Nomination Process for the Hall of Fame for the Blindness Field Ends March 26!

The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is accepting nominations for 2010 induction consideration through Friday, April 2.

If you are interested in learning more about the qualifications for nominees or the process for submitting a nominee to join the 44 inductees, please visit: www.aph.org/hall_fame/nominate.html. The nomination process closes Friday, April 2.

"The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is dedicated to preserving, honoring, and promoting the tradition of excellence manifested by the specific individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame and through the history of outstanding services provided to people who are blind or visually impaired."

Photo: Arnall Patz Plaque - Plaque sponsored by the Wilmer Eye Institute of Johns Hopkins

Nominate Someone for The Braille Challenge 2010 Award for Excellence in Braille Instruction

Looking for a way to honor a very special teacher of the visually impaired? From now through April 1st we are accepting nominations for The Braille Challenge 2010 Award for Excellence in Braille Instruction.

All nominees are recognized nationally and the awardee and his or her guest is invited to Los Angeles to attend The Braille Challenge Finals June 26, compliments of Braille Institute. The Teacher of the Year also recieves a cash award and a Freedom Scientific PacMate worth nearly $4,000.

Click this link to go to http://www.braillechallenge.org and click on the Teacher of the Year link on the menu to your left. The website outlines the criteria for submission and includes a PDF of the nomination form. Past awardees include Anna Swenson of Virginia, Graham Cook of British Columbia, Sandy Serventi from Florida, Jim Nezol from Oregon and Carolyn Mason from Texas.

"Receiving the Teacher of the Year award was a high point in my long teacher career." --Anna Swenson.

Don't wait---the deadline for submission is April 1st!!

Nancy Niebrugge
Asst. VP of Programs and Services
Braille Institute
741 N. Vermont Avenue
LA, CA 90029
Phone: 323-663-1111, ext. 3113

Learning To Use APH Technology: Book Port Plus and Braille + = Success

The American Printing House for the Blind is pleased to present a National Instructional Partnerships event featuring Technology Project Leader Larry Skutchan, developer of the APH Braille+ suite of products and the all new Book Port Plus, and APH programmers Ken Perry and Mike Borsuk. Held in partnership with the Braille Institute of America, Ex Officio Trustee Nancy Niebrugge and Jay Comstock, Director of the Institute’s San Diego Regional Sight Center, the event will take place March 22 - 23, in San Diego.

This hands-on event will feature two half day workshops, one focused on the Braille+ suite of products, and one on the new Book Port Plus. Each workshop will be offered on Monday and repeated again on Tuesday. Participants may sign up for the whole day, or attend only the morning or afternoon session. Please bring your Braille+ and/or Book Port Plus with you if you have one.

We encourage teachers, students, adult consumers and others interested in this new technology to attend.

Registration information is available from Janie Blome, 800-223-19-839, ext. 367, or email jblome@aph.org.If you have questions or would like further information, please contact Janie Blome or Larry Skutchan, 800-223-1839, ext. 314 or email lskutchan@aph.org.

