What's Inside
- Fast food restaurant incorporates braille into menus
- Audio description added to fossil park
- Senator Markey introduces very important disability civil rights legislation
- Blind woman labeled "transphobic" for complaint street art confused her guide dog
- And, about 50 more stories all about blindness and blind people from all over the world
Editorial By Chris Hofstader
As regular readers of this digest probably noticed, it has changed its name from "Gonz Blinko's Blind News Digest" to "WBH Weekly Blind News Digest." This is because this digest will move permanently to World Blind Herald in January and this site will return to being my personal blog. Because far more than half of our subscribers joined since I started publishing the news digest, I'm making the wild assumption that you would like to continue as subscribers. Thus, I'm going to export the subscribers from this site to the WBH one in early January. WBH will, as this site does, publish the news digest on Tuesdays, the science digest on Wednesdays and the feature article on Thursdays so a subscription there won't be too different than what one would have gotten from this site during 2022. It's easy to unsubscribe and, as we're such a small operation at this point, doing it this way makes it a lot easier on us too. I hope you forgive this time saving action on our part.
To me, the most important story this week is the bill Senator Markey entered as legislation in the US Senate. In essence, it is a major update to CVAA but modernizes the law in a manner more compatible with current technology, including streaming. Along with the bill submitted by Senator Duckworth last month, effectively updating ADA as amended in 2008 to include all Internet sites (with or without brick and mortar presences) and adds apps and other technologies to the set of accessibility requirements. These are the two most important pieces of legislation related to the civil rights of disabled people to even be put forth since ADA itself, 32 years ago.
It is essential that you call or write to your congressional representatives and senators and urge them to pass these bills. Thus far, I do not believe either bill has any GOP co-sponsors and, in the senate, if we want this to pass, we need to get about 12 republicans to jump ship and refuse to permit a filibuster. Use any angle you can think of to ensure these bills are passed, talk about veterans and others who became disabled while fighting for our nation and tell your own story and remind them that you vote. Send them emails, do anything you can think of that can come from the grassroots and let's get our rights codified in laws that make sense for the 21st century.
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
Fast-food restaurant incorporates Braille system into menus
It is not easy to live a life without vision. A simple visit to a restaurant is already inconvenient for blind people because they will always need assistance to make an order. There is a barrier between the blind community that keeps them from living an ordinary life, and this is what this project aims to tear down. This story comes to us from: ph news yahoo.
Technology
Creating a More Accessible Internet: Context Matters
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But an image can’t “speak” to individuals with blindness or low-vision (BLV) without a little help. In a world driven by visual imagery, especially online, this creates a barrier to access. The good news: When screen readers – software that reads the content of web pages to BLV people – come across an image, they will read any “alt-text” descriptions that the website creator added to the underlying HTML code, rendering the image accessible. The bad news: Few images are accompanied by adequ
ate alt-text descriptions. This story comes to us from: hai.stanford.
Samsung’s latest Smart TV range awarded Accreditation by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in the UK
Editor: Why won't Braille Monitor, AccessWorld or the other blindness publications in the US publish statements like this one that provides such value for its readers as it contains actionable information?
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced that it has been awarded the ‘Tried and Tested’ certification for its 2022 Smart TVs from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). RNIB awards its “Tried and Tested” standard to products, websites, apps or services which meet the charity’s criteria for accessibility for consumers with sight loss. This distinction enables the users to make easier purchase decisions and also underscores Samsung’s pledge to improving accessibility features on its TVs. This story comes to us from: Samsung Global Newsroom.
Disabled people fear Twitter changes under Elon Musk leave them behind
Twitter has long been an essential public space for people with disabilities because of its unique format and broad reach. But now many people worry that recent cutbacks and changes by Elon Musk will disproportionately harm disability communities.
Twitter employees have tweeted that recent layoffs included the entire accessibility engineering team, which helped make the website usable for those with disabilities, particularly those with sensory challenges, mobility issues and visual or auditory impairment.
In addition, several people said they have been experiencing more harassment about their disabilities in recent weeks as Musk dismantled the infrastructure needed to moderate hate speech and abuse. Earlier this week, Musk sent what has been described as an ableist tweet comparing a former employee’s criticisms to “a tragic case of adult onset Tourette’s." This story comes to us from: The Washington Post.
Blind Users From Other Tech Giants Tell Twitter Staff to 'Just Quit' – Business
Users of the Blind app are chipping in on the Twitter drama, suggesting staff should "just quit."
