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As I wrote in the introduction to edition 20 of this digest, I'm slowly in the process of converting this site from being strictly the blog of Gonz Blinko to being more of a full service news of the blind publication. I publish the digest that you are now reading every Tuesday morning and, on occasion (as we did a few weeks ago with Pranav Lal's article about sensory substitution), and last week with an article about the terrific Sina Bahram we will publish long form feature articles about a specific topic and, for fans of my blogs, I will be sneaking in the occasional article that you will likely enjoy as well.
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Editorial By Chris Hofstader
My life has been pretty hectic for the past week or so. As my wife and I do every year, we did our annual drive north from our St. Petersburg, Florida home to our condo in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the intellectual capital of North America if not the entire world. Thus, I haven't had a lot of time to work on either this digest or our long form articles. This edition, however, does contain the stories that I had to leave out of last week's due to the time we needed to spend packing and driving.
There's a lot going on in the blind world and this edition covers a lot of it. With the big NFB and ACB conventions coming up in a couple of weeks, I predict we'll be hearing a lot about them in the recent future.
We are actively trying to recruit more people to write for this site. If you have a story about any aspect of blindness in your life, please pitch me a story. In the works, we have pieces by people I'm sure you've never heard of and next week we will have a feature in the digest by an author who has written two books about Helen Keller and is now working on one about Daniel Gish. You don't need be a professional writer, I'm a very good editor and I'll make your work sound good without changing any of the ideas you present. Please go to the contact form and pitch me a story and, unless it's wildly bizarre, we'll get it onto the site.
How It's Organized
Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest is a very simple page to read. The categories are at heading level 2 and the stories are links at heading level 3. So, navigation to the sections and stories you find interesting is quite simple.
Braille
New braille-tactile maps help increase accessibility to Leeds
Blind and partially sighted people in Leeds will have a new way to explore some of the city’s best-loved landmarks thanks to a brand-new book of braille-tactile maps. This story came to us from: news anyway.
Woman to use audio and braille for summer reading
She was the first to sign up for the summer reading program in her Ontario town. This story comes to us from: Argus Observer.
Technology
VOXLENS MAKES INTERACTIVE DATA MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR SCREEN READERS
Interactive visualizations have changed the way we understand our lives. For example, they can showcase the number of coronavirus infections in each state.
But these graphics often are not accessible to people who use screen readers, software programs that scan the contents of a computer screen and make the contents available via a synthesized voice or Braille. This story came to us from: futurity.
Private hospital introduces technology to detect cataract using Whatsapp
A pioneer in world-class eye care, Sharp Sight Eye Hospitals in collaboration with Logy.AI envisions has introduced AI-based screening solution to identify cataracts on the spot with 92 percent accuracy. This story came to us from: Greater Kashmir.
Tactile Engineering reveals new technology to help the blind
A Lafayette engineering firm revealed technology that will revolutionize the way blind people learn, work, and play earlier on Thursday. Tactile Engineering has developed a graphical computer tablet. The tablet includes 3,000 tiny parts that can change and act as interactive braille so users can experience animation. This story came to us from: WLFI.
Smart devices that could improve the lives of people with disabilities
Warning: this article is mostly pictures and the site is hardly accessible so I recommend totally blind readers (like me) skip this one, I wish I could hav
There are myriad ways people with disabilities can benefit from smart technology. This story came to us from: KTVZ.
Science and Medicine
Worse outcomes among hospitalized patients with severe vision impairment, blindness
What are the effects of visual impairment for those who do end up being admitted into the hospital?
This story came to us from: Healio.
Toxic plant causing blisters & blindness seen in Hampshire – how to deal with it
An interactive map has been published, allowing people to report sightings of a toxic plant which can cause blisters and even blindness. This story came to us from: Yahoo News UK.
Human Echolocators Can Better Locate Targets From Sideways Rather Than Straight Ahead
Humans who use echolocation have better acuity in localizing a target from 45 degrees to the side compared to directly ahead at 0 degrees. This story came to us from: Neuroscience News.
Scientists identified a molecular mechanism that causes blindness
University of Geneva (UNIGE), in collaboration with the University of Lausanne (UNIL), have identified a molecular mechanism that causes degeneration of the eye’s photoreceptors, which can lead to blindness. This story came to us from: tech explorist.
LRH begins treatment of RoP
… Peshawar has started the treatment for Retinopathy of Prematurity (RoP), a disease normally known as blindness of the premature newborns. This story came to us from: The Nation.
Watch: Girl, Blind Since Birth, Breaks Down Seeing Mother After Eye Transplant
The child was born blind. The moment the parents accepted this reality, everything in their world stopped. However, medical science did not stop. This story came to us from: – News18.