Tentative Agenda

Monday, March 22

• 8:00 – 2:00 Registration
  
• 8:30 – 10:30 Learning To Use the Braille + Suite of Products
  
  • Introduction and Orientation
    
  • Setup
    
  • Email
    
  • Taking Notes
    
  • Word Processor Basics
• 10:30 - 10:45 BREAK
  
• 10:45 - 12:15 Learning To Use the Braille + Suite of Products
  
  • Calculator
    
  • Reading
    
  • Other Classroom Activities
    
  • Email
• 12:15 – 1:15 Lunch on your own
  
• 1:15 – 3:00 The New APH Book Port Plus
  
  • Introduction
    
  • Types of Playback
    
  • Authorizing Your Player
• 3:00 – 3:15 BREAK
  
• 3:15 – 5:00 The New APH Book Port Plus
  
  • Recording
    
  • Editing Recordings
    
  • Bookmarks

Tuesday, March 23

• 8:00 – 2:00 Registration
  
• 8:30 – 10:30 The New APH Book Port Plus
  
  • Introduction
    
  • Types of Playback
    
  • Authorizing Your Player
• 10:30 - 10:45 BREAK
  
• 10:45 - 12:15 The New APH Book Port Plus
  
  • Recording
    
  • Editing Recordings
    
  • Bookmarks
• 12:15 – 1:15 Lunch on Your Own
  
• 1:15 – 3:00 Learning To Use the Braille + Suite of Products
  
  • Introduction and Orientation
    
  • Setup
    
  • Email
    
  • Taking Notes
    
  • Word Processor Basics
• 3:00 – 3:15 BREAK
  
• 3:15 – 5:00 Learning To Use the Braille + Suite of Products
  
  • Calculator
    
  • Reading
    
  • Other Classroom Activities
    
  • Email

Registration is also available on line at http://www.aph.org/advisory/workshops/tech32010.html.

LODGING

CSUN Conference Hotel
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego – conference rate $189

Hotels Near the Braille Institute San Diego Regional Sight Center

• San Diego Marriott La Jolla, 0.4 miles, rates $199-$219
  
• Embassy Suites San Diego-La Jolla, 0.7 miles, rates $179 -$219
  
• Hyatt Regency La Jolla, 1 mile, rates $199-$299
  
• Sheraton La Jolla, 1.3 miles, rates $179-$249
  
• Courtyard by Marriott Sorrento Valley/La Jolla, 1.4 miles, rates $159- $209
  
• Residence Inn San Diego/La Jolla, 1.6 miles, rates $169-$199
  
• Holiday Inn Express Sorrento Valley, 1.7 miles, rates $144-$162
  
• Country Inn and Suites San Diego/La Jolla, 1.8 miles, rates $169-$199
  
• Woodfin Hotel San Diego, 1.9 miles, rates $129-$239
  
• Staybridge Suites San Diego-Sorrento Mesa, 2.9 miles, rates $136-$210
  
• Homewood Suites Del Mar, 3.0 miles, rates $139-$249
  
• Hilton Garden Inn San Diego Del Mar, 3.1 miles, rates $149-$169
  
• Best Western Golden Triangle Inn, 3.5 miles, rates $189-$210

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation from the Manchester Grand Hyatt to the Braille Institute may be available. If you would like transportation to the workshop from the CSUN hotel, please contact Janie Blome, jblome@aph.org, or call 800-223-1839, ext. 367.

LOCATION

Braille Institute of America, San Diego Regional Sight Center
4555 Executive Drive
San Diego, CA 92121
Phone: 858-452-1111

How to Tip a Bartender Properly

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Tipping -- not only appropriately, but well -- is a good thing to know how to do. Many people (including dates, bosses, and coworkers) view how a person tips as a reliable criterion of character. Knowing when and how to do it will ensure good service, show others that you're "socially groomed" (neither a cheapskate nor a showoff), and may cause people to like you more. In general: it's better to tip generously than badly, but there are critical limits on both ends of the spectrum.