One Meta employee wrote that Elon Musk should "go f*** with your employees in private."
Insider surveyed the anonymous forum and found a number of posts siding with Twitter employees.
Employees at other tech companies including Meta, Salesforce, and LinkedIn have criticized Elon Musk's management style since taking over Twitter and told remaining employees to "just quit." Insider surveyed posts on Blind, the anonymous forum community app where staff can air their grievances and seek advice. Blind users must provide their work email address, job title, and their employer when they sign up so it can "gauge the professional status" of posters, according to its website. One user, whose profile suggests they work for Meta, wrote a post Tuesday entitled: "Twitter employees should just quit." This story comes to us from: Business Insider.
'Beautiful': Blind man takes his first hike on Heartland Forest trail
Joe Green and other people who are visually impaired can now get the help of the Blind Square Event app to navigate the trails. This story comes to us from: NiagaraFallsReview.ca.
[First Pathfinder e-books for blind readers are available][
Editor: Vanguard and The Militant, publishers of this article, are old style far left radical organizations. If you look at the titles they've made available, we can only ask, "Why are we reading about 19th century political economy when we should be looking for a new paradigm for change in the 21st century?" I think it's good that they've made these books available for historical purposes but the old far left of the Socialist Workers Party went out of favor in the 1930s and isn't likely to return.
The first six electronic books from Pathfinder Press fully accessible for readers who are blind or have low vision are now available from Bookshare.org. Pathfinder publishes books by Socialist Workers Party leaders and others that present a revolutionary working-class road forward. The new e-books include Pathfinder’s latest title, Labor, Nature, and the Evolution of Humanity by Karl Marx, Frederick Engels, George Novack and Mary-Alice Waters. Also available are The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels; The Turn to Industry: Forging a Proletarian Party by SWP National Secretary Jack Barnes; Tribunes of the People and the Trade Unions by Marx, V.I. Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Farrell Dobbs and Barnes; as well as Are They Rich Because They’re Smart? and Cuba and the Coming American Revolution, both by Barnes. This story comes to us from: The Militant.
Blindness Organizations
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument partners with the UniDescription Project to create audio description of park
The UniDescription Project is grant-funded out of the University of Hawaii and provides training and data-driven research information for audio description. The founding member, Brett Oppegard, worked with Michele Hartley from NPS to determine a way to efficiently audio describe over 400 highly detailed park brochures. Enter the Descriptathon – an intense, 3-day, gamified way to learn about audio description with the end goal of a complete audio version of the park’s brochure. This story comes to us from: starherald.
American Printing House for the Blind lands two national accolades
Louisville-based American Printing House for the Blind is being lauded by a couple of national media outlets for both its products and museum. This story comes to us from: The Business Journals.
New playground for children of all abilities opens at Kentucky School for the Blind
A new playground for children of all abilities opened at the Kentucky School for the Blind. This story comes to us from: wdrb.com.
Legislative committee approves $30 million for Arkansas Schools for the Blind
Schools in Little Rock that fill a special role will be getting special funding to better help their students. On Tuesday, an Arkansas legislative committee approved a $30 million request from the Arkansas Department of Education to go to the Arkansas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the Arkansas School for the Deaf. This story comes to us from: FOX16.com.
Charter House residents share big and little news stories with the visually impaired in Rochester
A radio program that offers blind people local news and information has been relaunched in Rochester after a two-year pandemic-induced suspension. And its revival is due to a dozen residents at Charter House-Mayo Clinic Retirement Living who are stepping forward to serve as volunteer readers. The Radio Talking Book News for the Visually Impaired, a service provided by the State Services for the Blind, has been reinvented in Rochester and across the state since it started up. Where the program once was a radio broadcast, the hour-long local news program is now a podcast. This story comes to us from: Post Bulletin.
ACB's 2022 Audio Description Awards Gala
The American Council of the Blind (ACB) proudly announces the details of the 2022 Audio Description Awards Gala to be held virtually on November 29, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. ET. In its second year, ACB's Audio Description Awards Gala will honor significant achievements in media that continue to pave the way for creating the audio description standard as well as recognizing the best of television, streaming, and the film industry's commitment to accessible media for blind and low vision audiences in the form of audio description. This story comes to us from: PR Newswire.
