a blind golfer and he takes his talents to Monroe, Louisiana. This story came to us from: KNOE.
Blind Guy Goes Down A Water Slide, Proceeds To Have The Time Of His Life
This story is primarily presented as a video.
Anthony S. Ferraro has the most enthusiastic can-do attitude at the water park. This story came to us from: Digg.
University of Worcester captains England Women's blind team
A University of Worcester student captained England’s blind football team in her debut. Alice Hopkins, 21, captained the women's B1 blind team which welcomed Sweden for a series of five-a-side matches on Good Friday. This story came to us from: Worcester News.
Legally blind runner finishes 26th marathon at Cincinnati's Flying Pig
He founded the group United in Stride, which is a tool for uniting visually impaired runners and sighted guides. This story came to us from: WLWT.
Legally blind man set to graduate college while excelling as long-distance runner
Legally blind, he sees a narrow field of grainy, blurry images and uses assistive technology to learn and study. This story came to us from: CBS 58.
eSight and We Are Young Give Legally Blind Senior Wish of a Lifetime: The Gift of Sight
Senior's dream of watching the Toronto Maple Leafs play at Scotiabank Arena is fulfilled with gifted eSight 4 medical device. This story came to us from: GlobeNewswire.
Weirdness
Blind Girl Begs Man to Help Find Her Dad, Minutes Later He Realizes It's His Own Father
A man is stunned to discover that the little blind girl he rescued was his father's child from a second marriage to a woman he hated for breaking up his family. This story came to us from: AmoMama.
Old Grocery Store Owner Pretends Being a Blind Customer to Test His New Employee
The owner of a big grocery store decides to find out who is taking money from the cash register and pretends to be a blind man to trap the thief. This story came to us from: AmoMama.
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