The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter for April 1, 2022 - Issue 4The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter is the newsletter by and for the blind and visually impaired by Award Winning Sight Loss Coach, Advocate and Author Donna Jodhan. Content curation sponsored by Top Tech Tidbits. The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter focuses on current lifestyle news and trends for the blind, deaf, deafblind and disabled. Subscribers: 182 opt-in subscribers were sent this issue via email. Dear Blind Lifestyle Subscriber,1) 'CODA' Brings Home The Oscar For Best Picture, A Historic Win For The Deaf CommunityBest Picture goes to a movie about deaf culture. NPR has the story: 2) How Colorblind NHL Players See The GameHere is a story about 4 NHL hockey players with color vision deficiency, more commonly known as colorblindness: 3) 'The Holy Braille': American Printing House For The Blind Shows Off New DeviceSince partnering with HumanWare to co-develop what is now called the "Dynamic Tactile Device," APH and HumanWare teams have worked on the physical specifications of the device while also discussing the ecosystem which needs to be created to support the new technology. Meador compared that ecosystem to the App Store — an open-source platform that's supported by Android and iOS to connect the device with education apps and beyond: 4) San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind Announces Chief Executive Officer SearchLightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, California's oldest and most diverse blindness organization serving people who are blind or have low vision, has announced that it is initiating a search to identify its next CEO: 5) 'Where The Bats Hung Out': How A Basement Hideaway At UC Berkeley Nurtured A Generation Of Blind InnovatorsThis is how Joshua Miele and other blind students found their way to this underground hideaway. Its university-sanctioned name was the blind students study center. But pretty much everyone called it The Cave. "It's where the bats hung out," Miele explained: 6) What Is It Like to Write a Book When You Cannot See? — Ian Brown, RNIB ScotlandWhat is it like writing stories, creating your own literary world of characters and scenery, when you are blind or partially sighted? 7) Record Number of Lawsuits Filed Over Accessibility for People with DisabilitiesNew Justice Department guidance explains businesses' role in making sure websites can be used by everyone: 8) Beauty's Accessibility Shift: Inside The New PriorityShopping with a disability can be challenging. Now, belatedly, the beauty sector is showing signs of taking action: 9) Mastercard Puts Visual Impairment In The SpotlightThe financial services company's new campaign is a stylish film that shows how the brand's new Touch Card makes transactions more accessible for blind and partially-sighted people: 10) Older PlayStation Games Heading To PC Is A Win For AccessibilityWith the launch of the PlayStation PC label for Sony's PC ports, more players are able to enjoy titles such as Horizon: Zero Dawn, Days Gone, and God of War. With these being ports, accessibility improvements are usually only minor parts of the package - such as keyboard and mouse remapping. But with PC, the existence of third-party mods can open up areas of the games that could allow disabled players to better enjoy them: 11) AR/VR Eyewear Company Innovega Strikes Deal With Global Supplier Of Technology For Visually ImpairedInnovega Inc., a Bellevue, Wash., company that uses disposable contact lenses in combination with high-tech glasses to create a digitally augmented view of the world, announced a licensing agreement with a company that plans to offer the technology to assist people who are visually impaired: 12) Idaho Turns to Tech to Boost Safety for Blind HuntersThe Idaho Fish and Game Commission on Thursday moved forward with a rule change that could allow visually impaired hunters to use adaptive technology they say is crucial for them to be able to hunt safely: 13) I'm Blind But I'm Scared People Think I'm Lying35-year-old Kay Haines suffers from Stargardt disease, a rare genetic eye disease that causes progressive vision loss: 14) Accessibility Is An Opportunity For Multi-Sensory DelightAccessibility is now thought of as essential — but too often it remains a late-stage box-ticking exercise. Piotr Wisniewski, creative director at Admind, argues that accessibility shouldn't be thought of as a mere requirement, but an opportunity to expand the experience your brand can offer into new sensory realms: 15) Justice Department Issues Web Accessibility Guidance Under The Americans With Disabilities ActIn its preamble, the Department of Justice (DOJ) writes, Inaccessible web content means that people with disabilities are denied equal access to information. An inaccessible website can exclude people just as much as steps at an entrance to a physical location. Ensuring web accessibility for people with disabilities is a priority for the Department of Justice. In recent years, a multitude of services have moved online, and people rely on websites like never for all aspects of daily living. For example, accessing voting information, finding up-to-date health and safety resources, and looking up mass transit schedules and fare information increasingly depend on having access to websites: 16) Why We Should Be Disappointed By DOJ's Web Accessibility GuidanceKen Nakata has a slightly more pessimistic view of the effect the guidance will have: 17) Web Accessibility Claims Put Institutions Of Higher Learning At RiskRounding out some coverage on legal aspects of accessibility, The National Law Review has an article related to institutions of higher education: 18) Lawsuit To Force Chicago To Retrofit Intersections For Vision-Impaired Pedestrians AdvancesChicago's dearth of accessible signals is "a huge pain in the ass," says legally blind artist and musician Andy Slater: 19) SXSW: Company Using AR To Help People With Visual ImpairmentsThe creators behind illumie say they hope to bridge the gap between using a mobility aid and understanding what's actually out in the world around people who have trouble seeing: 20) Emerging Sensor Technology Aids Blind And Visually Impaired PedestriansA new patented technology from Intelligent Material Solutions, Inc. is