WBH Weekly Blind News Digest – Edition 48

What's Inside

New Florida program to teach blind to garden and cook
New fashion program to teach blind sewing and business
Blind man in Scotland fined for drunkenly riding his bicycle into a car
Inaccessible self check out devices problematic for blind and otherwise disabled shoppers
Barnes and Noble sued over inaccessible web site
Blind archers show off their skills
And, about 40 more articles about blindness and blind people from all around the globe

Editorial By Chris Hofstader

This was Thanksgiving week in the US and news about blindness everywhere in the world seems to have slowed down. We have 47 articles in this edition plus tomorrow's science digest, quite a bit fewer than usual.

The story that showed up most often was that of the drunken blind person being fined for riding his bicycle into the side of a car in Scotland. I'm assuming this person is low vision but it's the first time I've ever heard of someone being fined for drunk cycling. The story tells us he was weaving through traffic and causing some real chaos.

My favorite story this week was that of the Justice Department coming to a settlement with University of California Berkeley over making its online content accessible. Our friend Lucy Greco, who works at Berkeley, has been working on this effort for quite a number of years and I'm happy to see that it's all moving forward.

This is edition 48 of the news digest. It's already changed its name to WBH Weekly Blind News Digest and on January 4 will be published on the World Blind Herald site instead of here. You can now go to the WBH site and read our "coming soon" as well as sign up to be a writer for us, WBH is unique in that it pays its authors and covers a far more diverse set of subjects than any other blindness publication that we could find in the history of blindness.

How It's Organized

WBH Weekly 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.

Technology

Rokid and Eyedaptic Launch EYE5 to Help AMD Patients Enhance Their Vision

Recently, Rokid, an augmented reality glasses manufacturer, partnered with Eyedaptic to unveil the all-new EYE5 smart glasses at the American Academy of Optometry 2022 Annual Meeting and Expo. The latest model brings wearability to a whole new level and covers the widest range of use cases for central vision loss including Diabetic Retinopathy and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD. This story comes to us from: Yahoo Finance.

Nigerian start-up uses tech to help the visually impaired

A Nigerian start-up called Vinsighte is using technology to assist the visually impaired, with several products including “smart” reading glasses that convert text to audio.
About 15.3 percent of the world’s blind population resides in Africa, according to the World Health Organization, where they often lack the resources and support needed to succeed in school and everyday life. This story comes to us from: Al Arabiya.

How the Legally Blind Can Achieve Enhanced Vision

Editor: This story is mostly told in a video.

Roland Mattern, Director of Product Marketing at eSight Eyewear, shares how eSight’s technologies are being used to bring sight back to people living with central vision loss. He also discusses key learnings from his 30-year career in the pharma and medical device sectors, his predictions and hopes for the future of ‘smart eyewear,’ and more. This story comes to us from: YouTube.

Blindness Organizations

World Services for the Blind Awarded $750K for Group Home

World Services for the Blind in Little Rock announced that it has received $750,000 in state Rainy Day Funds to support the final phase of its new group home for blind people. This story came to us from: Arkansas Business.

Royal National Institute of Blind People's 'Nice List' Celebrates Brand's Accessible Christmas Ads

Leading sight loss charity the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is donning its Father Christmas hat to celebrate brands who have made the nice list for creating Christmas adverts with accessibility in mind. Brands including Amazon, Sainsbury’s, John Lewis, Waitrose, Tesco, Marks & Spencer clothing advert, Virgin Media, Aldi, Morrison’s, Haleon and TK Maxx have all added audio description (AD) to their Christmas offerings. This story comes to us from: LBBOnline.

Cabell-Wayne Association of the Blind holds annual holiday fudge fundraiser

Zach Davis with the Cabell-Wayne Association of the Blind stopped by First Look at Four to talk about their annual holiday fudge fundraiser. This story comes to us from: WSAZ.

Xavier Society for the Blind's free materials enable greater participation at Mass

Back in 1900, a young, blind woman named Margaret Coffee taught blind children in New York City. She taught what Catholics would consider “CCD. This story comes to us from: The Catholic Spirit.