I³R Engages With International Research Organization Serving Veterans
The Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research hosted an executive team from an international research organization working to fight blindness in military veterans. Ranu Jung, I³R's founding executive director and endowed chair, distinguished professor and associate vice chancellor, invited Bravo Victor's London-based chief scientific officer, professor Renata Gomes, and Lou Celli, the executive director of their U.S. office, for a full day of briefings that showcased a sample the U of A's multidisciplinary cutting-edge research, from improved upper limb prosthetics to virtual reality sensory augmentation. This story comes to us from: UARK News – University of Arkansas.
Education
Blind and partially sighted students 'locked out of post-16 education,' says report
Blind and visually impaired young people are being ‘locked out’ of college due to a ‘fragmented and unreliable system of support’ for those leaving secondary education, according to the Thomas Pocklington Trust. The charity’s Give me access to college report highlights the barriers that some young people are facing when they leave school and progress to mainstream or sixth form college. The report shows how often ‘support either drops-off or vanishes’ when a young person leaves secondary school, despite local authorities (LAs) having a statutory responsibility to provide specialist educational need and disability support to all children and young people up to the age of 25. This story comes to us from: Association of Optometrists.
Employment
Blind workers learning skills to join the workforce
Scott Wilson is blind but does have light perception. “That’s why I wear the sunglasses because the light bothers my eyes,” he said. But he still manages to work in this warehouse, lifting boxes and processing orders for supplies that go to government agencies around Florida. “Where it gets tricky is when there are a lot of boxes or clutter around. You got to use your cane and feel around. Pretty much when you know where you are at, it moves right along," said Wilson. This warehouse is part of the Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind in New Port Richey. It brings in revenue for the organization but is also a training ground. “There is a huge unemployment rate for folks that are visually impaired or blind, so we really try and give them those skills that they can be employable and let employers know that they are perfectly capable of performing tasks every day and making sure they get those jobs that they need," said Lighthouse CEO Stefanie Pontlitz. This story comes to us from: ABC Action News.
A dream to become a lawyer, two decades in total blindness
Sometime in 2002, during my Basic Education Level, I suffered from a condition known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome due to a severe adverse reaction to medical treatment which resulted in my whole skin peeling off like burns by heat and eventually leading to the loss of my sight. It was a very distressing period for my whole family. Especially my mum went through emotional difficulties in accepting her first son’s visual impairment. However, my family did not give up on my education and went to every extent to support me in achieving success. When I was enrolled in the Akropong School for the Blind, I realized my dream to be part of this noble profession was not lost with my new visual impairment. Against all odds, I projected a future full of hope and in spite of the staggering obstacles with support for persons living with disability in Ghana’s education. I continued to work hard towards the realization of my dream of becoming a lawyer. I overcame many impediments, shattered barriers, crossed social boundaries, and faced stereotypes head-on. In 2019, I was awarded a degree in Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honors from the Faculty of Law, University of Cape Coast. Prior to this, I had obtained a first-class degree from the Department of Education, Arts, and Social Sciences, with the English Language as my major, also at the University of Cape Coast. This story comes to us from: MyJoyOnline.com.
Discrimination and Inaccessibility
Blind Canadian Paralympian kicked off Virgin cruise receives free ride
A blind Canadian Paralympian who was asked to get off a Virgin cruise ship in Miami because he was traveling solo has received an apology and a free ride. Donovan Tildesly says shortly after he boarded the Valiant Lady, he was approached by two of the ship’s personnel and told it was unsafe for him to be on that particular cruise as a blind person. This story comes to us from: News 1130 – CityNews Vancouver.
Restore my welfare package, Falodun, blind veteran journalist tasks Sanwo-Olu
Veteran Journalist, Sir. Oluwole Falodun, who lost his sight following a botched eye surgery in 1996, is asking the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to fully reinstate the state government’s promises to him. Falodun, who turns 80 on November 22, told Saturday Vanguard in an interview that he became blind after being diagnosed with glaucoma in his right eye. Still, the left eye was mistakenly operated on at the Lagos General Hospital, Marina. According to the octogenarian, a former reporter with Daily Times and Radio Nigeria, the Lagos state government took responsibility for his predicament including the education of his children. He was later given a house in 2016 and placed on life pension by the Governor Akinwumi Ambode administration. This story comes to us from: Vanguard News.