Steps

1. Being patient for the first round is the key to an enjoyable evening, whether the bar is visibly "busy" when you walk in or not. Other things outside your purview -- shift changes, for instance -- may result in slow service of your first drink. A little patience goes a long way in these crucial first moments.
2. Always be ready to pay when you order. Have your money out, or close at hand. Don't wait until the drinks are made and your server has "totaled out" your round before you take your wallet out. Fishing for money not only wastes your server's time, but annoys others waiting for their drink orders to be taken. (Supposedly, you're there to socialize with them; and if you make them wait, you alienate yourself from them.)
3. Tip $1 per drink as a baseline, lacking anything better to go on, even if the only visible drink preparation involved is opening a bottle of beer. This will vary, depending on the kind of bar you're in. This is why crowd assessment matters. A tip of $1 per drink is often an "acceptable" tip. On complicated orders, a bit more is always deeply appreciated. Typically $1 is an acceptable tip for a beer (draft or bottle), but tip $2 for mixed drinks. More if its a complicated mixed drink.
4. Overt and consistent over tipping will make the bartender remember you. Pay cash and tip at least $10.00 your first round. Then you can give the bartender your credit card and start a tab. This way the bartender remembers you. If you see someone else doing this, chances are they work in the hospitality business, it is a very common practice and one that will not leave you standing in a 30 minute order line. A bartender will not remember any tip under $5.00 unless you are a regular. Remember that at a nightclub you are paying the bartender with your tip to save you time, at a bar you are paying the bartender with your tip to not worry about his liquor costs.
5. If you are ever comped any food or drink, your tip should equal the amount of the price of the drink or food. This is a quick way for the bartender to learn who will be a good tipper. Remember that 10% of patrons account for 75% of a bartenders tip, you will save yourself tons of money by being a good tipper and in that top 10%.
6. When at an "open" bar, always tip as much as you would if you were purchasing a well drink. The open bar saves you money by allowing you to keep the money you would normally spend on tips and to drink call liquor at a well price. (Remember that the $14.00 single well drink in South Beach or Cape Cod is the $4.50 single well in Boise, Idaho. So adjust your tipping according to region.)
7. Tipping for the whole night at the beginning of the night is very common, this is especially seen among people who work in the hospitality industry and go to the same bars a lot. Be sure however that your bartender is not going to be cut and replaced before you are ready to go, also make sure that the people with you are planning on staying somewhere as long as you are. The typical beginning of the night tip is $100.00 folded in your hand and given to the bartender as you are shaking hands. The person who gives this $100 is off the hook for tipping the rest of the night and as long as they are paying for drinks this tip will cover up to 3 additional people. Any drinks bought by the additional 3 people are expected to be tipped.
8. Budget the cost of your tips into the cost of your drinks and distribute them more-or-less evenly over the course of your night out. Tipping a bit high early on in the evening is fine, and may expedite service later, but don't "tip out" completely on your first few rounds, unless you want to get thrown out, later.
9. There is never a good excuse for not tipping a server. Rude service may deserve a lower tip, but service needs to be considerably bad. If the service is truly horrible then pay your tab, leave a tip, and find another bar.
10. Servers (including bartenders) usually have to give a percentage of their nightly earnings to bussers, food runners, barbacks, dishwashers, and/or doormen/bouncers (some in fact actually have to pay a bar owner for the privilege of working at a bar.) If you leave no tip for a server because you disliked your drink, you're not punishing the owner; you're punishing the server. Not only are you stiffing the server because you didn't like your drink, but he still has to pay out the above mentioned staff whether he gets tipped or not. The "tip out" comes from his sales figure, not his actual tip pool.
11. You will save yourself money in the long run by tipping well. A bartender might give you a drink he poured incorrectly, he might "forget" to write down a few or possibly most of the drinks on your tab, you might even get comped free food or VIP.
12. Local customs are very different however most bartenders work for $2.15 an hour and survive on their tips. Nationally hotel bars are very relaxed and do not worry much about liquor costs as they are seen as a hotel amenity. The exception to this would be hotel bars in resort cities or casinos where the bartenders are often paid $15.00 and up an hour and are many times in the local union. Large nightclubs are often staffed by bartenders who pay for the privilege of working there. These bars are usually very concerned about liquor costs, bottle exchanging (pouring poor quality liquor in high quality bottles) and bootlegging (purchasing a bottle at a regular liquor store and pouring it in a bottle labeled for sale at a per drink establishment) are also very common. A recent trend that patrons should be aware of is label swapping sparkling wines especially in by the bottle and VIP lounges. This is accomplished by unscrupulous employees having labels printed of expensive Champagne that they affix to cheap bottles of sparkling wine. The employee will ring up the cost of the cheap champagne in the register while telling the customer that they owe the much more expensive price. With the difference between the prices of premium Champagne and cheap sparkling wine often being between $200 and $300, the unscrupulous employee pockets a decent sum by selling a few over the course of a night.