Education

Department of Special Education offering new master's program in low vision and blindness

The Department of Special Education at Illinois State is excited to offer a master of science in education in low vision and blindness. This story comes to us from: Illinois State University News.

Central Florida program teaches children living with blindness how to garden and cook

Central Florida children living with blindness and visual impairment got the chance to experience a multisensory food exploration journey at the Edible Education Experience. Students from Lighthouse Central Florida’s Children’s Program recently participated in the Edible Education Experience, where they learned about growing and harvesting things like cotton, beans, pumpkin and squash. This story comes to us from: WFTV.

Employment

Only one in four blind or partially-sighted people in paid employment

There are 57,400 people with sight loss living in Northern Ireland, according to figures from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), yet the number of blind or partially-sighted people in employment here has not increased in a generation. Breaking that down to more simplified figures, it means that one in four is employed compared to one in three 15 years ago. The RNIB wants to reverse that trend. It has a slogan: 'See the person, not the sight loss'. This story comes to us from: ITV.

Legal profession was only way to make difference, says first blind senior advocate

“I knew I wanted to be a lawyer since I was nine,” says 68-year old senior advocate Santosh Kumar Rungta, who has been visually impaired since childhood. “It was in the third standard that I decided that if I ever want to make some difference in the life of the blind the only profession to achieve this is the legal profession. I studied with this single focus in mind. This story comes to us from: The Indian Express.

KC fashion company teaches marginalized women sewing and business

A fashion business in downtown Kansas City is giving future fashion … A new partnership with Alphapointe, a nonprofit supporting the blind. This story comes to us from: FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV.

South Sudan: Displaced woman sets up small coffee stall with IOM assistance

The blind woman is one of 1.7 million displaced persons from the world's youngest nation, according to IOM. This story comes to us from: InfoMigrants.

Blind man who produces liquid soap, insecticide, inspires people in emotional video, shares life story

Editor: Thus far, in 2022, we've run more than 3000 stories in this and our science digest. We try to not repeat stories about the same people but, given the volume, I thought this one sounded familiar but included it as it also sounded new to me as well.

According to John, he has tried all possible means to see again, but all his efforts proved futile. This story comes to us from: Legit.ng.

Vantage Commercial reps Bestwork Industries for the Blind with relocation of warehouse

As the leading employer for people who are blind or visually impaired in New Jersey, Bestwork offers a variety of work opportunities. This story comes to us from: ROI-NJ.

Transportation

Blind man fined for colliding with car while drunk on bicycle

The defendant's solicitor said: 'He is clinically blind and a blind man on a thoroughfare could do some serious damage. This story comes to us from: Irish Examiner.

A new partnership at Sky Harbor Airport helps blind travelers

A new service at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is designed to assist travelers with vision loss. Jen Wahl has the details. This story comes to us from: 12News.com.

Discrimination and Inaccessibility

Three Uber Drivers Cancel on Rider Because of Their Service Dog

Many people with disabilities utilize service animals in order to help them navigate everyday life. While many are familiar with guide dogs for blind people (so-called ‘seeing eye dogs’), numerous other disabilities can be assisted with the help of a trained service animal. According to Service Dog Certifications, multiple sclerosis, sensory disabilities, ALS, cerebral palsy, various mental disabilities and more are all valid reasons for one to require a service animal. “Service dogs can benefit their owner by providing a physical service or task. Service dogs can assist with a variety of tasks that include opening doors, carrying items, navigating their owner, providing balance, alerting their owners, locating objects, and more,” the site explains. While the American with Disabilities Act has validated this practice and laid out a strict set of rules defining what does and does not count as a service animal, as well as how service animals should be regarded by businesses, those utilizing service animals can still face discrimination. One area where this is very apparent is rideshare. While both Uber and Lyft note that drivers are required by law to accept customers with service animals, in practice, this is not always the case. Many users have gone viral after sharing their stories of rideshare drivers canceling their rides upon learning about their service animal. Now, another TikTok user has sparked discussion after sharing their story of rideshare discrimination. This story comes to us from: The Daily Dot.

