Tag Archives: Talking Book and Braille Center

Blind exchange student is a gifted musician studying at NJ high school

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Young blind man sitting on the couch playing guitar

Blind young man playing guitar on couchby: Mira Wassef

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NEW JERSEY (PIX11) — A blind exchange student from Turkey is a talented musician who covers pop tunes while acclimating to a new life and school in New Jersey.

Mert Ozer, 16, arrived in Oakland from Istanbul about a month ahead of beginning classes at Indian Hills High School. And only a week into his studies, the teen has learned a few things about American schools.

He’s not a fan of riding on the “uncomfortable” yellow school buses and he’s already decided to ditch the aid that helps him get around campus. Ozer does not want to be known as the “blind kid” and values his independence.

“It’s really going great. The schools here are bigger than in Turkey. The teachers and friends are helping me,” he said.

The junior got to spend a few days at the high school mapping the building so he could get around more easily. The same goes at home with his host family. Within a couple of days, he had learned how to get around. He knows how to use the microwave, makes his own coffee, and has no problem getting a glass of water in the middle of the night.

“I feel more comfortable being independent,” he said.

He’s also gotten more comfortable around dogs since he used to fear them. But the family has two adorable pooches who wear different bells to help him tell them apart.

“It drives the neighbors crazy but it works,” said his host parent Ann Ford, who has taken in seven other international students.

Ozer was the top student in his mainstream class last year and his musicality helps him learn and stand out. The teen has been playing the piano for a decade and is taking guitar classes in New Jersey because it helps with visual learning, he said.

Ozer has already signed up to do a few local performances and creates content for his YouTube channel. He loves pop and jazz music and enjoys listening to Charlie Puth, Sean Mendes, Ariana Grande, and Queen.

Business Enterprise New Jersey (BENJ)

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In store food display case in front of trained individuals

WHAT IS “BENJ”?

Business Enterprise New Jersey (BENJ) operates under The Randolph-Sheppard Act of 1936, 20 U.S.C. § 107 et seq., a federal law that mandates a priority to blind persons to operate vending facilities on Federal property. The Store case displaying snacks and drinks for saleprogram priority has broadened through state laws to include state, county, municipal, and private locations as well. In each state across the United States, a SLA (State Licensing Agency) has the responsibility to administer Randolph Sheppard. In the State of New Jersey, the designated SLA is the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI).

In New Jersey, each day thousands of customers are competently served at the various BENJ facilities currently open across the State. These business operations include: vending machine locations, newspaper stands, snack bars, and full service cafeterias. These locations are all operated by blind CBVI BENJ clients, referred to as licensed Managers.

Eligibility Requirements

To participate in BENJ you must:

  • Be legally blind (20/200 or worse with best corrected vision and certain field of vision limitations)
  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • Be a legal resident of the of the U.S. and State of NJ
  • Have earned a high school diploma or GED

Training

Man purchasing food items from a store trained employee using a currency readerTraining classes for BENJ participants are conducted at the Joseph Kohn Training Center, as well as at other food service sites. In addition, on-the-job training at different BENJ locations is provided. Sanitation, safety, merchandising, and customer service are all important components of the comprehensive classroom and hands-on operational instruction that is required for earning a BENJ license.

Are You Ready to Get Started in BENJ?

  • You must first become a client of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
  • Contact your Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, who will discuss the basic BENJ requirements to help you assess if this is the right option for your employment future.
  • If you meet the minimum qualifications, your VR Counselor will schedule a meeting with a BENJ Representative who will then explain the program in detail, including training and licensure requirements, types of facilities, realistic timetables for placement and advancement, and potential income levels.

Building Partnerships and Creating Opportunities:

The Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired is seeking to form Partnerships for Prosperity in communities all over New Jersey to expand BENJ by establishing new locations where trained and licensed Managers will have the opportunity to become gainfully employed.

The Benefits of Having a BENJ Location in Your Facility:

  • In store food display case in front of trained individuals Customers enjoy convenience and good service at reasonable prices;
  • Individuals who are blind are able to be self-sufficient, tax paying entrepreneurs by managing their own business; and
  • Communities receive important messages on valuing diversity and the abilities of people once thought of as handicapped.

INDEPENDENCE:  Believe and Achieve!

Business Enterprise New Jersey is a true example of the commitment that the Commission for the Blind & Visually Impaired has made to create and expand employment opportunities for people living in New Jersey who are blind!

You are invited to observe this very successful program in action. We will be happy to arrange for a visit to any of our facilities located all over the state.

For further information, please contact Deacon Truesdale, Manager of BENJ at  732-937-6393 or email: Napoleon.Truesdale@dhs.nj.gov

With his grandfather as his caddie, this legally blind golfer is winning international acclaim

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Tyler Cashman, a 20-year-old legally blind golfer on the golf course with his grandfather
Jane Havsy, Daily Record (N.J.)

 

HIGH BRIDGE, N.J. — Nothing seemed unusual as Tyler Cashman stepped up to the first tee at High Bridge Hills Golf Club for a mid-July practice. The golfer from Oldwick took a long look out toward the green, then stepped back and tried a practice swing.

Cashman, a 20-year-old business major at the University of Richmond, lined up over his bright orange golf ball.

His grandfather, George Cashman, quietly gave instructions.

“A little right,” he advised. Tyler shifted his weight, adjusting his feet by millimeters. “Right there,” his grandfather said.

Cashman teed off and watched as the ball soared toward the fairway, as any other player might. But he couldn’t follow his shot.

