Introduction
Welcome to Edition 13 of Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest. This edition has 33 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.
As we do in every edition of the digest, we'd like to acknowledge our friend in the UK, Leon Gilbert. He practically invented blind news and he has a terrific Twitter feed which you can follow at [@leongilbert][40].
Last Edition
If you missed it, you can read edition 12 of the news digest at Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest – Edition 12. We'll include links to the previous edition in the Introduction section of each week's version.
Never Miss An Issue
If you're enjoying Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest, you can subscribe by email to this blog and you'll never miss an issue. At this time, we do not have a way to subscribe to the news digest without also receiving my other blog articles which are about a single topic at a time. I never publish more than one blog article in any given week. If you subscribe and enjoy my articles, then you'll be receiving them more conveniently; if you subscribe and don't care for my articles, it's only a single keystroke to delete them.
A Community Project
In edition 9 of this digest, we featured an article by author Abbie Johnson Taylor. This edition has no featured article as nobody from the community submitted one. If you've any story about blindness you'd like to tell, please pitch it to us through the contact form on this site. We hope for this digest to grow into a community project so please tell your stories as we know you all have good stories to tell.
Editorial By Chris Hofstader
This is edition 13 of Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest, we've been publishing the digest every Tuesday for a full quarter of a year. I certainly hope readers are enjoying this weekly publication as we put a lot of work into it and I think it's important that the blind community hear about aspects of itself that don't get a lot of coverage elsewhere.
We get almost all of our stories from about 20 different GoogleAlerts we have set up with different search terms. Our biggest week had 55 stories but this week, our smallest yet, has only 33 or so. There are no articles explicitly about braille but it does show up in some other stories. There are fewer science and medicine stories than usual and the other categories have varying numbers of stories.
I can't predict how many stories about blindness will be published in any given week. Aaron, David and I don't make the news, we just curate and publish it for your reading pleasure.
Science and Medicine
Staying alive: Scientists eye up gene required for survival of an important retinal neuron
Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) in Japan have identified a gene necessary for the survival of retinal ganglion cells – a class of neurons located in the retina that are critical for vision. This story came to us from: Mirage News.
FINE-TUNING TOUCH TECHNOLOGY
Bumps and lines make up touch-based technology such as Braille. But the human sense of touch is keen enough to detect differences that are much smaller. Research by Charles Dhong and his group at the University of Delaware has found that humans can feel differences in the chemical composition of a surface, down to the substitution of a single atom. This story came to us from: udel.edu.
Success treating night blindness in dogs could lead to human gene therapy
In 2015, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine learned that dogs could develop a form of inherited night blindness with strong similarities to a condition in people called congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB). People with CSNB are unable to distinguish objects in dim-light conditions, which presents challenges when artificial lighting is unavailable or when driving. This story came to us from: Berkeley News – University of California, Berkeley.
31-year-old who was declared legally blind recovers sight
A 31-year-old Brooklyn patient has made a recovery after being declared legally blind and almost losing his life to diabetes. This story came to us from: News 12 Bronx.
New drug gives patient his sight back
When Gang Pan first came to Stanford Medicine, he could no longer work or drive and was uncomfortable even venturing out in public because an autoimmune condition had severely restricted his vision and the movement of his eyes. This story came to us from: Scope Blog – Stanford University.
Hope for those experiencing blindness in countries with limited healthcare access
In his upcoming research, the University of Arizona’s department head of Physiology, Nicholas Delamere, and his team spell hope for those experiencing loss of vision with the potential to revolutionize the way cataracts are treated, especially in countries with limited healthcare access. This story came to us from: The Daily Wildcat.
Technology
44-Year-Old Blind Man with No University Education Develops 2 Unique Phones
A talented blind Nigerian man, John Msughter, has developed two smartphones. This story came to us from: Tuko.
MONETA Money Bank : makes Internet Bank available. Blind and partially sighted people can use the read-aloud function
Another barrier for the visually impaired broken. Internet Bank is newly tuned for a program that reproduces visual content in audio form for visually impaired users. This story came to us from: MarketScreener.
These AI-Powered Smart Glasses are Changing the Lives of Blind People
Award-winning assistive technology innovator Envision has announced several new cutting-edge features for its Smart Glasses designed for the blind. This story came to us from: Intelligent Living.
Blindness Organizations
Kiora Pharmaceuticals to Participate in Maxim Group's 2022 Virtual Growth Conference March 28th
Kiora Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: KPRX), ("Kiora" or the "Company") has been invited to present at Maxim's 2022 Virtual Growth Conference March 28th – 30th. Company President and CEO, Brian M. Strem, Ph.D., will participate in a live ophthalmology roundtable. This story came to us from: Yahoo Finance.
KNUST launches four books on eye care for children and professionals
The first books, “The Eye Book” and its Twi version, “Ani Nwoma No” are intended to aid eyecare professionals to communicate efficiently with patients and their families. This story came to us from: MyJoyOnline.com.
Business
Braille Notetaker Market 2022 | Covid19 Impact Analysis | Growth, Revenue, Trends and Forecasts
Braille Notetaker Market Insights 2022 and Forecast 2028, This includes overview and deep study of factors which are considered to have greater influence over future course of the market such as market size, market share, different dynamics of the industry, Braille Notetaker Market companies, regional analysis of the domestic markets, value chain analysis, consumption, demand, key application areas and more. The study also talks about crucial pockets of the industry such as products or services offered, downstream fields, end using customers, historic data figures regarding revenue and sales, market context and more. This story came to us from: chatttennsports.com.