Disabled Shoppers Struggle With Inaccessible Self-Checkouts

Blind people, wheelchair users and others say the design of typical self-service machines prevents them from shopping independently. This story comes to us from: Wall Street Journal.

Crime

Community helps blind Evansville veteran one day after losing belongings in robbery

The Evansville Police Department told 14 News on Tuesday that a veteran by the name of Ron Williams was robbed, and most of his belongings were cleared from his home. On Wednesday, Williams now has truckloads of new belongings, and our crews were there to see him receive them. A lot can change in 24 hours. For Williams, he went from being robbed, to having everything and more replaced for him, all thanks to the kindness and generosity of the Tri-State community. “I’m a veteran, I’m a blind veteran,” Williams said. “This is what I look through to survive." Williams says he ran an errand and when he got back, everything he owned was gone. This story comes to us from: 14 News.

Prosecutors want to use 1990s evidence against man in elder exploitation case

Attorneys for an Ogden couple charged with defrauding an elderly blind woman of more than $500,000 have objected to the use of evidence from a previous case that prosecutors say is similar to the current proceeding. Charles Timothy Critchlow and his wife, Erin Chambers Critchlow, both 63, are charged with exploitation of a vulnerable adult and two counts of unlawful dealing of property by a fiduciary, second-degree felonies; and third-degree felony obstruction of justice. Ogden police and Weber County prosecutors allege the couple befriended the 93-year-old Ogden woman to obtain funds for a land deal, a late-model pickup truck and a cabin. This story comes to us from: Standard-Examiner.

Vandals damage Christmas trees sold by charity for blind, visually impaired

Police are searching for vandals who damaged at least 10 Christmas trees sold by a charity for the blind and visually impaired. This story comes to us from: Fox 19.

Legal

Justice Department Secures Agreement with University of California, Berkeley to Make Online Content Accessible to People with Disabilities

The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a proposed consent decree in federal court to resolve allegations that the Regents of the University of California on behalf of the University of California, Berkeley (collectively, UC Berkeley) violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because much of UC Berkeley’s free online content is inaccessible to individuals with hearing, vision, and manual disabilities. The proposed consent decree was filed together with a complaint setting forth the allegations of discrimination. “By entering into this consent decree, UC Berkeley will make its content accessible to the many people with disabilities who want to participate in and access the same online educational opportunities provided to people without disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. This story comes to us from: Department of Justice.

Blind Indian-American prof sued for gender discrimination

There’s an intriguing story in the New York Post about a Columbia University alum alleging that her professor, who happens to be an Indian-American, assigning her demeaning “female” jobs like applying her makeup and booking restaurants. Citing a Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit and a published report, the NYP story says Elizabeth Blackwell, having earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2017, began working as a “research associate” for Sheena Iyengar, a Columbia Business School professor, after a five month interview process. Soon after, Iyengar, 52, “insisted” Blackwell perform “personal and supportive administrative and secretarial tasks,” including, Blackwell says in her complaints and in an interview, “applying Iyengar’s makeup and booking restaurants for her romantic dates. This story comes to us from: Times of India.

Barnes & Noble class action claims website not accessible to blind, visually impaired users

Plaintiff Daniel Rodriguez, a legally blind man, claims Barnes & Noble violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by allegedly not making its web sites fully accessible to blind people using screen reading software. This story comes to us from: Top Class Actions.

L’Oreal Settles Lawsuit Over Website Accessibility To Blind And Visually Impaired

Revlon settled similar litigation previously, while Bumble & Bumble was hit with a putative class action on 10 November in New York federal court alleging the blind and visually impaired are being denied equal access to its website due to design shortcomings. This story comes to us from: HBW Insight.

Business

Global Glaucoma Market Size & Share Value Expected to Reach USD 9.77 Billion By 2030

Though there is no cure for glaucoma, in several conditions, blindness can often be prevented with early treatment such as eye drops, laser treatments and other interventions. This story comes to us from: Yahoo Finance.