Safety
Blind woman branded 'transphobic' for raising guide dog issues around Dundee street art
A Dundee resident who walks with a guide dog has complained about roads being obstructed by art projects featuring blue and pink stripes but has been branded 'transphobic' for pointing it out. Social media user Ash, 49, said her pup Rusty would not cross a section of the road at Union Street near the top of the High Street because the markings were too confusing. The labrador interpreted the markings as a zebra crossing but the colours and positioning were different so he diverted. The council's artistic efforts have been slated for compromising the rights of disabled people while online comments have seen Ash branded a transphobe for stating the colours are blue and pink. This story comes to us from: Scottish Daily Express.
OCSD Searching for legally Blind Man, 36, Missing In Laguna Niguel
The Orange County sheriff's Department asked for the public's help Friday to find a 36-year-old blind man in need of medication who went missing … This story comes to us from: KFI AM 640.
Blind Sheffield woman fell from train after pre-booked assistance never came to help
Deborah Fairclough, from Crosspool, says she finds it “crazy” there are still failures in access to public transport for disabled people in 2022 after the painful incident in October at Langley Railway Station in Berkshire. The 68-year-old shared her experiences while speaking to the ‘That’ll Be the Day’ podcast hosted by Tom Walker, which reports on railway safety for the visually impaired. This story comes to us from: Sheffield Star.
Blind man's vision of safe water benefiting millions of people
When he learned in his mid 40's he was going blind, Jim Gehrels had every reason to abandon his hopes of someday drilling water wells in Africa. This story comes to us from: Yahoo Finance.
Synchronize Traffic Lights Please, Blind Student Urges Mayor
A 14-year-old blind girl expressed her helplessness to the mayor, Firhad Hakim, in crossing the city's intersections for want of synchronization. This story comes to us from: Times of India.
Driver finds missing 6-year-old girl who is blind wandering on road, New York cops Say
A driver found a missing girl, who is blind, wandering on the shoulder of a road, New York state police say. The child was not hurt. This story comes to us from: Sun Herald.
Crime
Cruel woman followed blind wheelchair user home from pub and robbed him
Nan with 100 previous offences on her record then barged way into 86-year-old man's home to steal £6. This story comes to us from: Liverpool Echo.
Ogun: Abducted blind woman freed
The lady was abducted last week Friday, during an attack on a legal practitioner, Sanni Boladale, in front of his house at Soyoye, Abeokuta. She was taken away after they failed to abduct the lawyer who was said to be their target. This story comes to us from: punchng.com.
Politics
Victor Harbor woman becomes South Australia's first councillor who is blind
Angela Schiller has become South Australia's first councillor who is blind
Cr Schiller has spent ten years on the City of Victor Harbor's Disability Access and Inclusion Committee and is an experienced business woman. This story comes to us from: ABC News.
Senator Markey and Representative Eshoo Introduce Bill to Improve Access to Accessible Media and Video Communications Technologies for Individuals with Disabilities
Editor: When I first read this headline, I wondered why Eddie Markey would be introducing a bill that the headline makes sound an awful lot like the bill Senator Tammy Duckworth's legislation introduced about a month ago. However, Markey's bill is an update to CVAA to bring it more into relevance with current technology while Duckworths is more an extension to ADA as amended in 2008 and is more about web sites and applications than it is about streaming media. I've had the opportunity to meet Senator Markey on a number of occasions when he was a congressman and must say my opinion of him as a person is really quite high.
Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Representative Anna G. Eshoo (D-Calif.) introduced the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act in both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. The American Council of the Blind (ACB) commends Sen. Markey and Rep. Eshoo for their leadership and for introducing this legislation with the full support and collaboration of the disability community. Once passed, this legislation would update existing regulations to ensure people who are blind, low vision, and DeafBlind may access the accessible video content of their choosing, from the video service provider of their choosing, and use the video conferencing service of their choosing. "Since I authored the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, technologies have changed. What hasn't changed is our obligation to make sure that everyone — including people who are deaf, blind, or DeafBlind — has equal access to the services and technologies they need to thrive," said Senator Markey. "That is why I am introducing the Communications, Video, and Accessibility Technology Act, to update current laws on the books so that we can meet the technological moment and ensure opportunity, independence, and equal access for all. This story comes to us from: PR Newswire.
Legal
Blind veteran prepares to file lawsuit against Columbia County Sheriff's Office following arrest
The attorney representing a blind veteran has sent a notice of intent to pursue … Sheriff's Office after the man's cane was mistaken for a pistol. This story comes to us from: WCJB.
