The Holy Grail of Braille

"Holy Braille" is a term coined by the University of Michigan’s School of Information for a project directed by Sile O’Modhrain, Associate Professor, to create a tablet of braille cells that will more closely emulate a page of embossed braille on paper. Part of the effort of this team is to transform the mechanism that … Continued

Two New Glaucoma Medications to Enter Market in Early 2018

Editor’s note: January is National Glaucoma Awareness Month, and VisionAware is bringing you critical information about management of this serious eye condition. Glaucoma is a diverse group of eye diseases that leads to a characteristic form of damage to the optic nerve. Elevated eye pressure is the primary known risk factor for glaucoma nerve damage … Continued

New Year’s Resolution for Assistive Technology

If like many individuals experiencing vision loss, you are finding it difficult to read the text on the computer screen, tablet, or smartphone, you may be completely unaware of what options are available on your existing devices to make them easier to see, or in some cases, read the screen to you. Chances are, if … Continued

National Teleconference Addresses How Medicare Might Provide Coverage for Low Vision Devices

  As reported by Maureen Duffy in a recent VisionAware blog post, the American Foundation for the Blind hosted a national teleseminar on October 4 to discuss this critical topic. Approximately 200 people across the nation participated to hear what the panelists (listed below) had to say and to make their own comments about the … Continued

Protect Amtrak: An Important Part of Our Transportation Infrastructure

Editor’s Note: In our Independence Day post, we discussed the 21st Century Agenda on Aging and Vision Loss and the first goal of increasing funding for services to maximize independence for older persons with vision loss. In today’s post, we cover one of the initiatives of goal three of the Agenda, the need for good … Continued

H.R.2050: The Medicare Demonstration of Coverage of Low Vision Devices Act of 2017 Needs Your Advocacy and Support

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Public Policy Center has announced the reintroduction of federal legislation that seeks to establish a nationwide Medicare demonstration project to evaluate the fiscal impact of a permanent change in Medicare coverage that would, for the first time, provide reimbursement for low vision devices. The AFB Public Policy Center, … Continued

During Vision Rehabilitation Therapy Awareness Week: Considering the Increasing Role of Technology

By Steve Kelley, CVRT, CRC Celebrating Vision Rehabilitation Therapy Awareness Week The week of April 9-15, 2017 is Vision Rehabilitation Therapist Awareness Week. The week commemorates the birthday of Anne Sullivan, who was Helen Keller’s teacher (both pictured at left). With this celebration comes the question of “How has the role of a Vision Rehabilitation … Continued

Understanding Our Shifting Health Insurance Landscape – and What It Means for People with Vision Loss

Guest blogger Rebecca Sheffield, Ph.D., is the Senior Policy Researcher with the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. The AFB Public Policy Center collaborates with policy makers in Congress and the Executive Branch to ensure that Americans with vision loss have equal rights and opportunities to fully participate in … Continued

American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Conference Recap: Some Critical Issues for Older Persons with Vision Loss

Guest blogger Kay McGill (pictured at left recording a Public Service Announcement) is the manager of Project Independence: Georgia Vision Program for Adults Age 55 and Over. The Georgia Vision Program is administered by the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency and provides the following services to people who are at least 55 years old and have … Continued