Tips

• If you get another drink without having to ask, do tip a bit extra. If you didn't want another drink, refuse it politely, and consider tipping if it is a genuine gesture, not an overt effort to earn more tips. (Wasted drinks will come out of your server's paycheck, in which case it's best to teach them not to anticipate your intent without punishing them too much -- especially if you ever intend to return.)
• Always get the bartender's name on the first round. Once you've got it, use it! Nothing annoys bartenders like being called "Hey Barkeep!" repeatedly over the course of a night by one unruly patron, which is a surefire way to get you 86ed for no good reason.
• Nothing -- absolutely nothing -- goes farther than good manners! A person who is rude, but who dependably tips, will almost always be served after a patron who is both patient and polite.
• When ordering discounted bar drinks such as specials, happy hour drinks, etc., it takes the same amount of work no matter what the cost to you may be. If you can tip the normal tip (see above) plus the difference in price, this is good. While not strictly necessary, it's not considered "overtipping".
• Budget the tip as a part of the cost of the drink. Servers and bartenders depend on tips to make up most of their pay.
• Tipping higher at the first round may help ensure the bartender comes back to you quicker the next time you come back. It also may ensure future rounds will have a bit more alcohol if ordering mixed drinks. Be careful though: your tip from the first round will quickly be forgotten. It is far better, in the long run, to tip as consistently as possible.
• Tipping in different countries varies. For example in the UK, it's rare that anyone tips a bartender for a round of drinks served at the bar (although such an unusual gesture may well get you served faster next time). If in the UK, it's acceptable to offer to buy the bartender a drink, normally with the words, "...and one for yourself," when he's told you how much the round cost. Don't worry - he or she won't opt for an expensive cocktail, but the gesture for a soft-drink or soda will normally be gratefully accepted, and ensure you get served quicker next time.
• Simply calculate the total cost of the drinks and tip 20% this will make any bartender happy. If your round was 25$ and you watched him/her open 5 beers the tip is five dollars. This will assure you future rounds and any and all assistance from the bartender in the future.

Warnings

• Tipping advice often comes from people who make their living on tips. That's why you get conflicting advice such as "Tip based on the work done if you get a discount, but tip based on the price if little work was done." Remember to take that into account when receiving advice on the matter.
• Staff (by law, in most states) are sober. Patrons, by definition, are not. Do not assume you are more clever than staff. If you must, do not be surprised to find your hindquarters hitting the pavement for reasons you can't understand, regardless of how you tip.
• Do not ever argue to the point of fighting with the bartender on duty. The chances of your winning are slim to none. The bartender is the captain of the ship. If you know you are right, ask to speak to a manager. If you must, you can ask for the name of the owner of the bar, but in most states, the manager/bartender on duty is not legally obligated to provide you with this information.
• Losing your cool will get you thrown out and/or get the police called on you. The police will almost always believe a sober bartender, backed up by sober staff, over patrons with alcohol in their bloodstreams.
• Don't waste your time complaining about prices. Chances are, the bartender doesn't set the prices.
• If you order something complex, tip to match.
• Never, ever assume that a bartender or any other bar staff member (a) knows where to buy drugs or find prostitutes, (b) has drugs to sell you, (c) will sell them to you if they have them.
• Remember that bartenders depend on the state they work in to certify them as liquor handlers.

Related wikiHows

• How to Tip Appropriately
• How to Get Used to Working With the Public if You Are Shy
• How to Tip a Favorite Waiter During the Christmas Holidays

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Tip a Bartender Properly. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Accessible Design for Homes

The following information, from Vision Australia, is recommended when considering the accommodation requirements of people who are blind or have low vision.

On this page:

• General Design Recommendations
• Physical layout
• Lighting
• Task Lighting
• Use of colour and contrast
• Tidy Housekeeping
• Design Recommendations for Specific Rooms
• Kitchen Environment
• Bathroom
• Laundry
• Share Our Vision
• Contact Us

---

General Design Recommendations

Physical layout

• It is important to reduce the complexity of visual information being presented. This can be managed by providing adequate storage and cupboard space to minimise clutter and reduce the number of choices or items to view and discriminate between. Keeping furniture in consistent and logical locations with clear passageways will reduce the risk of trip hazards and increase safe mobility around the home.
• It is recommended that all steps have handrails installed. Apply slip resistant contrasting strips to the tread and riser at the nosing of each step. The width of each strip should be no less than 50mm or greater than 75mm. Slip resistant paving paint or adhesive strips are available from hardware shops. For carpeted stairs, metallic stair edgings can be installed. These are called stair nosings and are aluminium caps with a PVC insert for grip and safety that are installed on the edges of steps. For supplier information, look under "Staircases and Handrails" in the Yellow Pages. Alternatively, placing a contrasting low pile slip resistant mat at the top and bottom of the stairs can help to highlight either end of the stairway. Contrasting coloured skirting boards can also help highlight the end of a stairway.
• Due to the number of electrical appliances people who are vision impaired often need to use, (such as lamps, magnifiers, closed circuit televisions), it is important to install a greater number of power points in various rooms in the home. These power points need to be located where they are easy to see and to access.

