Audrey Demmitt, RN, BSN, is a nurse diabetic educator, VisionAware Peer Advisor, AFB Career Connect mentor, and author of the VisionAware multi-part blog series on diabetes and diabetes education. At age 25, Audrey was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa and continued to work as a nurse for 30 years with her visual impairment. She has worked … Continued
This month, The Hadley School for the Blind is launching the innovative and highly anticipated Low Vision Focus @ Hadley program for older adults who have low vision. The mission of Hadley is to promote independent living through lifelong distance education programs for people who are blind or visually impaired, their families, and blindness and … Continued
Audrey Demmitt, RN, BSN, is a nurse diabetic educator, VisionAware Peer Advisor, AFB Career Connect mentor, and author of the VisionAware multi-part blog series on diabetes and diabetes education. At age 25, Audrey was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa and continued to work as a nurse for 30 years with her visual impairment. She has worked … Continued
New research findings from the University of Colorado indicate that blindness simulations – intended to be bridge-builders resulting in greater compassion and understanding – can sometimes harm rather than help. According to the authors, simulation activities, and blindness simulations in particular, “highlight the initial challenges of becoming disabled” and thus “decrease the perceived adaptability of … Continued
During Vision Research Month, it gives me great pleasure to highlight the work of the Vision Institute of Paris and its subsidiary StreetLab. Both organizations are committed to ongoing vision research, with StreetLab featuring complementary and innovative outreach methods to enhance accessibility, inclusion, public awareness, and education. The Vision Institute of Paris (L’Institut de la … Continued
My First Interaction with Autism My first real job after graduating from college was teaching braille and remedial education to adults with visual impairments. One of my first students was an 18 year old girl who had had significant vision loss since birth. This sensory impairment seemed of little consequence compared with the other unusual … Continued
During Braille Literacy Awareness Month, VisionAware is celebrating the life and work of Louis Braille (January 4, 1809 – January 6, 1852), the creator of the braille code, which revolutionized reading and writing for blind people throughout the world. Our month-long Louis Braille celebration has featured the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) online Louis … Continued
The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is currently accepting nominations for 2014. The nominating deadline is Friday, March 28, 2014. About the Hall of Fame The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field honors, at present, 52 individuals who were pioneers in the blindness field … Continued
Going Blind: Coming out of the Dark about Vision Loss is a documentary film in which producer/director Joseph Lovett documents his own experience of gradual vision loss from glaucoma and his sometimes-difficult journey through the “secret world,” as he calls it, of vision rehabilitation. Going Blind also tells the personal stories of everyday people who … Continued
As our readers know, I admire and support the ongoing – and critically important – work of the Mississippi State University (MSU) National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision (NRTC). The mission of the NRTC is to enhance employment and independent living outcomes for individuals who are blind or visually impaired through … Continued