Tyler Cashman is legally blind, with less than 5% of vision in his left eye and 20% in the right. He was born with better eyesight, but, for reasons doctors still haven’t been able to explain, “it’s been deteriorating since then, and it’s still deteriorating,” he said.

Cashman sees “blurry blobs” without detail. Things are most clear about 3 inches away from his better eye. That’s where he holds his phone, and anything else he wants to read — including printouts of college exams, the letters blown up to a 36-point font.

On the golf course, Cashman needs an aide — called a caddie, spotter or coach — to make sure he’s pulling the right club out of his bag, putting his tee in the right spot and lining up his shots correctly.

He relies on his 69-year-old grandfather to point him in the right direction.

“Without him, you’re just beating balls God knows where,” Cashman said. “I probably couldn’t play a single hole without a spotter.”

Team Cashman is a family affair

Tyler Cashman was the youngest player in the 2022 International Blind Golf Association’s Vision Cup, where he helped Team North America capture its first title. In March, he won the B2 division at the association’s South African Open, took one day off, then finished second out of 15 entrants at his vision level at the IBGA World Championship.

Earlier this month, after Tyler was second among visually impaired golfers at the U.S. Golf Association’s Adaptive Open in North Carolina, fourth-place finisher Bill Pease declared, “The future of blind golf is right here.”

The IBGA has 400 members, 76 of whom are also registered with the U.S. Blind Golf Association, a nonprofit established in 1953 to grow the game among the visually impaired. Since the inception of the USBGA’s junior golf program in 1992, more than 5,000 people have been introduced to this unique version of the game.

“Tyler has no idea what’s in front of him. He doesn’t know if it’s a par-4, par-5, par-3,” said George Cashman, who grew up in Florham Park and now splits his time between Phoenix and Ortley Beach.

“He relies on me. There’s a real trust factor there. I know his swing so well. I know how to adjust. All the little swing tips he can’t see, I help him with.”

Tyler Cashman looked like any other golfer on the practice green at High Bridge Hills, his home course. He has the standard clubs in his beige golf bag, which is decorated with personalized badges from the U.S. Adaptive Open, World Blind Golf Championships and elite courses like TPC Sawgrass and Pinehurst Resort & Country Club.

Tyler and George Cashman compete in matching bright blue collared polo shirts to which Tyler’s mother, Casey, has added the “Team Cashman” logo.

On the green, Tyler counts paces from his ball to the hole. Unlike most golfers, he putts with the flag stick in place. Sometimes George will rattle it to help his grandson locate the cup. The most challenging part of blind golf, Tyler said, is judging any slope on the greens. For his practice round, he birdied the par-5 first hole.

“When things get really bad, I get fired,” his grandfather joked. “Thank God that’s happening fewer and fewer times as his golf game continues to improve and evolve.”

Even with George Cashman sidelined after knee replacement surgery, Tyler and a last-minute replacement caddie finished second in the visually impaired category at the United States Golf Association’s Adaptive Open earlier this month.

The reunited Team Cashman is scheduled to compete at the Canadian Open Blind Golf Championships in late August and the USBGA’s 77th National Championship in September.

“I wouldn’t play without him. He’s the reason I play,” Tyler said of his grandfather. “I fire him a lot, but he keeps coming back.”

Tyler Cashman, a 20-year-old legally blind golfer takes a practice swing Tyler Cashman, a 20-year-old legally blind golfer from Oldwick, plays a practice round at High Bridge Hills Golf Club on July 20, 2023. Tyler’s grandfather tells him what direction to hit the ball and how far it needs to go. Photo: Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com-USA Today Network

From ‘small adaptation’ to big inspiration

In fourth grade, Casey Cashman thought her son just needed glasses.

Tyler had kept his declining vision a secret, memorizing the eye chart the school nurse used. But after she switched to a new chart, Tyler got nearly every letter wrong.

He doesn’t have a diagnosis, but doctors believe his vision loss is genetic.

Cashman played baseball with sighted kids until eighth grade, when his doctor decided it wasn’t safe anymore. Undaunted, Cashman switched to the New Jersey Titans beep baseball team, a squad of visually impaired players who play a modified version of the national pastime. He was the offensive Rookie of the Year at the 2019 National Beep Baseball Association World Series in Oklahoma, with a .650 batting average. Two years later, Cashman hit .581 and was named to the World Series offensive all-star team.

Cashman also followed his grandfather’s passion for golf onto the greens, “because the ball doesn’t move and there’s no contact, so they couldn’t stop me.” He converted his baseball swing at the since-closed Golf Range in Branchburg. Cashman tried out for the Voorhees High School golf team and made junior varsity as a freshman with Voorhees English teacher Mike Crane, a beginner golfer, as his volunteer caddie.

“His love for the game overcame the frustrations,” said Carmen Cook, a retired Voorhees physical education teacher and coach. “One of the first times he was out on the course with me, I said, ‘Hey, great shot. Did you see where that went?’ He said, ‘I have no idea.’ He really lost vision of the flight once it took off.”

Cashman moved up to varsity as a sophomore and junior. In his senior year, he was one of Voorhees’ top three players and a co-captain on a team that went 15-3.

“At first, I didn’t like how (my vision) was so out in the open,” Cashman said. “But it was a good thing that it was so obvious for other people. … I started to look at (the caddie) as a small adaptation I had to deal with so I could play on the same level.”

Cashman, who is studying marketing, hopes his future career will raise awareness of visually impaired people. He also plans to continue raising money for the U.S. Pain Foundation, the largest nonprofit for individuals living with chronic pain, as his mother does.

