Category: Tips for living with low vision

It’s That Time – Tax Time – Again!

Well, the first bit of good news is this snow is good enough to cross country ski. The second bit is I remember how! I got my first, 45 minute session in this afternoon. Go team!

Now the bad news is, if we are having this weather now, Spring cannot be far away. Spring in the States means tax time. Groan!

The last two years we did pages on taxes. This year I want to use a TurboTax page I found as a reference and cue you in to some of the rules and regulations not to mention the changes we can expect. [Lin/Linda: the 2017 tax page was Tax Time.]

The IRS defines blind as 20 degrees or less field of vision or 20/200 or less acuity in the better eye with best correction. If you qualify as blind by that definition, congratulation, you get deductions! If you are blind by that definition and also 65 or older, yippee, you hit the daily double! According to the IRS people over 65 who file singly get to deduct an extra $1550. Those filing jointly deduct $1250 apiece. For the blind, the deduction is $1550 if filing singly or $1250 if filing jointly. If you are both blind you and your spouse get to deduct $2500.

We went over medical deductions last time…and maybe even the time before. The rule is basically anything that you spend to prevent, diagnose or treat illness is a medical deduction. You might want to ask your accountant about eye vitamins. You would probably need a doctor’s note. That is what I am told to get every time I suggest my gym membership should be a deduction! Go ahead. Won’t hurt to try.

There is something called impairment-related work expenses. This would be something like the bill to fix my CCTV. We can claim those.

All this will probably (or not!) change next year with the tax reform proposals they may (or may not) pass. Make sure you can get the information or can at least latch on to someone else who has it. That will be something to fuss over next year. Right now, don’t worry about it.

Also found a 2015 article from the American Federation of the Blind (AFB). This article (Tax Guide) makes some suggestions for doing your taxes on your own. Their first step is to get organized, something that has always been my nemesis. AFB suggests hanging files with large, bold labels. I would suggest color coding as well.

AFB also suggested getting all statements in large print and using a magnifier like a CCTV. Not sure how some of you could get a hand on one of those. I know there is one available to the public in our town library.

Only a page and a half into the article, the AFB page takes a pretty abrupt turn into how to ask for help doing your taxes. (Now they are making sense!) They suggest AARP and the American Council of the Blind. AFB warns against using online tax preparation programs because of the navigation problems that can occur when you are using a magnify program.

So, personally, I would say we are back to having a competent accountant. If you cannot afford an accountant, the government endorses Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) as well as Tax Counseling for the Elderly( TCE) as organizations that can be of help.

Good luck. Continue reading “It’s That Time – Tax Time – Again!”

Broken China

Hello, there! I woke up at 3:30 last night with rotator cuff tendonitis pain. While the over the counter nighttime pain reliever got rid of the pain, it may have worked a little too well. I woke up at 9:30 to the remnants of a puppy party!

Crawling on the floor picking up pieces of whatever they had chewed, I discovered the knobs on the drawer in my father’s gun cabinet had been pretty thoroughly gnawed.

If I were fully sighted, would I have noticed it before this? Not sure, but my guess would be yes.

Putting away dishes a little later, I had several, small bowls leap out of the cupboard and hit the counter with a resounding crash. Thoroughly scared Maggie. Although she is the rowdy pup she is also the more sensitive one.

Of course I did not have shoes on again. Dealing with shards of white bowls on a light-colored floor, I had to call my husband for help. Why can’t any of my ‘disasters’ happen with good contrast!?!

If you have not been following along I want to mention this is the second time I have been standing in the middle of a mess of broken kitchenware. Sans shoes, of course. If Lin would be so kind, I believe we could get a link for you…here. There are some suggestions I stole from the experts. [Lin/Linda: Sue’s page is called Did You Drop Something?]

While I really cannot say any of the occurrences this morning incited a panic reaction in me – I actually thrive in chaos; tedium drives me insane – I suspect some of you might have had a meltdown. Vision loss plus insane, chew-happy pups plus broken china. OMG!

