The Blind Lifestyle Newsletter for July 15, 2022 - Issue 8The 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: 216 opt-in subscribers were sent this issue via email. Dear Blind Lifestyle Subscriber,1) Can Excessive Use Of Headphones Cause Deafness?According to a recent study by France's National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), a large number of people in France are facing problems due to headphones. The study also shared a surprising fact that about 25% of adults in France are struggling with hearing problems. The main reason for this is the excessive use of headphones: 2) New Accessibility App For St. John's Pedestrian Mall Excludes Some With Vision Loss, Advocate SaysThis is a good example of how an app like BlindSquare or Microsoft Soundscape can limit access for users who do not use iOS: 3) FCC Takes Enforcement Action Against Verizon Wireless For Not Providing Information Related To Accessibility Of Its Premium Visual Voicemail ServiceFCC Enforcement Bureau proposes $100,000 fine against Verizon Wireless for apparently failing to produce documentation exhibiting due diligence in exploring accessibility and achievability of its Premium Visual Voicemail service: 4) This App Gives People Who Are Blind Step-By-Step Audio Directions To Easily Navigate Public TransitInitially piloted in three D.C. Metro stations, Waymap — which uses sensors in a smartphone to know exactly where a person is and how they're moving — will be available across the city's transit system by Spring 2023: 5) Strangers Rescue Visually Impaired Man Who Fell Into Boston Harbor With Guide DogA man who is visually impaired is looking for the two strangers who jumped into Boston Harbor to save his life: 6) National Beep Baseball World Series Coming to Beaumont | YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCSF87hCwdM 7) Advocates Tout 'Untapped' Pool Of Blind And Visually Impaired Workers To Fill Job PositionsDespite a resume that includes a master's degree and a previous position as executive director for a deaf and blind advocacy organization, Paulette Monthei's low vision disability proved to be a hardship: 8) Best Smartphone Assistive Apps For Seniors With Low VisionAssistive apps for smartphones could help seniors with low vision regain some of their independence and relieve caregiver burden at the same time. But there's a problem: Many older Americans who could benefit from apps designed for those with visual impairment do not use them. In fact, while 15.2% of people over the age of 75 reported having vision loss that could not be corrected through prescription lenses, only 6% of older smartphone users take advantage of these types of apps: 9) AccessReady Reporter | Issue 28 | June 30th 2022The Reporter Newsletter is a service of Access Ready Inc. which is an independent, non-profit, cross-disability education and advocacy organization promoting a policy of inclusion and accessibility of information and communications technology (ICT). For people with disabilities, accessible information and communications technology is a necessity, not a luxury or a convenience, which fosters independence, economic self-sufficiency, and active, meaningful participation in civic life:. 10) DeafBlind Awareness Week 2022Held the last week of June, DeafBlind Awareness Week commemorates the birthday of Helen Keller, born on June 27. Here is a good article about various events and resources: 11) DOJ Fails To Report On Making Federal Websites Accessible To Disabled PeopleIt has been 10 years since the Department of Justice filed a biennial report on the federal government's compliance with accessibility standards for information technology, a bipartisan group of concerned senators say. The reports are required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act: 12) Microsoft Helps Build Data Hub To Track Disabilities As Part Of Effort To Close 'Disability Divide'This resource should make it easier to understand disability prevalence and related policy: 13) Society Wants You To Feel Ashamed Of Yourself | MIT Technology ReviewAlgorithm expert Cathy O'Neil has written a new book that shows how the tech world and society generally feeds off the idea of shame: 14) Visually Impaired Cast Brings 'The Braille Legacy' To Life Onstage"The Braille Legacy" is a musical about the boy who invented a system of reading and writing for the blind. It debuted to sellout crowds in Los Angeles in June, marking the first time the show had been performed in the U.S. — and the first time it was performed by a cast fully comprised of blind actors. The cast spoke with "LA Times Today." Coco Atama plays Louis Braille in "The Braille Legacy" and discussed why it's important for this musical to be staged: 15) June 2022 Outreach Update and the Blind Outdoor News by Lawrence Guntherhttps://mailchi.mp/lawrencegunther/calling-all-youth-living-with-vision-loss-9061367?e=a3e74a1a08 16) Solve For Tomorrow 2022: Student Wins National Technology Competition Which Aims To Solve Global Social IssuesInventor for MyVision wows judges with smart tech to help the visually impaired. Over 450 young entrepreneurs entered Samsung's tech for good competition 'Solve for Tomorrow.' An engineering student from Ilford has been crowned winner of a national competition that invites young people to solve