When Tyler was in seventh grade, the Cashmans launched Pediatric Pain Warriors for kids and families. Since then, they have raised $250,000, hosting three week long summer camps and family retreats at Disney World, Great Wolf Lodge Water Park, and Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, as well as a virtual retreat during the COVID lock down.

A rising junior at the University of Richmond, Cashman gets audio versions of most textbooks, and uses iPad apps that can scan and verbalize print pages. He also uses Fusion, a computer program that both enlarges and reads text.

Cashman has participated in two clinical trials to try to slow his deteriorating vision: one for a new medication and another, in Cancun, in which his stem cells were removed and then re-injected. Neither has reversed his condition, though the interventions could have slowed his decline.

“He won’t let the vision define him,” said Pease, a former University of Virginia professor who is also legally blind. “That’s not who he is. He won’t make excuses. He’s a real role model at 20 years old. I look up to him. … He’s got this disease and it’s not curable, but he just keeps going. He doesn’t keep going just for himself. He’s trying to help others. He’s already done more for others than most of us on this Earth.”

Jane Havsy is a storyteller for the Daily Record and DailyRecord.com, part of the USA TODAY Network. For full access to live scores, breaking news and analysis, subscribe today.

Email: JHavsy@gannett.com; Twitter: @dailyrecordspts

Blindness and vision impairment

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World Health Organization Logo

Boys sitting at their desk in a classroom

Key facts

  • Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. In at least 1 billion of these, vision impairment could have been prevented or is yet to be addressed.
  • The leading causes of vision impairment and blindness at a global level are refractive errors and cataracts.
  • It is estimated that globally only 36% of people with a distance vision impairment due to refractive error and only 17% of people with vision impairment due to cataract have received access to an appropriate intervention.
  • Vision impairment poses an enormous global financial burden, with the annual global cost of productivity estimated to be US$ 411 billion.
  • Vision loss can affect people of all ages; however, most people with vision impairment and blindness are over the age of 50 years.

Overview

Vision, the most dominant of our senses, plays a critical role in every facet and stage of our lives. We take vision for granted, but without vision, we struggle to learn, to walk, to read, to participate in school and to work.

Vision impairment occurs when an eye condition affects the visual system and its vision functions. Everyone, if they live long enough, will experience at least one eye condition in their lifetime that will require appropriate care.

Vision impairment has serious consequences for the individual across the life course. Many of these consequences can be mitigated by timely access to quality eye care. Eye conditions that can cause vision impairment and blindness – such as cataract or refractive error – are, for good reasons, the main focus of eye care strategies; nevertheless, the importance of eye conditions that do not typically cause vision impairment – such as dry eye or conjunctivitis – must not be overlooked. These conditions are frequently among the leading reasons for presentation to eye care services.

Causes

Globally, the leading causes of vision impairment and blindness are:

  • refractive errors
  • cataract
  • diabetic retinopathy
  • glaucoma
  • age-related macular degeneration.

There is substantial variation in the causes of vision impairment between and within countries according to the availability of eye care services, their affordability, and the education of the population. For example, the proportion of vision impairment attributable to unoperated cataract is higher in low- and middle-income countries. In high income countries, diseases such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration are more common.

Among children, congenital cataract is a leading cause of vision impairment in low-income countries, whereas in middle-income countries it is more likely to be retinopathy of prematurity.

Uncorrected refractive error remains a leading cause of vision impairment in all countries amongst children and adult populations.

Prevalence

Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. In at least 1 billion – or almost half – of these cases, vision impairment could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.

Among this 1 billion people, the main conditions causing distance vision impairment or blindness are cataract (94 million), refractive error (88.4 million), age-related macular degeneration (8 million), glaucoma (7.7 million), diabetic retinopathy (3.9 million) (1). The main condition causing near vision impairment is presbyopia (826 million) (2).

In terms of regional differences, the prevalence of distance vision impairment in low- and middle-income regions is estimated to be 4 times higher than in high-income regions (1). With regards to near vision, rates of unaddressed near vision impairment are estimated to be greater than 80% in western, eastern and central sub-Saharan Africa, while comparative rates in high-income regions of North America, Australasia, western Europe, and of Asia-Pacific are reported to be lower than 10% (2).

Population growth and ageing are expected to increase the risk that more people acquire vision impairment.

Impact of vision impairment

Personal impact

Young children with early onset irreversible severe vision impairment can experience delayed motor, language, emotional, social and cognitive development, with lifelong consequences. School-age children with vision impairment can also experience lower levels of educational achievement.

Vision impairment severely impacts quality of life among adult populations. Adults with vision impairment can experience lower rates of employment and higher rates of depression and anxiety.

In the case of older adults, vision impairment can contribute to social isolation, difficulty walking, a higher risk of falls and fractures, and a greater likelihood of early entry into nursing or care homes.

Economic impact

Vision impairment poses an enormous global financial burden with an estimate annual global productivity loss of about US$ 411 billion purchasing power parity (3). This figure far outweighs the estimated cost gap of addressing the unmet need of vision impairment (estimated at about US$ 25 billion).

Strategies to address eye conditions to avoid vision impairment

There are effective interventions covering promotion, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation which address the needs associated with eye conditions and vision impairment. While many vision loss cases can be prevented (such as those due to infections, trauma, unsafe traditional medicines, perinatal diseases, nutrition-related diseases, unsafe use or self-administration of topical treatment), this is not possible for all. For many eye conditions, e.g. diabetic retinopathy, early detection and timely treatment are crucial to avoid irreversible vision loss. Spectacle correction for refractive error and surgery for cataract are among the most cost-effective of all health-care interventions. Yet, globally only 36% of people with a distance vision impairment due to refractive error have received access to an appropriate pair of spectacles and only 17% of people with vision impairment or blindness due to cataract have received access to quality surgery (5).