Lighting

People who are vision impaired generally require two to three times the amount of light required by a sighted person. Two types of lighting need to be taken into consideration: general and task lighting.

General lighting means the overall light in the room or area and can be provided by daylight and artificial light.

Daylight is an important source of light that most people with vision impairment find useful. In using daylight, the following needs to be considered:

• Windows should be kept as clean as possible to allow the greatest amount of light to pass through them.
• Skylights could be installed in a hallway, bathroom or kitchen area to facilitate more natural light - keep in mind that at night time artificial lighting may be needed to supplement this area.
• Glare should be minimized at all times. A sunny room may benefit from a venetian blind, vertical drape, curtains or tinted windows to reduce discomfort and glare. Vertical blinds give greater versatility in adjusting the level of light than horizontal blinds.
• Glare will be reduced if the person is not facing the window. This is an important consideration for people who are vision impaired when setting up their own home and locating furniture.

The use of artificial lighting needs to be considered because of the variable nature of daylight depending on time of day, weather conditions and season.

• Fluorescent tube lighting is highly recommended for general lighting. Fluorescent tubes offer the most diffuse light minimising the potential for shadows and glare. They also provide a brighter light than incandescent light sources and are more economical to run. All fluorescent tubes should be triphosphorous or full-spectrum tubes with a prismatic or opal diffuser. Triphosphorous tubes make colours appear more natural. They are also available in warm or cool colours depending on the area you are lighting and the atmosphere you wish to create. For example, in a lounge room, a relaxed atmosphere is normally preferred so one is more likely to select warm triphosphorous fluorescent tubes.
• Where incandescent or halogen lighting is preferred, keep in mind that they have a narrower band of light and a greater number of light fittings will be required to reduce the production of shadows which can create optical illusions.
• It is important to have a high level of lighting where the room is evenly illuminated as well as being glare free. It is also important to ensure the lighting across rooms is evenly distributed to prevent problems with dark/light adaptation.
• It may be useful to turn the 'lights on' inside the home during the day in dull weather to make the transition from brighter outdoor conditions easier.
• For stairways, light switches should be installed at the top and bottom of the stairs to ensure lighting can be switched on and off as required in these potentially hazardous areas. Light switches should also be installed at either end of long corridor areas.
• External lighting around the home should also be considered to promote increased safety when accessing the home. For example: sensor spot lights and flood lights.

Task Lighting

To see detail better and to allow for more effective use of contrast, local or direct illumination is required. It is important to maintain an appropriate level of illumination in the rest of the room.

• Task and good general lighting reduces visual fatigue and is recommended for safety. The recommended task lighting for each room in the home is set out below in conjunction with the physical layout and contrast recommendations.
• The increased need for task lighting means that more power points are required in each room to cater for the positioning of different task lamps in different parts of a room.

Use of colour and contrast

• The colour of the room is an important consideration. Decor and colour schemes have an enormous contribution to make to the amount of light available in a room. This is based on the principle that light coloured walls and surfaces reflect light, whereas dark coloured surfaces absorb light. It is recommended for a person with a vision impairment that the colour of the walls and ceilings be light to make the overall room brighter and so that any dark furniture or objects will stand out.
• Glossy paint should be avoided especially on the ceilings and upper walls, because they increase the amount of glare in a room. A matt finish is regarded as a suitable surface for walls, ceilings and floors.

Tidy Housekeeping

• As a general rule and as a safety precaution for all, corridors and thoroughfares should be kept as free as possible from obstacles. This includes all interior and exterior routes within the home.
• Movable obstacles should be fixed or kept in a constant position, for example chairs under tables, bags out of the way. Doors should be left fully opened or fully closed. A half open door can be a significant hazard.
• People with vision impairment may be unaware of head high obstacles such as overhanging branches.
• Garden maintenance should include removal of all branches overhanging pathways; replacement of mulch in garden beds and sweeping away fallen leaves on pathways that can become very slippery after rain.