Explained: What is Ramsay Hunt Syndrome?
In some cases, Ramsay Hunt Syndrome can lead to complete blindness. … There is no cure for the disorder, but treatment can help improve symptoms. This story came to us from: Newsd.
With $16.5M in New Funding, Fort Worth’s Nacuity Aims to Treat ‘Serious Blinding and Chronic Diseases
Nacuity Pharmaceuticals focuses on ocular diseases caused by oxidative stress in the retina, including age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. The $16.5M funding, led by the Foundation Fighting Blindness, will help advance two Nacuity clinical trials. This story came to us from: Dallas Innovates.
UW eye research uncovers how stem cell photoreceptors reach their targets
A new study reveals how photoreceptors grown from stem cells might extend biological wires, known as axons, to contact existing neurons. This story came to us from: University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health – University of Wisconsin.
Cortical/cerebral visual impairment: Getting to the heart of pediatric vision loss and blindness
CVI is the No. 1 cause of pediatric visual impairment and blindness in the US and developed countries worldwide,1 according to Lotfi Merabet, OD, PhD. This story came to us from: Ophthalmology Times.
News from Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation
As we age, an area of the body we often notice significant change is our eyes. Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease that can occur as you age. This story came to us from: TheUnion.com.
Regenerative and restorative medicine for eye disease
Causes of blindness differ across the globe; in higher-income countries, most blindness results from the degeneration of specific classes of cells. This story came to us from: Nature.
[New discovery could lead to the development of therapeutic approaches for retinitis pigmentosa][
I'm blind from RP so I find stories like this very interesting.
Retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative genetic disease of the eye, is characterized by progressive vision loss, usually leading to blindness. This story came to us from: News-Medical.
Blindness Organizations
East Texas Brewing Company serving new drink to benefit local nonprofit
The drink aids The East Texas Lighthouse for the Blind. … "Just empowering people who happen to be blind and visually impaired,” Lansford said. This story came to us from: KLTV.
The Audio Description Project: Promoting Accessibility for Students Who Are Blind
The BADIE contest promotes the Benefits of Audio Description in Education by inviting young people who are blind or visually impaired to view a video with audio description and write about their experience. Audio description is a secondary audio track with additional narration that describes vital visual information. The contest is hosted by the American Council of the Blind’s Audio Description Project (ADP) and the Described and Captioned Media Program. This story came to us from: The Described and Captioned Media Program.
Stockton Blind Alliance protests outside Community Center for the Blind
This story is entirely made up of photographs of the protestors. If you're like me and totally blind, skip this one; if you've enough vision to look at pictures it might be interesting. This story came to us from: Stockton Record.
DRS Services for the Blind to celebrate Deaf-Blind Awareness Week June 26-July 2
Oklahoma Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired and friends will celebrate Deaf-Blind Awareness week, June 26 – July 2, in honor of Oklahomans who are deaf-blind and world-famous author, educator, lecturer and disability advocate Helen Keller. This story came to us from: 1600 KUSH.
East Texas Lighthouse increasing employability for visually impaired
In partnership with National Industries for the Blind (NIB) and NSITE, the East Texas Lighthouse in Tyler has been working to help increase employability of the visually impaired with a one-of-a-kind Microsoft Office training program designed to fill the gaps and ensure those with vision loss can keep pace with the demands of the modern office. This story came to us from: Tyler paper.
[Crystal River couple makes donation to Lions Club][
Their objective is to prevent avoidable blindness and improve quality of life for people who are blind. This story came to us from: Citrus County Chronicle.
Education
I'm a standard nerd" | Blind East Tennessee student heading to Harvard
Campbell Rutherford's interests and love of learning landed her in the ivy leagues. This story came to us from: WBUR.
Opinion/Stead: All children have great potential. Here's what we can do help them grow
Perkins School for the Blind is a national leader in the education of visually impaired and multiply-disabled children. This story came to us from: Cape Cod Times.
He makes us forget our worries, say visually-impaired students of blind UNILAG music graduate
But now, Shola David Agagu is a graduate of Music from University of Lagos,UNILAG. This story came to us from: Vanguard News.
Employment
The Blind Man Running His Family Diner
Diakakis’s sarcasm and comedic timing inspired Simon to make a film about him, something personal beyond the Formica countertops. This story came to us from: The New Yorker.
Safety
Grenfell witness describes what horror felt like when you can't see
Laila Williams, who is blind, will always think of the tower. This story came to us from: Metro.
Crime
City Council OKs Settlement For Blind Man Who Alleged LAPD Excessive Force
This comes as no surprise to me as LAPD has had a pretty rough reputation for as long as I can remember.