Treatment is also available for many eye conditions that do not typically cause vision impairment, such as dry eye, conjunctivitis and blepharitis, but generate discomfort and pain. Treatment of these conditions is directed at alleviating the symptoms and preventing the evolution towards more severe stages of those diseases.

Vision rehabilitation is very effective in improving functioning for people with an irreversible vision loss that can be caused by eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, consequences of trauma, and age-related macular degeneration.

WHO response

WHO’s work is guided by the recommendations of the WHO World report on vision (2019) and the resolution on “integrated, people-centred eye care, including preventable blindness and vision impairment” adopted at the Seventy-third World Health Assembly in 2020. The key proposal is to make integrated people-centred eye care (IPEC) the care model of choice and to ensure its widespread implementation. It is expected that by shaping the global agenda on vision and eye care, the report and resolution will assist Member States and their partners in their efforts to reduce the burden of eye conditions and vision.

Some of WHO’s key areas of work and activities in the prevention of blindness include:

  1. Working with Member States and other partners in the field to monitor the global targets for 2030 on integrated people-centred eye care:
  2. Observing and promoting World Sight Day as an annual advocacy event.
  3. Supporting the integration of eye care in health systems through the implementation of a series of technical tools:
  4. The development and implementation tools to support countries to assess the provision of eye care services such as:
    • The Eye care situation analysis tool
    • The Tool for the assessment of diabetic retinopathy and diabetes management services.
    • The Tool for the assessment of glaucoma services.
    • The Tool for the assessment of refractive services.
    • The Tool for the assessment of rehabilitation services and systems.
  5. The development of materials and resources to raise awareness on eye care:

 

References

1. GBD 2019 Blindness and Vision Impairment Collaborators; Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study. Causes of blindness and vision impairment in 2020 and trends over 30 years, and prevalence of avoidable blindness in relation to VISION 2020: the Right to Sight: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study. Lancet Glob Health. 2021 Feb;9(2):e144-e160. doi: 10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30489-7.

2. Fricke, TR, Tahhan N, Resnikoff S, Papas E, Burnett A, Suit MH, Naduvilath T, Naidoo K, Global Prevalence of Presbyopia and Vision Impairment from Uncorrected Presbyopia: Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Modelling, Ophthalmology. 2018 May 9.

3. Burton MJ, Ramke J, Marques AP, Bourne RR, Congdon N, Jones I, et al. The Lancet Global Health commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020. Lancet Glob Health. 2021; 9(4):e489–e551.

Historically Famous African Americans with Blindness or Visual Impairments

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Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological and/or neurological factors.  Complete blindness is the total lack of form and light perception and is clinically recorded as “No Light Perception” or “NPL”.  Eye injuries, mostly occurring in people under 30, are the leading cause of monocular blindness (vision loss in one eye).  People who are blind or visually impaired have devised a number of techniques that allow them to complete daily activities using their remaining senses and recently created accessible technology such as screen reading software enables visually impaired people to use mainstream computer applications including the Internet.  Listed below are historically famous people with visual impairments including total blindness, sight conditions, or blindness in one eye.

 

Harriet Tubman posing for photo with hands crossedHarriet Tubman (c. “in approximately” 1820 – March 10, 1913):  Harriet Tubman was a slave throughout her youth, being treated as an animal until she eventually escaped captivity.  She was an abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War.  When she had reached Canada she did not stay to enjoy her freedom.  She returned to the lands and brought hundreds of black slaves back to safety, saving them from slavery by escaping in what was then called The Underground Railroad.  After a severe wound to the head, which was inflicted by a slave owner before her escape, she became a victim to vision impairment and seizures.  That did not keep her from tossing her fears aside and to keep fighting for the freedom of her people.

 

Ray Charles playing the pianoRay Charles (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004):  Known by his stage name Ray Charles, he was an American pianist and musician who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues.  He brought a soulful sound to country music, pop standards, and a rendition of “America the Beautiful” that Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes called the “definitive version of the song, an American anthem.”  In 1965, Charles was arrested for possession of heroin, a drug to which he had been addicted for nearly 20 years.  It was his third arrest for the offense, but he avoided jail time after kicking the habit in a clinic in Los Angeles.  He spent a year on parole in 1966.  Ray also appeared in the 1980 hit movie, The Blues Brothers and Frank Sinatra called him “the only true genius in the business.”  In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Charles number ten on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and also voted him number two on their list of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

 

Stevie Wonder wearing dark sun glasses smilingStevie Wonder (May 13, 1950 – Present):  Born Steveland Hardaway Judkins, he later changed his name to Steveland Hardaway Morris.  Wonder is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer.  Blind from infancy, Wonder signed with Motown Records as a pre-adolescent at the age of twelve, and continues to perform and record for the label to this day.  It is thought that he received excessive oxygen in his incubator which led to retinopathy of prematurity, a destructive ocular disorder affecting the retina.  It is characterized by abnormal growth of blood vessels, scarring, and sometimes retinal detachment.  A prominent figure in popular music during the latter half of the 20th century, Wonder has recorded more than thirty U.S. top ten hits and won twenty-two Grammy Awards (the most ever won by a solo artist) as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award.  He has also won an Academy Award for Best Song, and been inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Songwriters halls of fame.  He has also been awarded the Polar Music Prize. American music magazine Rolling Stone named the ninth greatest singer of all time.