Design Recommendations for Specific Rooms

Outlined below are recommendations about design layout, lighting and contrast for specific rooms of a home. These can promote independence in everyday activities for people with vision impairment.

Kitchen Environment

• Use an electric stovetop with controls located to the front, to reduce the risk of leaning over hotplates and scalding. The hotplates should a contrasting colour to the stovetop surface (eg black hotplates on white stove). Some people prefer solid hotplates to the coil type because they are easier to clean. However, they take longer to cool down. Whilst ceramic and induction cooktops are easy to clean, it is very difficult to accurately locate where to position the pot because there are no tactile borders. It is important a range hood for adequate ventilation is provided within the kitchen, as the level of steam present is difficult to assess by a person with vision impairment.
• Use an electric wall oven that is a contrasting colour to the kitchen cupboards for ease of detection.
• Bench space should be provided next to the stovetop and oven to enable hot items to be transferred to a flat surface safely. This limits the need for transferring hot pots between surfaces.
• The bench top should be a plain colour in order to provide a contrast surface for objects placed on it during meal preparation. Avoid surfaces with busy patterns.
• Door handles need to be a contrasting colour to the kitchen cupboard doors, to facilitate ease of location.
• A large pantry area and cupboard space is required for items to be placed in an uncluttered, structured manner.
• Storage space is easier to access through deep pull out drawers and lazy susans rather than standard hinged door cupboards.
• Paint the insides of cupboards white to maximise the brightness and contrast so that items are easier to find.
• Task lighting should be installed over each work area to complement general lighting. This includes the installation of track lighting over the sink and meal preparation bench top area. People who are vision impaired also benefit from fluorescent light strips being placed in the pantry to illuminate each shelf.
• It is also helpful to paint the edging of each shelf a contrasting colour so that each one is easy to distinguish. For example, black edging for white shelves.
• Contrasting strips should be placed along edges of cupboard doors so they are more obvious if accidentally left open.
• It is recommended the microwave be located at bench top level to promote safety when transferring items in and out of the microwave.
• Avoid stainless steel surfaces because they are very reflective and can cause glare.

Bathroom

• Task lighting (preferably triphosphorous fluorescent light strips) should be installed over the basin and mirror. Ensure this lighting does not become a direct glare source by providing a shade over the tube or bulb. The mirror should ideally be located over the basin.
• Ensure adequate cupboard space so that grooming and personal hygiene items can be stored in an uncluttered manner.
• Keep taps consistent: Hot on the left and cold on the right with a single mixing nozzle/tap. Lever or capstan style tap handles are easier to grip and adjust. Avoid sensor taps because they can be difficult to locate.
• Consider the installation of a thermostat control to avoid accidental burns.
• Fluorescent general lighting and a ventilation fan should be installed to provide bright artificial lighting and prevent misting of the mirror. Particular attention should be given to lighting over the bathing area, given its wet and slippery surfaces.
• Heat lamps (eg. IXL Tastic) are also very good at providing bright and even lighting.
• Consider using a rubber bath mat or installing slip-resistant tiles.
• Grabrails can facilitate stability and balance when moving in and out of bath or shower.

Laundry

• Adequate storage space for cleaning products and equipment should be considered in this area.
• Adequate lighting for reading dials, sorting clothes etc is also recommended.
• Bedroom
• Built in or walk in wardrobes with task lighting facilitate the identification and location of clothing. The area should allow clothing to be stored in an uncluttered manner. Provide plenty of drawer space to store other items of clothing in an uncluttered manner.
• Ensure easy access to a bedside light or install a night-light to provide safe mobility at night.
• Limit unnecessary furnishings.
• Outdoor areas
• Ensure easy access to clothesline, garbage/recycling bins, letterbox.
• Consider applying slip-resistant surfacing to outdoor areas that can become slippery when wet.

Contact us

Call: 1300 84 74 66
TTY: 02 9334 3260
Fax: 02 9747 5993
Website: www.visionaustralia.org

Street Address
NSW and ACT: 4 Mitchell Street, Enfield NSW 2136
Queensland: 37 Kent Street, Woolloongabba Qld 4102
Victoria: 454 Glenferrie Road, Kooyong Vic. 3144

Vision Australia is a living partnership between people who are blind, sighted or have low vision. We are united by our passion that in the future people who are blind or have low vision will have access to and fully participate in every part of life they choose.

