By Jeannie Johnson When the bulk of the holiday meal preparation is your job, if you’re like me, you have one standard oven and 4 stovetop burners. Because we’re efficient, we can prepare some things ahead of time, but in order for everything to be hot and fresh all at once, sometimes those cooking options just … 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
Photo by Maribel Steel Editor’s note: In celebration of National Dog Day August 26th, peer advisor Maribel Steel shares her experience of being paired up to a new guide dog in Australia. Decision Time For almost a decade, I’ve been using a white cane as my mobility aid. After my first guide dog went to … Continued
When the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed 29 years ago, the internet as we know it today and smartphone apps were not in existence. Fast forward to today and doing a Google search and downloading an app are as normal as drinking a cup of hot coffee in the morning. The majority of us, … Continued
When you lose vision, at first it might feel like you are unable to participate fruitfully in a faith community. Whether you’re new or a long-term member, some aspects of congregation life that you’ve always taken for granted can suddenly feel uncomfortable as a worshipper with blindness or visual impairment. Who’s saying hello? What are … Continued
Editor’s Note: James Boehm, VisionAware Peer Advisor, recently participated in a special mission to give blind residents of Kenya and Africa independence, mobility training and a new hope. He wanted to share through VisionAware his personal experience with the White Cane Initiative’s Team’s work. Other team members included Paul Mugambi, Hilda Mulandi, Laureen Agola, Karen … Continued
Editor’s note: For Older American’s Month, Sandra Burgess shares her experiences with her mother’s onset of dementia. Losing Memory Slowly My mom began to lose her memory very slowly. So slowly, in fact, that it was not terribly noticeable nor was it enough of an issue to cause her or her family any concern. My … 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