I remembered I was just given some 100% natural (and, yes, I know a good, stiff whiskey is 100% natural, too) ways of dealing with panic and anxiety. Thought I would share.

The sympathetic nervous system is the one that activates your fight or flight response. It is the one that causes your heart to beat faster and you to experience stress. Good when it is needed but not needed all of the time!

The system that brings you down again is called the parasympathetic nervous system. A big part of this system is the vagus nerve.

They are finding stimulating the vagus nerve helps with panic and anxiety. The most popular technique, as you may know, is breathing from your diaphragm. There are, however, a number more strategies you may wish to try.

In 2014 Newsmax published a list of simple tricks to reduce stress through stimulating your vagus nerve. Immersing your face in cold water is helpful. Another technique is to suck on something that will immerse your tongue in saliva.

According to a 2017 article in Optimal Living Dynamics, singing, humming and chanting are helpful in stimulating your vagus nerve. This article also suggests some of my favorite things: socializing and laughing, exercise and yoga.

Controlling your reactions to sight loss and its problems is almost as important as caring for your eye health itself. Next time you find yourself stressing, give some thought to your vagus nerve.

And repeat after me: Ommmmmmm…….

written Dec. 12th, 2017 Continue reading “Broken China”

Some of Yours

Just logged on to check my email and the first thing I found was another phishing attempt. Oh, for crying out loud! These things are coming faster and the ‘phishermen’ are getting bolder.

This one was ‘from’ my email provider. Not only did they want my username AND password but they were also trying for a credit card number. Good grief. Do I look like I just fell off the turnip truck?

The problem is, for every 999 people who have not just fallen off the turnip truck, there is one who has. That is all the scammers need to make a killing.

So, just in case we have a reader who is not ‘scam savvy’, a couple of tips: scammers are often non-English speakers but the messages are in English. Misspelled? Clumsy wording? Be aware. Ask for your password? Run the other way. Soliciting a credit card number from you? Contact customer service and ask them. Do not give a credit card number out to anyone who asks for it. Lastly, check the details on the email. If it come from Sylvester in Syracuse you probably have a scammer.

Anything suspicious can get forwarded to your service provider. I also label anything from that sender as spam so I don’t have to deal with him again.

Just another public service announcement.

Oh! And I just noticed something wild. My service provider lists as ‘tells’ for phishing attempts the following: asking for personal information, mass mailings and details (show details). That spells AMD. How about that? [Lin/Linda: ::groan:: you are REALLY stretching it!!!]

And after all that, I want to talk about pessimism/optimism. Another good grief. I know the shady morals of so many is not necessarily a reason to be upbeat and sunny. My delivery and timing stink. However, if you look at it another way, we are looking out for one another and that is positive. Yes? Yes!

Lin asked me to read Dan Roberts article about how so many of us see a more dismal future than others our age who do not have AMD. The piece says we expect health deterioration and Lord knows how many other bad things just because we have vision loss.

The first thing I thought about was why should vision loss lead to worse health than any other sensory or orthopedic or general health issue? Sounds like the depression talking to me.

Roberts emphasized there being so much reason for optimism with all the tools and medical breakthroughs. I agree with him totally on that. That is part of the reason we continually share news on research and ‘toys’.

However, what I think his real message was was this: the study did not differentiate between those actually getting the information, the training and the support and those who are not. Roberts asks what the differences would be. He also asks – about knowledge and skills training lapses – the question “why not?”.

You see things and ask “Why?” but I dream things and I say “Why not?” – George Bernard Shaw

(And, yes, JFK paraphrased it a bit but he took it from Shaw.)

Part of the reason for this website is to spread knowledge and to spread hope. Every day progress is being made. Every day things are happening to make our lives – as the visually impaired – easier.

Know someone without knowledge? Someone without hope? Give him some of yours. We want to be able to say “Dan, we hear you and we are trying to do our part.”

Written October 29th, 2017 Continue reading “Some of Yours”

Cruisin’

Saturday. I think I am packed except for toiletries. I guess I’m good. Find out once we get on the ship.