Three Things Americans Should Know About Blindness

by Donna W. Hill

2009 is the two-hundredth anniversary of the birth of Louis Braille, the blind Frenchman who invented the raised-dot reading system bearing his name. Blindness has changed since Braille’s day.   Thanks to his work, the American dream and modern technology, blindness doesn’t have to be a disabling condition.  

But America doesn’t believe that, and that lack of belief is more problematic to both blind and sighted people than the lack of vision.   Yes, there’s Stevy Wonder, New York’s Governor David Paterson, and Scott MacIntyre (last year’s blind American Idol contestant), but that’s about it.   Here are three things that Americans should know about blindness that will make us a stronger society.

1. Blindness is relatively uncommon: This scarcity means that most of us don’t know blind people personally. When we don’t know anyone from a certain group, we are likely to stereotype all members of that group.   Blind people are as different from each other as sighted people are.   Each of us, blind or sighted, is an individual with unique skills and talents, shortcomings and flaws.   We each wish to be accepted as who we really are, not who someone else thinks we probably are.
   
2. Blind people aren’t from a separate planet:  We come from the general society, from all races, religions and socioeconomic groups.   In fact, most of us grew up sighted.   Most of us come from families who never had a blind member before.   That means that creating a society which has a positive attitude and a can-do approach to blindness is the best way to prepare the not-yet-blind to have successful, independent and happy lives.
   
3. Blindness and visual impairments are increasing: America’s struggle with overeating and inactivity are causing a diabetes epidemic.   The CDC says that diabetic-related blindness among working-age Americans will triple by 2015. If we don’t change our attitudes about the ability of newly blind people to return to productive and independent lives, we will be adding to the taxpayer’s burden through greater disability insurance payments to support otherwise able-bodied people.

American society continues to be structured in ways that do not value blind people.   The average person cannot even name one blind woman other than Helen Keller, who died over fifty years ago. The press does not cover issues affecting blind people like the Braille literacy crisis, massive unemployment and the struggle for accessible information.   The culture does not promote the co mingling of blind and sighted people.   Without pervasive change, when the not-yet-blind, perhaps someone you love, ultimately faces blindness, they will collapse under the weight of their own prejudice.  

Fear of blindness now that technology and the promise of the American dream are catapulting blind people into professions like law, engineering, and chemistry, is unfounded and hurts the entire society.   Be brave; try thinking of us as equals.

Donna W. Hill is an author, singer/songwriter, speaker and avid knitter. A volunteer publicist for the Performing Arts Division, National Federation of the Blind, she works for improved opportunities for blind Americans. http://www. padnfb. org.

A breast cancer survivor, she promotes self-exam. Hear clips from The Last Straw at: http://cdbaby. com/cd/donnahill.

Follow Your Favorite Sports Teams with RSS

Yahoo! Sports delivers feeds for professional baseball, football, hockey and basketball.

You can also receive the latest news on your favorite NCAA basketball teams like the University of Kentucky Wildcats or the University of Louisville Cardinals.

RSS (Real Simple Syndication) is technology that allows certain programs called RSS readers to download new content from an RSS feed to your computer. RSS feeds are often found on blogs or forums and contain the latest posts to that blog or forum. An RSS feed can also be found on news sites and contains the latest articles found on that site. Just like an email program such as Microsoft Outlook saves you time by checking for new mail for you and downloading it so that you can view it, the RSS reader checks for updates for you and as soon as it sees an update, it will download it to your computer and can notify you by a popup message or dialog, etc.

Accessible NCAA News at the Double-A-Zone

Do you like college sports? Living in Kentucky, I love basketball, U of L or U of K, that's for another article. This NCAA blog will appeal to anyone who cares about student athletics and governance. Searchable, and browsable by categories like individual sports, graduation success rate, alcohol policies, pay-for-play, Title IX, performance-enhancing drugs, etc. There are some podcasts listed on the site, and naturally, they have an RSS feed. This looks like a great accessible place for college sports news. Click this link to visit http://www.doubleazone.com.