Business
Eye Care Supplements Market to see Huge Growth by 2028
According to the World Health Organization, 2.2 billion individuals worldwide were affected by visual impairments or blindness in 2019. This story comes to us from: openPR.com.
Tactile Printing Market Size & Revenue Analysis | Braille Plus, Braille Works, NBP, PIA
The global Tactile Printing market is expected to grow at a significant pace during the forecast period. The key factors driving the growth of the market include the increasing demand from industries. The report includes an in-depth analysis of the key market players, their competitive landscape, and the key growth strategies adopted by them to sustain their position in the market. This story comes to us from: The C-Drone Review.
Where Will Editas Medicine Be in 1 Year?
It hasn't been a great year to hold shares of somewhat speculative and unprofitable stocks. Gene-editing specialist Editas Medicine (NASDAQ: EDIT) fits the bill, which is why the company's shares have plunged this year. But things can change quickly in the volatile biotech industry. Within 12 months, a company can score meaningful clinical or regulatory wins that send its stock price soaring. Could this be what's in store for Editas Medicine in the next year? Let's dig into the company's business to find out. This story comes to us from: Nasdaq.
Lifestyle
E/R: Blind man saved from an ejection by landlord
A visually impaired man, Mr Akwasi Mensah, who had been sneaking to sleep in his room following an ejection order by his landlord, was saved by Mr Owen Kwame Frimpong, the Chief Executive Officer of the Darling Boy Fun Club at Asamankese in the Eastern Region. This story comes to us from: GhanaWeb.
As A Blind Woman, I Belong To A Community Of Friendship, Love And Care
I had just landed in Geneva for work, it was two pm and the check-in was at three. I had to log in to the Internet and send the emails sitting in my Outlook outbox. I connected to the Internet and, damn, my computer showed an error. My emails were urgent, they needed to go. I picked up the phone and WhatsApp called a friend who answered, ‘All okay?' He remained on the other line for nearly 45 minutes, solving whatever mess my laptop was throwing at me. Being my only sources of note-taking, reading, emails, and more, it was important that my screen reader behaved and my laptop functioned. He intuitively understood the intensity of the problem I was facing — because, like me, he too was blind. It is amazing to me how people imagine that persons with disabilities are somehow defective, damaged and, of course, only receivers of care. The mental image that most non-disabled persons have formed of a blind person is the helpless lone character standing at the corner of the street, holding a white cane and wearing big black glasses. And a popular saying goes, if the blind lead the blind they will fall into a ditch! This ignorance makes me snort. People can believe it only because they have not been a part of the vibrant, large, lovely and warm community of blind and low vision people that I’m part of, in Mumbai in particular and India in general. This story comes to us from: Youth Ki Awaaz.
place to come together': Tulsa woman opens home to deaf-blind people
Tulsan Jeri Cooper uses her deaf-blindness as a superpower. Last spring, Cooper, an advocate for the deaf-blind community, opened the door to Jeri’s House, a place for deaf-blind individuals to live and learn how to become self-sufficient in their day-to-day lives. I felt so inspired after meeting Cooper, and I know the deaf-blind students she helps feel the same way. This story comes to us from: Tulsa World.
DPHHS podcast 'Losing Sight' tells man's story of blindness
In a new Department of Public Health and Human Services podcast, one man shared his story of completely losing his vision by age 30. This story comes to us from: NBC Montana.
Simplifying Life for the Visually Impaired
The human eye is a marvel of biological engineering. It is the most complex and sophisticated structure in the body, with a range of functions that go far beyond what your brain can do. It is the most complex organ in the human body. It has a number of different parts that work together to help us see and process information about our surrounding environment. The eyes play a very important role in any life form, because any matter of example, can be seen or expressed only through our eyes. People who cannot see face difficulties in day-to-day activities.
There are some who are put to test in this world with blindness and other visual impairments. It is one of the most difficult things anyone can deal with. Imagine not being able to see! How would you get around? How would you work? How would you live your life if you cannot see anything at all? It is a very difficult thing to do and it takes some people longer than others to adjust. These people are often treated differently than others, and it can be hard for them to live an independent life. This story comes to us from: Brighter Kashmir.
George Mitchell: Chance encounter left me in awe of those without sight
After watching a blind man cross a road, George went blindfold to experience how a lack of sight changes your life. This story comes to us from: Press and Journal.
