Curtis Heinin grew up in rural Canada without any sight. Naturally good with his hands, he didn’t let his visual impairment stop him from becoming a well respected machinist.
He has made special adaptions, putting Braille labels on boxes that hold different parts and he has memorized where various items are stored, but he does the same work that any machinist in his position would do.
According to his customers, he’s one of the best. And his coworkers say they often forget he can’t see because he’s just that good at what he does.
Read the full story on Curtis and watch the news clip at this link.
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So often, when we buy presents for other people, they are nice, but not necessarily needed. But what would happen this year if instead of buying gifts, we spent quality time creating a unique experience together?
Due to complications from epilepsy and Lyme disease, John Bramblitt lost his sight. Once an aspiring creative writing teacher, John struggled with depression and had to find a new focus.
"There’s no need for sight when you have vision” is the motto that has propelled 31 year old Lex Gillette into the realm of professional sports despite his visual impairment.
Children who live with a visual impairment shouldn’t have to miss out on the letters from Santa that so many of us cherished as kids.
Art is good for so many things; to break down barriers, share emotion and open new methods of communication.
We, as parents, want our children to grow up to be independent, self sufficient, and able to live happy, successful lives. And what better way to start than infusing them with a love of creating good food.
A visually impaired man has recently launched a new wristband that will vibrate to warn wearers of obstacles in their path. There are various modes that will define how far ahead the wristband is ‘looking’ to ensure optimal usage.
Trevor lost his sight just as he was entering law school. He thought he needed glasses and instead found out he would become blind. An adrenaline junkie before his vision loss, Trevor wasn’t about to give up everything that he enjoyed.
“I want to remind you all that you are all capable of doing whatever it is that you want to do.” So ends the TEDx talk by Bobbie Hickey, a young woman living with 5% sight.
Gamers play for the fun, for the competition and, some say, for the relaxation that comes from time with a gaming console. But what happens if you’re visually impaired?
Making technology accessible is about more than just being socially responsible. It’s about equality, customer service and providing options for people with varying abilities.
Facebook has just announced a new artificial intelligence that will determine what is shown in a photo and be able to describe the photo.
“Vision can influence sound and sound can influence vision,” according to one researcher who is currently testing this idea on sighted and visually impaired people. Pairing sounds, sights and textures, it appears that he is right. When we hear certain sounds, we picture specific items.
We all need to eat. But cooking with a visual impairment can be a daunting task. How to find ingredients in the cupboard and how to deal with measuring, hot burners and fire hazards?
For many people who are living with visual impairment, experiencing art is difficult. Paintings are mostly two dimensional and though there is texture to the paint, it is not enough to tell the story of the picture on the canvas. To make it worse, most museums have a strict “no-touching” policy to preserve the paintings for future generations.
Here’s an inspiring story
Flying as a visually impaired person can be a daunting task. First there are huge airports to navigate and then there’s the actual flight to consider.
Many developing countries have under resourced medical systems. It can take weeks for a patient to be referred to a specialist and even longer for paper files to be transferred.
Justin Sight, legally blind for most of his life, has been performing his unique blend of magic and intrigue for big names in New York since a YouTube video went viral a few years ago.
The newly designed $10 bill will be the first American currency to include tactile features to make them accessible for the visually impaired, although, unfortunately, this change won’t be implemented until 2020 at the earliest.
Four years ago, the Braille Authority in the U.S. decided to adopt the unified code which will align Braille in the U.S with Braille in English speaking countries around the world. Since this decision, they have been educating Braille users on the upcoming changes before implementation this coming January.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has new rules regarding accessibility to televised emergency notices such as severe weather alerts or school cancelations. The rules state that all scrolling text must be audible for the visually impaired and all audible messages must also be written for those with hearing impairments.
Richard Hunter is a visually impaired athlete. Klinger is his guide dog; the only one trained to lead someone while running. In a trial program, Klinger was trained to lead both walking and running to enable Richard to live independently and actively.