New research from Indiana University is investigating how “optic flow,” or setting objects and scenes in motion, can help people who have low vision to interpret and comprehend the blurred images they typically encounter in everyday life. According to the researchers, the concept of optic flow “has important implications for understanding the daily functioning of … Continued
Gil Johnson is a talented woodworker and the author of Gil’s Guide to Woodworking, Gil’s Guide to Home Repairs and Parenting or Grandparenting with Vision Loss on the VisionAware website. Earlier this year, Gil kept a diary during his time at The Seeing Eye, Inc., in Morristown, New Jersey, where he learned to work with … Continued
Anthony: OASIS Got Me Over the Hump Anthony is 78 and has Retinitis Pigmentosa. Although he has been visually impaired all of his life, it was not until he lost his dog guide in April, 2012 that he realized that he needed vision rehabilitation services to build his confidence and independence. He found out about … Continued
Last month, I took a break from my duties at VisionAware.org to visit Central Europe, teach in the post-graduate Low Vision Therapy program at the Akademia Pedagogiki Specjalnej im. Marii Grzegorzewskiej (the Maria Grzegorzewska Academy of Special Education) in Warsaw, and attend a Board of Directors meeting for the Kielce-based VEGA Foundation, directed by my … Continued
Prevention of Falls National Fall Prevention Day is coming. Prevention of falls is of critical concern to people with vision loss. Also, many older adults fear falls because of the risk of serious injury. Unfortunately, the fear can be equally debilitating when a person begins to restrict their activities, leading to social isolation, physical weakness, … Continued
As our readers know, I have great admiration for the ongoing – and important – educational commitment of The Hadley School for the Blind. 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 service providers. A New “Mini-Course” … Continued
Traveling is My Passion Traveling is my passion. There is nothing more exciting to me than stepping onto an airplane and flying off to a new and unexplored destination. I’ve had the love of travel ever since I was a very young child. At age five I traveled with my family across the United States … Continued
Guest blogger Marta Fonmudeh, M.Ed, is an Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialist and Senior Practitioner with Vision Australia. As Senior Practitioner, Marta oversees the professional development and clinical supervision of all O&M staff within Vision Australia. Marta is also a VisionAware Peer Advisor. Last week on the VisionAware blog, we examined the process of echolocation, … Continued
You can view Rowan’s video at YouTube. Rowan, an 18-month-old German Spitz dog, was born without eyes, a rare condition known as anophthalmia. His owner Samantha Orchard, a dog breeder in the United Kingdom, was “stunned” when she realized that Rowan was using echolocation to navigate his environment – by barking and then listening to … Continued
A new study, published “online first” on June 6, 2013 in JAMA Ophthalmology (formerly Archives of Ophthalmology), concludes that visually impaired individuals have a significantly greater risk of balance problems. The authors also offer suggestions to develop more effective fall prevention strategies for individuals with visual impairment or reduced visual acuity. JAMA Ophthalmology is an … Continued