Blind Nigerian Woman Cooks Sweet Moi-Moi with Firewood, Her Proud Son Dances in Viral Video
A heartwarming and inspiring clip showed her preparing a pot of moi-moi (bean pudding) with firewood. Her son shared a video of the moment on TikTok with the caption: PAY ATTENTION. his story comes to us from: Legit.ng.
Contests organised for the blind
The Louis Braille Association for the Blind organised a three-day national-level contest for blind people at the Red Cross Bhawan in Jalandhar. This story comes to us from: Tribune India.
Legally blind Southgate man gets special treat on Halloween
Halloween night started out quite normal for Gernon Jones of Southgate. Jones, 21, donned his best Gilligan costume from the classic show “Gilligan’s Island” and hit the local streets to trick-or-treat. As someone who is legally blind, Jones makes sure to still enjoy some of the finer things in life, which includes making his way around the neighborhood to collect his favorite treats every year on the popular holiday. This story comes to us from: The News Herald.
Feature: White cane week raises awareness to care about the visually impaired in Rwanda
Hundreds of Rwandans in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, tried to walk a very difficult path last week as part of events to raise awareness about the rights of the visually impaired in the country.
Marking the White Cane Week that ran from Nov. 7 to 14 in the east African country, several individuals with clear sight were blindfolded and asked to use their canes to walk as a way of associating with the blind. This story comes to us from: Xinhua.
I just kind of forget you're blind sometimes
Editor: This is an interesting interview so it was hard to come up with a blurb for this one as it ranges through a variety of subjects. I liked it and hope you do too.
Ten (or so) questions with Chris Mathews, advocate for the visually impaired, Honkers fan, child care worker. This story comes to us from: Post Bulletin.
Art and Artists
True Colors Festival: Blind pianist to perform in Japan
A blind pianist from Bridgend is set to perform at an international arts festival in Japan.
Rachel Starritt, 28, who was born blind, can learn entire concertos by ear and has perfect pitch.
She was the first ever blind student to study a music degree at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.
The True Colors Festival features performers with disabilities, with nearly 100 performers from a dozen countries taking part. This story comes to us from: BBC.
Dancing in the Dark with The Blind Dance Company
From ballroom to hip hop, as dancers waltz and twirl across the stage, whatever the style, there’s no denying dance is a visual art. The students at The Blind Dance Company prove there’s more than meets the eye.
Ronald, Kenny, Barbara, Lee, and Olena are learning to dance, but that’s not all they have in common.
“I am completely blind with light perception,” says Blind Dancer Ronald Chisholm.
“I don’t see face faces. I see colors,” Blind Dancer Olena Calderon said.
Blind Dancer Kenny Lee said, “What I see is shadows.”
They are all members of one of the first all blind dance companies.
“Our whole organization is about empowering the lives of the visually impaired, uh, through dance,” said the Founder and Director of Blind Dance Company, Hydeia Muhammad. This story comes to us from: KSAT.com.
Prepare, adapt and overcome: What it takes to be The Best Blind Band in the Land
This is the Ohio State School for the Blind. Johnson is in her eighth year as band director for the Marching Panthers.
"The Best Blind Band in the Land! Try to say that 10 times fast," said freshman Adyah Navarro, who was born with a condition known as Peters Anomaly.
"I'm excited to hear this and also dreading this first sound." It's the first time Johnson will hear her students play since school ended a few months ago.
"I would like you to get your instruments ready, and dust the cobwebs off of them."
There are more similarities between the Marching Panthers that we see perform on Friday Nights than there are differences, says Jeff Schneider, who is a retired band director, who started volunteering with the Panthers more than 15 years ago. This story comes to us from: WKYC.
[I Understand: An Appreciation of Laura Dern's Performance in “Smooth Talk"][
Editor: I'm always happy to hear stories about blind people making it in the performing arts. If there are 7.5 million legally blind people in the US (NFB's number), I bet at least a few of them can act and blind face is no different than black face.
Where in the world did you find a blind girl who can act? This story comes to us from: Sundance Institute.