some of the world's biggest issues: 17) How Accessible is Reading Today?In this day and age, reading as a skill is often taken for granted. How are you reading these words right now? For most people, it's likely that you're using your eyes, which transmit neural signals to your brain that allow you to connect the symbols on the screen with meaning. However, this experience isn't universal. There is a diverse range of readers, many with a wide range of vision, communication or other print impairments. Adjustments in the way we encourage reading have been made to cater to these groups, but new challenges arise every day. Take the Internet, which despite its benefits has given rise to a steadily growing 'digital divide' for blind or partially-sighted people. Below, we examine the accessibility behind reading more closely: 18) N.J. Runner Stepping Up To Raise Awareness For Blind And Visually Impaired AthletesAfter years of perfecting her craft at running, Jasmine Murrell is going the distance to help other athletes who have visual impairments. The 33-year-old runner from Union County has been named an endurance ambassador for the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes, a role aimed at providing awareness about endurance sports events and other initiatives for runners who are blind or visually impaired: 19) New AI Cane for the Visually Impaired | YouTube | Tech & Science DailyA visually impaired university student and entrepreneur has created a brand new hi-tech version of the classic white cane, to help those with visual impairments. 19-year-old Ramneek Kaur Ahluwalia who's CEO of 'MyVision' said it uses AI, LiDAR and GPS technology, and can notify users with audio directions or haptic feedback. She has secured £10,000 in funding after winning the Samsung 'Solve For Tomorrow' national technology competition: 20) Designing Accessible Walking Routes for People With a Visual ImpairmentMost of us take our navigation abilities for granted and instinctively use our sense of sight to help us find our way. However, for millions of people worldwide with visual impairments, wayfinding and navigation are a daily challenge. Pedestrians with visual impairments lack basic information about the spaces in which they are walking. This restricts and limits them, makes them dependent on others, harms their welfare, and negatively impacts them socially. Recently, a study was performed at the Technion in Israel, aimed at developing software and an application to design walking routes especially suited for the visually impaired population, focusing on their unique needs and preferences. This study offers an effective and practical solution for pedestrians who are visually impaired, which enhances their mobility, independence, and welfare, and thus enables them to engage more easily with society: 21) Egypt Inaugurates First Beach For The Visually Impaired In AlexandriaAlexandria Governor Mohamed El-Sherif recently inaugurated the beach for the visually impaired, allocating an area for it at the People of Determination beach in Mandara. "This beach comes as a continuation of efforts made by the Governorate of Alexandria to provide best services for people of determination, in order to achieve principles of community integration and create a decent life for them," El-Sherif said during the opening: 22) Blind Chinese Make-Up Artist Teaches Thousands Of Visually Impaired Women To Apply Make-Up Using Sense Of TouchAt 14, Xiao Jia began losing her sight, by the time she was an adult she had taught herself how to apply her own make-up, today she teaches others using her sense of touch she feels the direction of false eyelashes, the texture of skin and facial features for where to apply different cosmetics: 23) Changes Are Coming To NC Schools For Deaf And Blind Students. See Who Will Run Them.New groups are expected to take over running North Carolina's three residential schools for students who are deaf and/or visually impaired. The state Senate voted 40-4 on Friday to shift control of the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh, the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf in Wilson and the North Carolina School for the Deaf in Morganton away from the State Board of Education. Under the legislation, each school would be run by a newly created board of trustees. The trustees would have wide-ranging power, such as hiring the school's director and setting admission criteria: Our PartnersPartner: Top Tech TidbitsPartner Since: January 1st 2022 Website: https://www.toptechtidbits.com/ 🌐 About: Top Tech Tidbits is the world's #1 online resource for current news and trends in adaptive technology. Founded in 2004, Top Tech Tidbits is a leading not-for-profit Adaptive Technology publication that reaches over 7,000 assistive technology professionals, educators and enthusiasts each week. Adaptive Technology refers to items that are specifically designed for people with disabilities. 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Catching Up With The Coach
Catch up with the Coach in July 2022. Insightful tips, shares, how-to's and other useful information from Award Winning Sight Loss Coach, Advocate and Author Donna Jodhan. This month I'd like to share with you the following tips ... |
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