[Tactile Printing Market Growth 2031 | Braille Plus, Braille Works, NBP – Skegness Siren][

We released a new market study on Global Tactile Printing Market with 100+ market data Tables, Pie Chart, Graphs & Figures. This story comes to us from: Skegness Siren.

SAB Foundation injects R30m into local start-up medical device development company

The SAB Foundation has announced its investment of R30m in start-up Liqid Medical, a medical device development company pioneering a new class of sight-saving ocular implants. This story comes to us from: Bizcommunity.

Lifestyle

Inspiring blind activist shows Oldham Sixth Form students way to peace

Norwegian peace activist Tore Naerland spoke to an assembled audience of eager students at the Oldham Sixth Form College. This story comes to us from: The Oldham Times.

WWE Hall Of Famer Hulk Hogan surprises Deaf-Blind couple

A couple who went to buy some merchandise at Hogan's Beach Shop in Clearwater, Florida today got a little more than they expected. As seen in the video below, the couple in the video are both deaf and blind. As they were purchasing some items at the cash register, Hogan walked up and had the man touch his mustache and arms to let him know who was standing in front of him. This story comes to us from: Wrestling News.

Filipino fast food chain lauded for having menu for blind, visually impaired

Editor: I can't assume all journalists would know the vocabulary of linguistics but braille is not a language; braille is a writing system like any other alphabet. Every word written in braille is also a word in the language in which it is being written, that's the difference between a language and writing system.

Braille is a form of written language for blind people in which characters are represented by patterns of raised dots that are felt with the reader's fingers. This story comes to us from: Interaksyon.

Art and Artists

Blind Chorleywood brain tumour patient publishes book

A blind nine-year-old brain tumour patient has written a book featuring powerful lessons about positivity, kindness and hope. Betsy Griffin, from Chorleywood, was diagnosed with a low-grade optic nerve glioma at the age of two after developing nystagmus, a condition that causes involuntary eye movements. The youngster endured 18 months of chemotherapy before having a biopsy and going on targeted treatment, which she remains on today. She also requires lifelong hormone replacements. This story comes to us from: Watford Observer.

Michigan choir student who is going blind will be this year’s ‘Angel’ on America’s tallest Singing Christmas Tree

Ella Cole describes music as her happy place. When the 17-year-old sings – whether it’s in front of an audience or by herself – she says all her troubles seem to just melt away, even in her darkest moments. “I’ve been through a lot of hard times,” she said. “When I sing, it’s kind of like a shelter, I guess. Imagine yourself cold and you’re crying – and then you start singing and it’s just so magical. Like, everything goes away. You’re safe. You’re calm. It’s just perfect." Singing is a coping mechanism for Cole as she slowly loses her eyesight, she said. The teen has an untreatable condition called optic nerve atrophy, which slowly reduces her field of vision. She has already lost all sight in one eye, and she could go fully blind in both eyes any day now. Next week, Cole will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to look out at crowds of thousands of viewers as she sings at the very top of a 67-foot tree structure. Cole, a senior at Mona Shores, was picked as this year’s coveted “Angel” for the high school’s annual Singing Christmas Tree performance. This story comes to us from: MLive.com.

Rowan University's first blind vocal music student inspires his classmates with his talent

By age 3, he was playing several instruments. Now, Rowan’s first blind vocal music student is inspiring his classmates.
Rowan University sophomore Jake Lapp, an aspiring musician, showed he loved music before he could walk, listening to rap, classical and pop music. This story comes to us from: Philadelphia Inquirer.

My Turn: An unusual gallery tour opened my eyes

I am retired now, but I used to work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. I was a lecturer in the Department of Education and I conducted gallery talks and tours. I knew the museum very well and liked talking about the works I knew and admired. One day I was asked to do a favor. A visitor who was blind was waiting for a tour, but the assigned lecturer had not arrived. In her request for a guided tour, the woman had indicated that she was blind from birth, and she had never had a tour of our museum. I was hesitant, since I had never guided a tour for a blind person, but I could not resist my desire to describe and talk about my favorite works. The visitor was a lovely middle-aged woman who was thrilled to be in the museum. I explained to her that the first work I selected for her tour was far from where we were, but she said she was very excited to have the opportunity to “see” so much of the museum before we arrived at our first official stop. She grabbed my arm and said, “Let’s go. This story comes to us from: Newsday.