 

Rahsaan Roland Kirk playing 4 wind instruments at the same timeRahsaan Roland Kirk (August 7, 1936 – December 5, 1977):  Rahsaan was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist, playing tenor saxophone, flute and other reed instruments.  He was perhaps best known for his vitality on stage, where virtuoso improvisation was accompanied by comic banter, political ranting and his famous ability to play a number of instruments simultaneously.  Kirk was also very political, using the stage to talk on black history, civil rights and other issues, which he was always capable of tipping over into high comedy.  He went blind at an early age due to poor medical treatment.

 

Al Hibbler posing for a photo with dark wearing dark tinted glassesAl Hibbler (August 16, 1915 – April 24, 2001):  Hibber was an American vocalist with several pop hits. He is best known for his million selling recording of “Unchained Melody” (1955).  He achieved national prominence in the United States with the Ellington orchestra in the mid 1940s, and went on to build a substantial career, which included continuing involvement with jazz musicians.  Born Albert George Hibbler in Tyro, Mississippi, he was blind from birth. Hibbler attended a school for the blind in Little Rock, Arkansas where he joined the school choir.  He won an amateur talent contest in Memphis, Tennessee, where he first worked with local bands and started his own band.  He died in Chicago in 2001, at the age of 85.  He was survived by a sister and a brother.  Hibbler has a star at 1650 Vine Street on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 

William Samuel McTell sitting on a stool playing an acoustic guitarWilliam Samuel McTell (May 5, 1898 – August 19, 1959):  Better known as Blind Willie McTell, he was an influential American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist.  He was a twelve-string finger picking Piedmont blues guitarist, and recorded 149 songs between 1927 and 1956.  Born William Samuel McTier in Thomson, Georgia, blind in one eye, McTell had lost his remaining vision by late childhood, but became an adept reader of Braille.  He showed proficiency in music from an early age and learned to play the six-string guitar as soon as he could.  A blues festival in McTell’s honor is held annually in his birthplace, Thomson, Georgia.  He was inducted into the Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame in 1981.

 

Clarence Carter singing into a microphone while playing electric guitarClarence Carter (January 14, 1936 – Present):  Clarence is a blind American soul singer and musician.  Born in Montgomery, Alabama on 14 January, 1936, Carter attended the Alabama School for the Blind in Talladega, Alabama, and Alabama State College in Montgomery, graduating in August 1960 with a Bachelor of Science degree in music.

 

 

David Alexander Paterson making a speech in front of a podium with American flags in the backgroundDavid Alexander Paterson (May 20, 1954 – Present): American politician and the former Governor of New York. He is the first African American governor of New York and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Governor of Arkansas for eleven days in January 1975. At the age of three months, Paterson contracted an ear infection which spread to his optic nerve, leaving him with no sight in his left eye and severely limited vision in his right eye.

 

 

Study Uncovers How Blind and Visually Impaired Individuals Navigate Social Challenges

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Man sitting on a couch wearing sun glasses, holding a white walking cane
Man sitting on a couch wearing sun glasses, holding a white walking cane
Photo credit: Mina Miroshnichenko.

A recent study highlights the range of uncomfortable situations people living with blindness or visual impairment encounter due to interpersonal communication challenges, and outlines strategies people with visual impairment use to navigate these situations.

“This work validates the lived experiences of people with visual impairment,” says Lynsey Romo, corresponding author of the study and an associate professor of communication at North Carolina State University. “It also provides tangible ways blind and visually impaired individuals, as well as sighted people, can use communication to create more positive social interactions.”

“I’ve encountered countless instances of uncomfortable interactions with others, but the turning point for me was when I brought my guide dog to the vet and she talked to my driver as if I weren’t in the room,” says study co-author Melissa Taussig, a mental health professional with a lifelong visual impairment. “That visit was the catalyst for me to collaborate with Lynsey to explore how other people living with blindness or visual impairment navigate these circumstances.”

For this qualitative study, the researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 24 adults in the United States who are living with blindness or visual impairment. The interviews focused on social interactions, feelings of stigma and uncertainty, and techniques interviewees developed for managing these social interactions.

“We found uncomfortable social interactions are inherently part of living with blindness,” Taussig says. “Blind and visually impaired individuals can miss visual cues that sighted people take for granted. And people often don’t know how or whether to speak directly to us.”

“These interactions can be awkward because people with visual impairment often have to ask for help with day-to-day tasks, like getting a ride to the store or finding the elevator in an unfamiliar building,” says Romo. “Such requests may be awkward for sighted people who have differing degrees of awareness or experience with the blind community. Some may want to help but don’t know how. Others have good intentions but end up overstepping.”

Study participants also commonly reported feelings of shame and isolation related to their blindness, which was often reinforced by the uncomfortable nature of many of their social interactions.

“We want people living with blindness to know that they are not alone in feeling this way,” Taussig says. “There’s nothing wrong with them, and many of us living with visual impairment share these experiences. Fortunately, we found strategies people with visual impairment effectively use to navigate social interactions with sighted people.”

Strategies generally fell into two categories: reducing the likelihood of having an awkward encounter and recovering from an awkward encounter.

Examples of techniques for avoiding awkward encounters included:

  • Disclose blindness: “Some participants found it helpful to disclose their blindness clearly and succinctly at the beginning of an encounter to reduce uncertainty and accomplish specific goals,” Romo says. “For example, one study participant talked about opening a conversation by saying ‘I’m blind and could use some help finding this address.’”