The Los Angeles City Council approved $300,000 to settle a lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department filed by a legally blind man who sued the department and several of its officers for allegedly using excessive force and violating his civil rights. This story came to us from: MyNewsLA.com.
Blind girl raped by 55-year-old man in Jaripatka, arrested
According to police, the victim was alone at home at 1 pm as her mother and brother had gone for work. The accused Vinod consumed liquor and entered the girl’s house. He threatened to kill her and sexually exploited the girl. She identified the voice of Vinod and narrated the incident to her mother. As the news of the heinous crime spread in the locality, angry residents caught Vinod and bashed him up severely. The girl and her mother lodged a complaint with the police. This story came to us from: Nagpur Today.
SGBV: I Was Raped, Visually Impaired Woman Narrates Ordeal
A visually impaired woman who was raped recently made bold to share her ordeal with ROYAL IBEH amid the need to tackle the worrisome surge of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in Nigeria. This story came to us from: Leadership News.
Guide Dogs
Douglasville restaurant denies legally blind woman service due to guide dog
A legally blind woman says she was denied service at a Douglasville restaurant because of her guide dog. This story came to us from: 11Alive.com.
Politics
Blind Kenyan singer goes to court over rejected presidential candidacy
Reuben Kigame’s campaign team claims the Electoral Commission discriminated against him because of his disability. This story came to us from: The Guardian.
Legal
Mother of Carl Dyche desperate for help ahead of Worcester trial
AN ELDERLY woman who is totally blind is desperate to find help in time for the upcoming trial after her son was murdered. This story came to us from: The Worcester News.
Reversal: Supreme Court vacates judge’s injunction on election certification for today’s special primary
This is really bad for blind people in Alaska. If this spreads, we will not be able to fully participate in our representative republic using a secret ballot.
The Alaska Supreme Court today overruled an Anchorage Superior Court judge’s decision to prevent today’s special primary election from being certified. On Friday, Anchorage Superior Court Judge Una Gandbhir, appointed by Gov. Bill Walker, had agreed with the Alaska Human Rights Commission that blind people in Alaska had not been given adequate access to voting a private ballot in this all-mail-in election. This story came to us from: Must Read Alaska.
The NDIA abandons best practice to save pennies in this blind man's tribunal case
This legally blind man says the National Disability Insurance Agency doesn't cooperate with people with disabilities. Instead it fights them. This story came to us from: Crikey.
Business
Ophthalmic Medicine Market Report Covers Future Trends with Research 2022-2030
Ophthalmic Medicine are the formulations that are designed for the treatment of eye diseases such as cataract, glaucoma, color blindness, diabetic macular edema, cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This story came to us from: Digital Journal.
Screen Reader Market Size And Forecast to 2029 | Key Players – Freedom Scientific, Microsoft, Apple, Amedia Corporation
The research study presented here is an excellent compilation of various types of analysis of important aspects of the world's Screen Reader market. Through a devilishly researched analysis and Porter's five forces analysis, it provides a deep explanation of the strengths and weaknesses of the global Screen Reader market and the other players operating within it.The authors of the report also provided qualitative and quantitative analysis of several microeconomic and macroeconomic factors affecting the world Screen Reader market. In addition, this study will help you understand changes in the industrial supply chain,manufacturing processes and costs, sales scenarios and dynamics of the global Screen Reader market. This story came to us from: mbutimelineT.
Qualitative Analysis of Night Blindness Treatment Market 2022-2028
The Night Blindness Treatment market report additionally provides insights into market developments, trends, provide and demand changes across numerous regions across the globe. The market is predicted to witness continuing growth throughout the forecast from 2022 to 2028. It commits various factors affecting industry like market environment, various policies of the government, past data and market trends. This story came to us from: Indian Defence News.
Preventing Blindness
Tripoli Eye Hospital conducts 40 surgeries for patients at risk of blindness
The Eye Hospital of Tripoli has conducted 40 eye surgeries for patients at risk of blindness while hosting the visiting doctor, Ahmed Mustafa, with the help of the hospital’s major operating teams. This story came to us from: The Libya Observer.
Aged over 40? Why eye-exams matter
Eye exams are extremely important as people age to prevent blindness from cataracts, glaucoma, retinopathy and macular degeneration. This story came to us from: Digital Journal.
KSrelief launches medical campaign to combat blindness in Niger
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) launched a voluntary medical campaign to combat blindness and its causes in Tawa, Niger. This story came to us from: Saudi Gazette.