designed to help pedestrians who are blind and visually impaired navigate busy sidewalks and avoid sidewalk hazards. The sensor tech uses a cooperative guidance system to determine walkers' precise geolocation and guide them to public transportation, retail entrances, sidewalk exits and other locations: 21) BlindShell Phones Get Expanded Reach in the U.S. with Newly-formed BlindShell USAFresh off the successful launch of the second edition of the BlindShell Classic cell phone, the company is expanding its presence in the United States: 22) Blind and Low-Vision Viewers Care About Screen Style — So Why Does Audio Description Skip It?"Emily scurries across the street wearing a short green coat." That's the vague audio description given to blind and low-vision viewers for one of Lily Collins's first outfits in the season two opener of the hit Netflix series "Emily in Paris." Unsurprisingly, what Emily is actually wearing is much more exciting. After an awkward exchange with her neighbor and love interest, Gabriel, Emily hurries off to work in a colorful, striped Versace polo and a Mugler blue-green miniskirt. It's paired with a bold green belt and strappy heels, then layered with a green Elie Saab jacket: 23) Adobe UX Designer Lauren Dest Talks Building 'Design Decoder' Software That Makes Shopping More Accessible For The Color BlindAt its Summit 2022 conference this week, San Jose-based Adobe showed off a preview of its Project Design Decoder. It's software that, according to the company, uses artificial intelligence and machine learning in order to help make shopping experiences more accessible and inclusive. The tool is designed for people with conditions such as color vision deficiency, colloquially known as color blindness, who have difficulties perceiving patterns. Color blindness affects more than 300 million people worldwide: 24) New Framework To Boost Education Of Children With Vision ImpairmentThe University of Birmingham along with major Vision impairment organisations have launched a new single unifying framework to underpin the specialist education of children and young people with VI: 25) People Who Are Blind May Use The Brain's Visual Cortex For MovementThe brain's visual cortex may be reorganised to control movement in people who cannot see: Give The Gift of Accessibility TodayPlease consider giving the gift of accessibility to disabled children and their families today by supporting one of Donna's many ongoing initiatives. Your support makes the difference in keeping our children connected, healthy and part of our community. You may donate one time, monthly, quarterly or annually. All donations, no matter how small, ensure that persons with disabilities, especially our kids with disabilities, are given every opportunity to be a part of our growing virtual world. Learn more today at: Partnership Package InformationYour Business or Organization Name and Information HereThe Blind Lifestyle Newsletter is currently accepting partnerships from select individuals, businesses and organizations that have a record of serving the blind and vision impaired community from anywhere in the world. Partnerships are paid positions that help to support the distribution of the newsletter and offer you your very own space within each issue of the Blind Lifestyle Newsletter. Learn more here: Sight Loss Coach And Author Donna JodhanCatching Up With The Coach | April 2022Catch up with the Coach in March 2022. Insightful tips, shares, how-to's and other useful information from Award Winning Sight Loss Coach, Advocate and Author Donna Jodhan: Ask The Coach | April 2022Award Winning Sight Loss Coach, Advocate and Author Donna Jodhan answers 3 different questions posed by readers new to sight loss: Donna Jodhan's Sight Loss CoachingDonna Jodhan has been coaching persons with sight loss since 2000. She is a high profile Apple Certified Trainer and Consultant and a world-renowned Author. She has written and produced and continues to write as a blogger, editorialist, podcast commentator, writer, and fiction author. She produces meaningful and up to date info designed to assist the reader and listener to become more confident when dealing with sight loss. As a person with sight loss herself, Donna recognizes and knows only too well how the colossal challenges of COVID-19 have changed the lives of us all; especially so for those living with sight loss. At the best of times, it is difficult enough to cope when sight loss sets in for anyone but when the world is unexpectedly and practically turned on its head and we are all now forced to find new ways to cope, the challenges of sight loss becomes even more acute. AboutAs a coach, Donna will use her vast knowledge and life experience as an advocate, author, and entrepreneur to successfully assist you in navigating through life and learning how to live with vision loss. Donna will teach you how to navigate the fast moving and complicated world of technology and show you how to conquer bullying and scams. You will learn how to cope with sight loss in your home, garden, places of employment, and your home office. There is nothing better than having someone beside you who can provide personal and customized services to meet and accommodate your needs upon request. ServicesCoaching is available via Telephone, Email, Facetime, Skype, and Zoom. PricingYour Initial Consultation is free of charge. You can expect this assessment to last anywhere between one hour to one and a half hours and we would be pleased to contact you at our expense thus avoiding you having to incur any long distance charges. We believe that our payment structure is affordable and will be able to meet your budgets and expectations. You may pay as you go at $50 / hour or purchase hours in blocks of 5, 10 or 15 at $40 / hour. Pricing Packages5 Hour Package - $200 ContactTo learn more please visit: https://www.donnajodhan.com/. Subscription Information:ABOUT:The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter is the newsletter by and for the blind and visually impaired by Award Winning Sight Loss Coach, Advocate and Author Donna Jodhan. Content curation sponsored by Top Tech Tidbits. The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter focuses on current lifestyle news and trends for the blind, deaf, deafblind and disabled. 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