“Disclosing blindness can be emotionally exhausting because we’re often tasked with explaining ourselves to others, but it does help us get access to resources that we wouldn’t otherwise have,” says Taussig.

  • Use nonverbal cues: Researchers found guide dogs and canes can serve as a nonverbal indication that someone is blind, and guide dogs in particular often serve as a social bridge to others.
  • Be polite: Participants said interactions went more smoothly when they used certain phrases. For example, adding a “please” before a request, saying thank you, or asking “would you mind giving me a ride when you get a chance” made helpers feel more appreciated while accomplishing visually impaired individuals’ goals.

Examples of ways to recover from awkward encounters included:

  • Humor: Humor involved self-deprecation and jokes, for instance, calling oneself a “blind girl” or joking, “Is it buy five operations, get one free?” to a surgeon prior to one participant’s sixth eye operation.
  • Education: Some participants talked about educating sighted people with explanations on what their cane was for or tips on how to talk to blind or visually impaired people.
  • Advocacy: Some participants talked about advocating for their rights and the rights of other people living with blindness or visual impairment. For example, informing restaurants and ride share services about illegal practices (such as refusing service to someone with a guide dog) in order to combat structural barriers.

The researchers also drew on the study to outline constructive ways allies can support people with visual impairment.

  • Offer help directly and specifically: “For example, allies will often say, ‘Let me know if you need something from the store,’” Taussig says. “That’s a really kind thing to say, but it can create anxiety for people with blindness to ask for help. It’s much more helpful to say something like ‘I’m going to the store, what can I pick up for you?’ or ‘I’m going to the store, would you like to come?’ This approach feels more like an invitation and can alleviate the fear of being a burden.”
  • Introduce yourself: “Another easy thing that allies can do is introduce themselves when meeting with a person who is blind – say your name when you walk up,” Romo says. “People often forget that those with visual impairment can’t recognize their face, and people with visual impairment may not recognize an individual based on their voice alone. They also may not see your wave, so sighted people shouldn’t be offended.”
  • Hands off: “It important to not touch someone who is blind – or pet their guide dog – without their permission,” Taussig says. “It’s much better to explicitly ask whether a person who is blind needs help crossing the street or if they’d like help in some other way.”

“Conducting this study underscores how little research is out there on the lived experiences of people with visual impairment and the challenges they face in navigating social situations,” Romo says. “Based on our interviews, even people living with blindness know very little about how common their experiences are.”

The study, “An examination of visually impaired individuals’ communicative negotiation of face threats,” is published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. The paper was co-authored by Cimmiaron Alvarez of Rutgers University. The work was made possible by funding from NC State’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

-shipman-

Note to Editors: The study abstract follows.

“An examination of visually impaired individuals’ communicative negotiation of face threats”

Authors: Lynsey K. Romo, North Carolina State University; Cimmiaron Alvarez, Rutgers University; and Melissa R. Taussig

Published: July 7, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

DOI: 10.1177/02654075221114048

Abstract: Being visually impaired is an inherently face threatening and potentially stigmatizing experience that can greatly affect personal relationships. Those with a visual impairment frequently miss nonverbal cues, must rely on others for transportation and other assistance, and can be overtly marked as different through their use of a cane or a guide dog. Framed by the theoretical lens of facework and using in-depth interviews of 24 visually impaired individuals, this study uncovered how people with a visual impairment engaged in facework to mitigate and remediate the low-vision-related face threats they and others experienced. Participants reported using preventive facework, including politeness and humor, as well as corrective facework (avoidance, apologies, accounts, and humor) to manage face threats. Interviewees also engaged in a new type of facework that was simultaneously corrective and preventive: future facework (education and advocacy). Findings offer practical strategies visually impaired individuals can use to ward off or repair face threatening acts, contesting stigma and potentially improving relationships and fostering allyship among sighted individuals. The study also suggests that facework be incorporated into a biopsychosocial model of disability to help combat disabling social barriers.

For Immediate Release

Lynsey Romo
Melissa Taussig
Matt Shipman

5 Podcasts For Those Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired

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Logo saying Industries For the Blind & Visually Impaired

A gentleman talking into a microphone giving a podcastIn the last several years, podcasts have become a popular form of entertainment for, well, everyone—but those who are blind or visually impaired have probably been listening to them a little longer. Podcasts can help listeners alleviate commute time, learn something new, or connect to a community with similar interests or lifestyles.

There are endless options of podcasts right at your fingertips. Here are a few made specifically for people who are blind or visually impaired.

That Blind Tech Show

This podcast gives listeners insights and professional opinions on the latest technology that is helping the blind and visually impaired community from the perspective of a host who is blind. By combining humor and interviews with professionals, That Blind Tech Show provides a wealth of information when it comes to technology and vision loss.

Life After Blindness

Life After Blindness (LAB) is aimed at being a resource to those who are blind or visually impaired as well as their sighted family and friends. The hosts do this through sharing personal stories from people throughout the blind community. The goal of LAB is to show the world that there truly is life after vision loss.

The Tommy Edison Experience

Tommy Edison is a popular YouTuber who has been blind since birth. By using his one-of-a-kind sense of humor, Edison takes his life experiences and uses them to answer questions about managing daily tasks without sight.