KSrelief Launches Sudan Voluntary Medical Project to treat Blindness
In collaboration with the Al-Basar International Foundation, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) launched a free medical project in Nyala, Sudan, to combat blindness and its causes. This story came to us from: The Paradise News.
Photorefraction screening plus atropine treatment for myopia
Successful prevention of myopia would reduce vision impairment, blindness, and costs to individuals and wider society. This story came to us from: Dove Medical Press.
##Lifestyle##
Nothing to see in lone village where nearly everyone is blind
The blurb about this headline below uses words like "bizarre" and "deformity." I would have chosen more affirming terms but I don't edit the blurbs, I copy and paste them in so as to avoid misleading the readers with a misinterpretation on my part. I'm not one of the vocabulary nuts out there who want to change a bazillion words we use related to disability but "bizarre" and "deformity" are a step too far for even me.
Bisunu in Sirisia constituency is not your ordinary village. Tucked deep inside the heart of Bungoma County, the village has almost 27 homesteads scattered in the hilly area. However, Bisunu has one other bizarre element, almost every household has a blind person or someone living with a physical deformity. This story came to us from: The Standard.
Dear Abby: Blind woman wants to babysit 1-year-old alone
DEAR ABBY: My sister “Rebecca” is in her early 40s and has been blind for more than 20 years. She has low self-esteem and gets depressed. This story came to us from: – Chicago Sun-Times.
Acropolis sightseeing for the blind
Tour guide Danae Kousouri describes the Propylaea to a group of visitors. Having conducted countless tours on the Sacred Rock, she is familiar with every little detail, every crack on the marble. However, this is the first time that she is called upon to describe a monument to an audience that cannot actually see it. This story came to us from: eKathimerini.com.
A Blind Woman Finds Her Salvation Through Horses
Lissa Bachner kept riding despite losing her sight because of a one-of-a-kind companion named Milo. This story came to us from: Lancaster Farming.
Man picks up blind girl from matrimonial site and marries her
When Manmohan wanted to marry Sujata, the latter revealed the dark reality of her life. However, Manmohan agreed to marry her with all her flaws. This story came to us from: OdishaTV.
Spencer Solves It on mission to help Highlands carpenter who is going blind
At 51 years old, Douglas Berry is still a wild kid at heart. Look at him pounding it out on his drum set, just like he did when he played rock and roll in high school.
But now, decades later, Doug spends his days pounding nails, working desperately hard as a carpenter and maintenance man at a small local motel. This story came to us from: Click2Houston.
'Hey Daddy!': Louisiana dad surprises visually impaired son at school
Armstrong and his wife work with a nonprofit called Blind Grace, which works to create experiences for sighted and blind people to come together. This story came to us from: NewsNation.
Art and Artists
The Turkish blind painter, Esref Armagan
Turkish artist Esref Armagan is one of the few blind commercial painters in the world.Blind from birth, he learned to draw by touching and copying. This story came to us from: YouTube.
Making art heard for vision impaired audiences
Coincidentally, I published an article about the world's leading expert in making Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) accessible. It's called "My Friend Sina Bahram" and I recommend reading it if you're interested in this topic
Galleries and museums could be doing more through co-design and collaboration to expand access for blind and low vision audiences. This story came to us from: ArtsHub Australia.
When I use a word . . . . Counterfactual medical history: Milton's treatment
At this year’s Chalfont St Giles and Jordans Literary Festival I spoke about John Milton and asked three questions: What caused Milton’s blindness?1 Could it have been treated if modern techniques had been available? If it had been prevented or mitigated would Milton’s poetry have been different? This story came to us from: The BMJ.
Norwich blind photographer discovered hobby after losing sight
A visually impaired woman who took up photography after losing her sight said she first started the hobby to keep an eye on her rats. This story came to us from: BBC.
A Dad's Day Memoir: Even in Blindness, There Can be Vision
After a few days of blurred vision, he became totally blind. The doctors guessed it was vascular, perhaps an aneurysm on the optic nerve. It's said. This story came to us from: chronicleonline.com.
[Blind Big Brother star Reggie Bird catches a bus while using her walking cane][
I don't consider "Big Brother" to be art nor do I think of its contestants as "artists" but I don't have categories for this kind of story otherwise. Suggestions for such are definitely welcome.
The fan favourite, who has limited vision and is legally blind, was photographed out and about with her walking cane while picking up some dry cleaning after being refused a ride in a taxi. This story came to us from: Daily Mail.