Anselmo-Merna student born blind and deaf hoping to share musical gifts
An Anselmo-Merna student, who’s overcome a great deal of adversity, is using music to spread positivity and hoping to help buy a friend a guitar. Freshman Teaghan Leverington has faced a great deal of adversity since birth. He was born prematurely and was blind and deaf at birth. As he got older, his sight progressed until he was able to see, and after a procedure that put tubes in his ears around five years old, he finally got to experience hearing for the first time. He instantly fell in love with Johnny Cash’s music. “I love Johnny Cash’s rhythm and how it gives a one-two beat,” Teaghan said. As he got older, his love for music persisted, and he was gifted his first guitar at the age of 11. Teaghan practiced day and night and taught himself to play guitar by ear until he was comfortable sharing his gift with others. This story comes to us from: KNOP.
Grammy Awards 2023: Nominees include Blind Boys of Alabama
Blind Boys of Alabama, a veteran gospel troupe led by Birmingham’s Jimmy Carter, was nominated in the category of Best Americana Performance. This story comes to us from: AL.com.
Sports and Athletes
'I am who I am': how a blind Kurdish refugee became an Australian sporting superstar
Nothing has ever come easily for Amir Abdi. At every turn there have been obstacles standing in his way. Growing up in rural Iran, Abdi was blinded by a botched medical operation. He overcame stigma and discrimination – as a consequence of both his disability and Kurdish heritage – to become one of Iran’s best blind athletes. But when Abdi was forced to leave his homeland for safe haven in Australia, the hardships only continued: immigration detention, temporary visas, rejected applications. This story comes to us from: The Guardian.
Eyesight gone, vision intact: Blind soccer player on track to achieve lifetime dream
Ricky” Castanada is proof that a loss of eyesight doesn’t have to mean a loss of vision. Castanada’s dream of playing soccer in the Olympics came closer to becoming a reality recently when the 21-year-old Castleberry High School graduate was named to the first USA Blind Soccer Men’s National Team that will begin international competition in 2023. It is the first step on the Fort Worth athlete’s journey to competing at the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games. The team was announced after a four-day selection camp held Oct. 27-30 in Chula Vista, California. The roster features eight athletes with visual impairments along with two sighted goalkeepers. This story comes to us from: Fort Worth Business Press.
Two women footballers from Chennai make it to the India team for the first-ever Blind Football Asia/ Oceania Championship in Kochi
In a first, India is hosting the International Blind Sports Association (IBSA) Blind Football Asia/Oceania Championship in Kochi from November 11 to 18. The men’s tournament features Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Iran, China, India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Australia. This story comes to us from: The Hindu.
Canadian blind hockey hosts western regional tournament in Calgary
More than 40 visually impaired hockey players from across Canada, the United States, and as far as England dropped the puck in Calgary this weekend for the 2022 Regional Blind Hockey Tournament.
The event hosted this weekend at WinSport Canada Olympic Park features 13 members of the champion 2022 Canadian national blind hockey team along with 17 players from Alberta.
Players were drafted into three teams named in honour of Alberta Blind Hockey programs: the SeeHawks, Bullseye, and Seeing Ice Dogs who all compete in a round-robin competition. This story comes to us from: CTV News Calgary.
Rancho Santa Fe woman overcomes impaired vision playing golf
Linda Port savors the role she played in helping her team last month win an international golf tournament at the vaunted TPC Sawgrass course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The 74-year-old Rancho Santa Fe woman hit big shots and putts contributing to the victory despite being unable able to see her club and ball nor the hole directly in front of her. This story comes to us from: Rancho Santa Fe Review.
Albany's Southern Salties helping 90yo legally blind June Humphries continue a 45-year ritual
At 90 years old, June Humphries has spent nearly half a century starting her day with a morning dip at Middleton Beach in Albany, and has no plans to stop. With her togs, towel poncho and swimming cap, she is on the Western Australian beach ready to swim at 6:30am every day except Sunday, whether there be rain, hail or shine. "I will not miss a day. I just don't feel the same if I don't do it," Mrs Humphries said. "It really makes you feel good. The rest of the day comes into focus." Two women hold June's hands as they guide her towards the shore.
June Humphries is legally blind and relies on those in her local swim group to guide her into the water. This story comes to us from: ABC.
[Fastest blind man' on planet to help others experience motor racing][
Mike 'Super Human' Newman has nine world records. Fifty Isle of Man residents who have visual impairments, or other disabilities, are being given the chance to experience the thrill of motor racing. It’s thanks to a nine-time world record holder billed the ‘fastest blind man on the planet’. Mike ‘Super Human’ Newman – who was born completely blind – decided to pursue his lifelong ambition of becoming a racing driver and holds land speed records of up to 200mph. This story comes to us from: Manx Radio.
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