Eyes on Success with Nancy and Peter Torpey

This weekly podcast covers many different topics that are of interest to those with vision loss. Hosts Nancy, sighted, and Peter, blind, both have Ph.D.’s in Physics and retired from Xerox Corporation after over 25 years in corporate research. Their dynamic brings a fun and real-life approach to the blind and visually impaired community.

Chenelle’s Language Learning Journey

In this podcast, host Chenelle Hancock dives into what it’s like learning a language for those who are blind or visually impaired. From apps to university learning, Chenelle speaks with some of the world’s most successful language learners and experts in the field of learning and language acquisition.

These are only a few of the podcasts made for the blind and visually impaired community, but you shouldn’t stop listening there. Any podcast, no matter the topic or genre, is a great form of entertainment or education for those with vision loss. Got a favorite we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments!

For more information visit the Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired website:

 

Tests for people who are blind or have low vision

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Testing is a critical part of the fight against COVID-19, but some people who are blind or have low vision face barriers using many of the COVID-19 tests on the market.

On June 23, 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration launched a new initiative to expand the availability of testing options that are more accessible for people who are blind or have low vision. This initiative complements the Administration’s efforts to expand production of more accessible tests and work with private sector partners on the development of new accessible tests.

How to get the tests: 

Order online or by calling 1-800-232-0233.

  • Each order now includes 12 rapid-antigen tests that are more accessible for people who are blind or have low vision.  These will ship in six separate packages, each with two tests. Each package will have a separate tracking number.
  • Orders will ship free, while supplies last.
  • Note:  If you placed an order before July 7 and received only two tests, you may place another order now to receive 12 additional tests.  (Your name and shipping information are not retained after your order is filled, so there is no way to automatically ship additional tests.)

What’s needed to use the tests:

To use the tests, you must:

What makes the tests more accessible:

The test works with the app to provide:

  • Audio step-by-step instructions for administering the test.
  • Audio test results.

Need more assistance?

The trained staff at the Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) can provide additional assistance with:

  • Ordering tests.
  • Understanding instructions for test administration and test results.
  • Providing alternative instructions for traditional at-home tests for people who are unable to access, read, or understand the manufacturer’s version.
  • For those who cannot use an at-home test, DIAL operators can:
    • Assist with ordering “swab and send” kits to collect a sample and mail it back for results.
    • Connect callers to local organizations for assistance locating other testing options in their community, including in-home testing programs or transportation or companion support to visit a community-based testing site.

Call 888-677-1199 Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Eastern) or email DIAL@usaginganddisability.org.

Need more tests?

If you are covered by Medicare:

  • Medicare will pay for up to eight free over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per month, including tests that are more accessible. This includes people with Medicare Advantage plans.
  • Call ahead to make sure your local retailer has the tests you need in stock.
  • Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) with any questions.

If you have private insurance, your insurer may provide reimbursement for more accessible tests:

  • Call your plan to learn more about how they will reimburse you for the cost of tests.
  • Call ahead to make sure your local retailer has them in stock.

Last modified on 07/07/2022

Special Notice Option For The Blind Or Visually Impaired

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Maximizing Social Security Program Recap

(En espanol)

If You Are Blind Or Visually Impaired

You may be entitled to receive Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). To learn if you or someone you know may be eligible for these programs, visit our Disability Benefits or SSI Benefits pages.

Your Choices For Receiving Information From Social Security

Social Security Administration Logo with an image of an eagle and USA in the middle of the logoAt times, Social Security needs to contact you with important information. There are several ways to receive information from us if you are blind or have a visual impairment and

  • you have applied for or receive SSDI or SSI benefits; or
  • you are the representative payee for someone who has applied for or receives SSDI or SSI benefits.

You can choose to receive notices from us in one of the following ways. Just let us know which you prefer. Your choices for receiving notices are:

  • Standard print notice by first-class mail;
  • Standard print notice by certified mail;
  • Standard print notice by first-class mail and a follow-up telephone call;
  • Braille notice and a standard print notice by first-class mail;
  • Microsoft Word file on a data compact disc (CD) and a standard print notice by first-class mail;
  • Audio CD and a standard print notice by first-class mail; or
  • Large print (18-point size) notice and a standard print notice by first-class mail.

To select or change the way you wish to receive information from Social Security, go to our secure Internet application, my Social Security or contact us.

Opting Out of Paper Notices via my Social Security Account

You may opt in or out of receiving paper notices at any time through your personal my Social Security account by taking the following steps:

  • Select “Preferences” from the top “Menu”.
  • Select “Edit” for “Communication Preferences.”
  • Choose either option, “Do not send a paper copy” or “Send a paper and online copy” on the “Update Your Preferences” page.

By opting out of paper notices:

  • You will no longer receive physical paper notices or notices in your Special Notice Option format for any notices that are available online; and
  • You will receive physical paper notices and notices in your Special Notice Option format for notices that are not available online.

If you have any questions or need assistance with changing your Special Notice Option format, please contact us.

If you already have requested notices in one of the seven formats, but need us to provide a particular Social Security document in your preferred format, please contact us.

In Their Own Voices: Black Authors Narrating Their Own Work

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Authors reading their own works is nothing new. For centuries poetry was passed down through an oral tradition. In the nineteenth century numerous writers—including Charles Dickens and Mark Twain—went on enormously popular lecture tours reading their work. Those written words have survived but not the author’s voice. Today it is easy to hear an author’s voice with so many appearing on social media and television, but there is something very personal about listening to authors read their own words. Being able to sense which parts authors emphasize and which parts they seem to particularly relish can give an added dimension to the work.