Employment
Are blind people employable?
I AM blind. I have completed my studies from one of the premier universities of Bangladesh, yet I faced many challenges to get a job. When I consider my own experiences and those of others with visual disabilities, I have to wonder to what extent is blindness the problem and to what extent unwarranted prejudice and a reluctance to provide reasonable accommodation in order to ensure a more diverse workplace and more inclusive society is the real problem.
Both skills and the frame of mind are necessary for the employment of people with serious visual impairment. This story came to us from: New Age.
Discrimination and Inaccessibility
Haben Girma, a deafblind woman, shares her struggle against ableism and encourages advocacy to improve accessibility
In honor of Women’s History Month, Emory University’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion held a conversation with Haben Girma, the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School (Mass.), on confronting ableism. The virtual event took place on March 17 and was facilitated by Ani B. Satz, a professor at both Emory’s School of Law and the Rollins School of Public Health. This story came to us from: The Emory Wheel.
Unacceptable': suspension of iVote system undermines rights of low vision Australians
Maguire said the NSW government had failed blind and low vision people by not ensuring the system was maintained and fit for purpose. This story came to us from: The Guardian.
Blind man challenges UDA, Azimio to ensure they avoid nominating false people with disabilities
Blind man challenges UDA, Azimio to ensure they avoid nominating false people with disabilities. This story came to us from: YouTube.
Legal
Blind Man Can Sue Inaccessible Website
One blind man sued a winery because he could not access its website. This story came to us from: EIN News.
Blind Man Sues Dykes Lumber for Website Under ADA Now Mediation Called For
Juan Ortega, a self-described blind man, sued Dykes Lumber Company. For having an inaccessible website. This story came to us from: Inner City Press.
Education
Louisiana's blind, visually impaired students could get 'Bill of Rights
The Louisiana House Education Committee approved a bill of rights Wednesday for blind and visually impaired students. It would require public schools to offer special education services – including appropriate screenings, assessments, and learning media – for visually impaired students. This story came to us from: Louisiana Illuminator.
Fully blind student dominates Baylor's campus through memorization, science
I’m not asking people to not see it and look past it,” San Antonio sophomore Noah Cook said. “I’m asking people to see it and be OK with it. It’s a part of me. This story came to us from: The Baylor Lariat.
Guide Dogs
'My dog is the most travelled guide dog in the UK – he loves the London Underground
Meet Fin, the most travelled guide dog in the UK, that has visited nearly 50 different places from the south coast of England right up to Scotland. This story came to us from: The Mirror.
Support Blind Low Vision NZ Guide Dogs To Give New Zealanders Confidence And Independence
In the last two years, having the freedom to leave our homes has become more important than ever. However, for many blind, deafblind, and low vision New Zealanders, freedom to roam safely and independently relies on the support of their guide dog. This story came to us from: Scoop.
Lifestyle
Woman's life is beyond her wildest dreams despite being born blind and with 'half a face
Woman's life is beyond her wildest dreams despite being born blind and with 'half a face'. This story came to us from: Devon Live.
Art and Artists
Blind Actor Grace King Co-Stars In West Australian Opera’s Inclusive Production of ‘Iolanta
WAO’s production of Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta harnesses opera’s powerful storytelling potential to communicate the lived experiences of blind and vision impaired people. This story comes to us from: Rolling Stone.
New Book, “How Much Can I See” Explores the Life and Struggles of M. L. Farrell as a Legally Blind Person and Cancer Survivor
Maya Farris is a 30-year-old cancer survivor reflecting on life, love, and the pursuit of happiness in this novel based on her battle with cancer and life experiences. This story came to us from: Digital Journal.
Free writing workshops for blind and visually impaired start Saturday
A free five-month writing program for the blind and visually impaired, led by four local professional writers, will begin Saturday. This story came to us from: niagara-gazette.Com.
Sports
Blind cricket: India camp gutted after final loss to Pakistan
India’s reply was disastrous; three wickets lost for just 10 runs in the second over itself. This story came to us from: – Mid-Day.
Blind Hog fan struggles to get his 'play by play' guy to Sweet 16 with him
University of Arkansas sophomore Cole Phillips rarely misses a Razorback game. He’s been saving up money for years for opportunities like the Sweet Sixteen game against Gonzaga, which he thinks would be the perfect use of his savings. This story came to us from: KARK.
Braille Mountain Initiative fundraising for programming
Braille Mountain Initiative, a non-profit organization with the focus of inspiring blind and visually impaired people to get involved in backcountry mountain sports, is launching the Great Canada Heli Ski Challenge. This story came to us from: The Golden Star.
Watch These Blind Skateboarders Shred
These blind skateboarders, the KiD M.C. and Dan Mancina, absolutely shred. This story came to us from: Loudwire.
Michigan girl who is blind makes shot during basketball game, crowd goes wild
Zeeland East junior Jules Hoogland (center) is fully blind and plays on a basketball team called Unified Sports, which is made up of students with and without disabilities. The 17-year-old has successfully made a shot at every game this season. This story came to us from: Ann Arbor News.
Blind skateboarder Richard Moore shreds Adelaide streets
When Richard Moore is on the streets of Adelaide he's not vision impaired or a man with a rare genetic condition, he's just another skateboarder. This story came to us from: The Advertiser.
Bridgwater man Mark Perry's life transformed by martial art
A BLIND man from Bridgwater is following in his two daughters' martial arts footsteps. This story came to us from: Somerset County Gazette.
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