EST Gee Baffles Fans After Asking Them What to Do as His Eye Is Going Blind

Editor: As I write in the editorial section of our science digest every week, do not take medical advice from a web site and definitely don't survey social media to see how you should deal with a health problem. Go to real doctors.

A number of Instagram users have been left baffled because the '5500 Degrees' rapper asked them for advice instead of seeing the doctor to get medical advice. This story comes to us from: AceShowbiz.com.

Fanny Crosby: Blind Hymnwriter

In November of 1850, a 30-year-old woman who had been blind since six weeks after her birth, attended a revival. Fanny Crosby was raised by her grandmother, who encouraged the young girl to pray and memorize whole books of Scripture. Her mother worked full time to support the family financially, which enabled Crosby to attend the New York Institute for the Blind. Eventually, she became a teacher at the school, where she was known as the “Blind Poetess,” and was visited by governmental figures. When Crosby attended the revival in 1850, she was recovering from nursing others through cholera. Her devotion to Christ was deepened, and in 1864, she began to write hymns such as “Blessed Assurance” and “Safe in the Arms of Jesus” that remain beloved today. This story comes to us from: BreakPoint.org.

Sports and Athletes

'Blind bloke Nigel' commemorates history of one of most famous speed records

Nigel Limb, aka Blind Bloke Nigel, was invited down to the famous Banked Brooklands race circuit in Surrey to witness an unveiling of a 1922 Rudge v Twin motorcycle – the fastest motorbike to have travelled around the Brooklands racing circuit – on which Bert Matthews and Bob Dicker set a record on this day (November 25) 100 years ago. This story comes to us from: Lincolnshire World.

[Macomb County blind bowling league celebrates 50 years][

The Macomb Blind Bowling League has been playing together for decades, and Karla Fields has been with the league since the 1970s. This story comes to us from: ClickOnDetroit.

Blind archers proving you don't need to see the bullseye to hit it

Jasmine Vandiver told WTMJ that she lost her sight after being a victim of a crime. She's now taking inspiration from archery to move past that tragic event. "How the arrow flows, I think that's how life should be. It should always be moving forward, not being stagnant or complacent," Vandiver said. This story comes to us from: Local 12.

IBSA Goalball Committee together with the UAE in developing blind sports

The chairperson of the IBSA Goalball Sport Committee, Aurora Zanolin, visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to check the facilities and give the technical validation for the venue of the Goalball Championship in February 2023. The event will be hosted by Ajman city, in coordination with the UAE National Paralympic Committee, the Ajman Club for the Disabled, and in collaboration with Sharjah Emirate.
The Emirate Association of the Visually Impaired (Sharjah) School and the Al-Thiqa Club for the Disabled were also included in the visit. This story comes to us from: International Blind Sports Federation.

Meet the blind Australian surfer set to tackle 20 metre waves

Just off the coast of this traditional fishing town is the Nazaré Canyon, a bizarre geomorphological phenomenon that allows giant waves of up to 30 metres high to form. Running a length of about 170km and reaching a depth of 5000m, it is the largest submarine canyon in Europe. These mega waves have drawn the attention of surfers from all around the world, keen to take on the death-defying challenge. In 2022, German surfer Sebastian Steudtnet created a new world record when he conquered a 26.21m wave at Nazaré, officially the biggest wave ever surfed. Now, it’s Australian athlete Matt Formston’s turn to tackle the formidable waves in Nazaré. Over the past 12 months, a film crew has been following Formston, documenting his preparation in the lead up to the big event. With all the training Formston has done, he said he’s ready to get the job done. “I’m just more excited than anything else,” he told 7NEWS.com.au. There is one slight thing that differentiates Formston from those who came before him. He’s blind. This story comes to us from: 7NEWS.