This minibibliography features Black authors narrating their own work. The books cover a wide range of subject matter and include memoirs by Maya Angelou, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Lenny Kravitz. Among the children’s books are titles by performers like Lupita Nyong’o and Kevin Hart along with Ruby Bridges’ account of being the first African American child to integrate a Louisiana public school. Among the literary works are poetry by Langston Hughes and Amanda Gorman and fiction by Toni Morrison and Terry McMillan. Political works cover the range from Stacey Abrams to Candace Owens.

All titles in this minibibliography can be requested from your local cooperating library. The digital talking book titles can be downloaded through the NLS BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) website. Contact your local cooperating library to register for BARD. Registered users can also download titles on iOS and Android devices using the BARD Mobile app. To find your local cooperating library, go to www.loc.gov/nls/braille-audio-reading-materials/find-a-local-library or call toll-free 888-NLS-READ (888-657-7323)

Click here for titles in this min-bibliography >>>>>

Inventor Louis Braille touched lives with literacy

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Photo of Louis Braille

Few inventors have had such a positive effect on so many lives as Louis Braille, the remarkable educator, innovator and advocate for the blind.

Braille was born about 20 miles east of Paris in Coupvray, France, on Jan. 4, 1809. As a boy of 3, Louis was playing at his father’s leather workbench with a sharp cobbler’s tool when he poked one of his own eyes, causing severe damage. Like the great American humorist James Thurber, Braille’s other eye became inflamed and he developed sympathetic ophthalmia, whereby both the physical wound to one eye and the “sympathetic” inflammation of the other caused him to completely lose his sight by the age of 5.

At 10, Braille was awarded a scholarship to France’s prestigious, if poorly resourced, Royal Institute for Blind Youth in Paris. He excelled in his classes and became a wonderfully talented organist and cellist, as well as a kind mentor for the junior students.

Braille first encountered an early predecessor to his tactile writing system in 1821, while he was still an adolescent. Charles Barbier, a former French military officer, had developed a code that soldiers could use to send and read messages in the dark, and he shared his method with the institute. Braille began to adapt the idea into his own refined version, eventually creating his remarkable system of specific, bumpy dot patterns, embossed onto thick pages of paper with each symbol representing a letter in the alphabet, or numbers and other symbols.

In 1829, he published his landmark book, “Method of Writing Words, Music, and Plain Songs by Means of Dots for Use by the Blind and Arranged for Them,” a musical code for blind musicians. He also wrote guides for the blind on mathematics, geometrical figures, maps and musical symbols.

Photo of Louis Braille, Circa 1850
Louis Braille, circa 1850. Photo by Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images

After graduation, Braille was asked to stay at the Royal Institute as an instructor and by 1833 was promoted to professor. But Braille’s system was not formally adopted by the Royal Institute until 1854, two years after Braille died. The system soon became the method of choice among blind French-speakers, and by the 1880s had spread to virtually every school for the blind in the world. Today, Braille remains a major form of communication—not only for book publishing but also on computer terminals, in buildings, and for email, mathematical and scientific notation.

Braille was never the paragon of health. He developed tuberculosis as a young man and, in true consumptive manner, it spread throughout his lungs, making the last 16 years of his life quite difficult. At age 40, he had to retire. He died 170 years ago this week, on Jan. 6 at age 43, and was buried in the Pantheon, along with so many of France’s heroes.

This vanguard teacher offered edification and access to information and creativity to the visually impaired. Braille’s profile has graced postage stamps, medals, and coins, his life story told in books, movies, plays and songs. In a 1952 essay, poet T.S. Eliot reflected that, “Perhaps the most enduring honor to the memory of Louis Braille is the half-conscious honor we pay him by applying his name to the script he invented…. His memory has in this way a security greater than that of the memories of many men more famous in their day.”

Dr. Howard Markel

By — Dr. Howard Markel

Dr. Howard Markel writes a monthly column for the PBS NewsHour, highlighting momentous historical events that continue to shape modern medicine. He is the director of the Center for the History of Medicine and the George E. Wantz Distinguished Professor of the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan and the author of “The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick and the Discovery of DNA’s Double Helix” (W.W. Norton, September ’21).

Health 

Navigational Apps for the Blind Could Have a Broader Appeal

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Person holding a walking cane surrounded by point drops on a grid of rectangles and squares

A proliferation of new apps designed to help blind and low vision people could prove useful for everyone.

Person holding a walking cane surrounded by point drops on a grid of rectangles and squares

Nearly every blind person has at least one story of getting lost or disoriented.

Despite the use of walking canes, guide dogs, help from strangers, and popular navigational apps like Google Maps, Clark Rachfal, director of advocacy and governmental affairs for the American Council of the Blind, said losing your way is still a huge issue for many blind and low vision people. Simply hearing directions from an app like “in 500 feet turn right,” often isn’t enough information to guarantee independence and safety.

“We travel our familiar routes because we know the path is accessible and we know our familiar landmarks,” he said.

That may change, though, with the release of new apps specifically designed with pedestrians and accessibility in mind. Thanks to improvements in mapping technology and smartphone cameras, a number have emerged with features like indoor navigation, detailed descriptions of the surrounding environment and more warnings about obstacles.

“We’re still early on — these technologies have just been popping up over the last 10 years,” Mr. Rachfal said. “I think there’s a lot of mainstream potential to providing greater access to transportation and information for people with disabilities and the broader community.”

By Amanda Morris
The New York Times
This article is part of our series on the Future of Transportation, which is exploring innovations and challenges that affect how we move about the world.