Sports
Blind student introduces peers to “beep kickball
Reagan Waycaster, 15, first learned to play “beep kickball” when she was 9. Blind since birth, the Alpharetta resident attended a camp for the visually impaired where she discovered the game that uses a beeping ball to attract players’ attention. This story came to us from: Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Tennis for blind people to become a reality thanks to amazing new audio technology
The UK's national tennis body has teamed up with the BBC and a tech firm to give blind and partially sighted fans the first chance to follow tennis in a completely new way – it's a massive step for inclusion. This story comes to us from: Daily Star.
After cancer left him blind, former UCLA athlete finds new direction in tandem cycling club
At Mt. Carmel High School, Mark Green says he has never seen a better high school player than Michael “Grizzy” Griswold, who graduated in 2013 with All-CIF first-team honors and was recruited to UCLA on a Division I soccer scholarship. But on July 28, 2014, the 19-year-old sophomore was diagnosed with stage 3 malignant brain melanoma. Doctors warned the family that his chances of survival were low. But with the support of his oncology team, his family, his general health and his religious faith, Griswold survived, but at a cost. The 14 tumors in his brain and the effects of his disease and its aggressive treatment left him blind and with cognitive, memory and speech issues. Grizzy lived, but he’d never play soccer again. This story came to us from: The San Diego Union-Tribune.
How two blind sports fans connect to the Philadelphia teams they love?
Rod Powell, 73, and Lisa O’Malley, 36, are big Philadelphia sports fans from Chester who know their stuff — whether it’s staying current with their favorite teams or knowing their histories. Powell and O’Malley, friends for nearly two decades, do this even while they are unable to see the action. This story came to us from: Audacy.
Steffan Nero, Australia Blind Cricketer, Breaks 24-Year-Old Record With Sensational 309-Run Knock
Steffan Nero's triple century breaks the world record of 262 not out set by Pakistan's Masood Jan at the 1998 Blind Cricket World Cup. This story came to us from: Outlook India.
Australian blind cricketer emulates Bradman after recording an average of 523 while scoring 309
Blind cricketer Steffan Nero has become the eighth Aussie batsman to score more than 300 – recording an average of 523 in a mammoth tri-game. This story came to us from: Daily Mail.
[Eli Manning will host Guiding Eyes for the Blind's 45th Annual Golf Classic][
This is a story that could have also gone under "Guide Dogs" or "Blindness Charities" as well as "Sports."
It is a special time to raise funds in support of our mission and celebrate our graduates, blind and visually impaired golfers, volunteers, and donors. This story came to us from: Giants Wire – USA Today.
Para Lions seal EURO semi-final spot
England men's blind team head into the IBSA European Championship semi-finals on Wednesday, after topping their group table in Pescara, Italy. This story came to us from: England Football.
Blind Football: Germany and France are taking the lead
Day 3 of the 2022 IBSA Blind Football Men’s European Championship in Pescara was full of emotions! Germany and France are taking the lead in both groups of the competition thanks to their victories against Spain and Turkey. This story came to us from: International Blind Sports Federation.
Blind Football: France is the new European champion
The next Blind Football competition, 2022 IBSA Blind Football Grand Prix, will be held in Puebla, Mexico, between July 29th and August 2nd. This story came to us from: International Blind Sports Federation.
England blind team secure third place at the EUROs after dramatic penalty shootout
England men's blind football team beat Germany to finish third in the 2022 IBSA Blind Football European Championships. This story came to us from: England Football.
Southampton teen chosen to play for Para Lions' women's blind team
Despite only just turning 17, Kaitlyn Clark plays for the Para Lions' women's blind team – most recently competing in the IBSA European Championship. This story came to us from: Daily Echo.
Utah deaf, blind students complete 70-mile boat race in just 36 hours
Students and chaperones with the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind called this race redemption. This story comes to us from: Fox 13.
Endurance Sport Ambassadors – United States Association of Blind Athletes
The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) is pleased to name its third team of sport ambassadors for 2022. This story came to us from: United States Association of Blind Athletes.
Little sister helps brother, who is blind, go down waterslide
Ashton, a 10-year-old who is blind, was scared to go down a waterslide – until his 6-year-old sister, Ocean, encouraged him. This story came to us from: YouTube.
About The Digest
Welcome to Edition 25 of Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest. This edition has 73 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.
Please Contribute A Story
I hope to evolve this site from my personal blog into a more broad news service serving the blind community. I cannot do this alone. So, if you have a story to tell about literally anything related to blindness from dating to technology, please pitch me the story through the contact form on this site and we can work together to get your story into the digest if it's a short piece or as a stand alone feature if it's longer. If you've little confidence in your writing skills, I'm an excellent editor and we'll make your story good.
Last Edition
If you missed it, you can read edition 24 of the news digest at Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest – Edition 24. We'll include links to the previous edition in this section of each week's version.
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