More Talking Books, please! Reading and Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (VRT) Awareness Week got me thinking about Anne Sullivan, born 154 years ago, on April 14, 1866. As one of the pioneer VRTs, what might she do if she could not meet with her clients face-to-face? She might tell them about the National Library Service (NLS) … Continued
Excerpt from the Novel The Help I put the manuscript down on the table with a thump… I brought it over to show to Aibileen and Minny one last time before I mail it… “Now we just…wait and see,” I say. “What if they find out?” Aibileen says quietly. “What if folks find out it … Continued
How Myopic Degeneration Affected My Vision Twenty-five years ago, a doctor diagnosed the little spot in the center of my vision as a retinal bleed from macular degeneration. The spot could hide a stop light when looking down the road. I was 34 years old at the time, and this has since been re-diagnosed as … Continued
Caption: Peer Advisor Empish Thomas Reading Braille Bathroom Sign There has been considerable discussion in recent years about the relevance of braille in the digital age, in an age when computers will talk and audio files are everywhere—podcasts, books, broadcasts, etc. As the VisionAware (VA) Peer Advisors began preparing articles to celebrate Louis Braille’s 210th … Continued
Caption: Writing Braille with a Slate and Stylus Trina Bassak Trina is a physical therapist. She described the results of a 3-way call between herself, Jeannie Johnson, and myself on the use of slate and stylus. “It came up because of my dismay in braille labeling and lack of options,” Trina said. “I really was … Continued
Caption: Older Man Reading with Magnifier In Part 1 of this discussion, several blind people of different ages and backgrounds described various ways they use braille, showing why it is essential to their daily lives. In Part 2, several sighted people describe various ways they use print in their daily lives, showing reasons they could … Continued
Scientific Support for Braille and Print Caption: Man Reading Braille We started this discussion with an overview post on No Limits–Braille and Print Relevancy. Then in Part 1 of this series, we provided perspectives of braille users concerning the relevancy of braille. Part 2 offered insights from individuals who are sighted about the importance of … Continued
Louis Braille’s birthday was January 4th, and the month of January each year is Braille Awareness Month. There have been the usual discussions and articles about the relevancy of braille in the digital age. After all, what need is there for braille, when computers and other gadgets talk to us? Would those of us who … Continued
Editor’s note: With the observance of Martin Luther King Day on January 21, this post by Empish Thomas is particularly relevant. It is part of VisionAware’s ongoing book review series. Caption: Book Cover of March Book One I don’t typically read graphic novels. As a matter of fact, the book that I am reviewing is … Continued
The VisionAware peer advisors are celebrating Louis Braille’s birthday on January 4 with a compiliation of everyday places where you will be able to find and use braille. In case you don’t know, Louis Braille was the creator of the braille code, which revolutionized reading and writing for blind people throughout the world. I compiled … Continued