I have not done as much research for this trip as I have done for other trips. We planned it fairly quickly. Wanted to get it in before we got a puppy.

I will let you know how it all goes. I just looked up Best Ships for Cruisers with Disabilities. They reviewed the big ones: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Disney, Holland America and Princess.

While most cruise lines are pretty good with physical impairments, visual impairment only got about one line of text in each case. Each of them offers Braille on some signs and audio books in the library. Most offer large print menus in the restaurant. In other words, in my not-so-humble opinion, they don’t put themselves out too much. (After all, do they even make elevators without Braille anymore?)

If you have a guide dog, he can also cruise. However, be careful which cruise line you choose. According to Do Cruise Ships Cater to Blindness?, Royal Caribbean will not let your dog off the ship! He has to stay aboard at all ports of call. Holland America has the same rule. Several others allow service animal to disembark as long as they have all their proper papers. Of course, finding out what exactly the proper documentation is your responsibility.

Princess has computers set up with JAWS and Holland America has a similar set-up called Window Eyes. That means you can search the web in their internet cafes and the computers will read it all to you.

Royal Caribbean provided sign language interpretation for the deaf. They also provide orientation tours for the visually impaired. However it appears none of them will provide anything in the way of orientation and mobility for the visually Impaired much beyond that initial guided walk around the ship.

In fact, the “Cater” article outright says some cruise lines strongly suggest, depending upon your level of impairment, you not cruise without a caregiver or, at minimum, a sighted companion. Although I would not want to cruise solo, that can put a definite crimp in some people’s style!

That said, there are ways to travel with disabilities, including visual impairment and blindness, and even if you don’t have a ready travel companion. Organizations like Access-Able and Mind’s Eye Travel come up in searches. While I have never used services from either agency, the owner of Mind’s Eye and at least one of her sighted guides were a year behind me in high school. I can vouch for the women so I am pretty sure I can also vouch for their program and services.

So, no, it may not be as easy as picking up your wallet and passport and going out the door, headed for parts unknown. (Although when I looked up ‘blind travel’ I discovered there are companies that will plan everything right down to choosing your destination. They don’t tell you where you are going until you get there!) However it is possible to travel when you are visually impaired. First leg of my trip is in about six hours.

Written October 29th, 2017

Continue reading “Cruisin’”

Sue’s Best Pages – Part 1

If you are new to our website, you might have looked at the LONG list of Sue’s pages and felt overwhelmed.   I hope this series of “Sue’s Best Pages” will help you to navigate through some of them.  We hope you will eventually read them all.

Spoiler Alert – why should you read these pages?

After a year of learning how to deal with her visual impairment both physically and emotionally, Sue has a rather ‘normal for her’ life: At age 64 and with advanced AMD geographic atrophy, she works several jobs, attends regular exercise classes, rides her bike safely, travels, walks her dog, kayaks, attends social events with her friends.   We are not suggesting that reading her journal will ensure you the same results but we hope that Sue’s Journal of Her Journey will be educational and inspirational.

For the newly diagnosed
  • You need to start In The Beginning.  Follow the sequence of pages with the links that are at the bottom of each page.  The first 13 were written in the early days of this journal.
  • Page 13 “A Human Doing” is where Sue starts to talk about her experiences with Pennsylvania’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation’s Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services.  Because she wanted to continue to work, they were instrumental in getting her the assistive devices and training she needed to do that.
  • Of course, we hope you continue to read from there.  If not, please continue with the next section.
Pages highly recommended by our readers

We ask readers to rate the pages.  I’ve taken the ratings and comments to select these pages.

How She Does What She Does

Sue was 62 when her vision deteriorated so quickly that she had to stop working and driving. She could have started early retirement but she is not the ‘retiring’ type. ::smile:: She contacted Pennsylvania’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation’s (OVR) Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services (BBVS).  The services she received included low vision, technology, orientation & mobility and rehabilitation.   Counselors for each of these services came to her home and workplace to deliver assistive technology, software and training. There was a one-time co-pay based on income. Some people pay nothing. Sue paid a small fraction of the true cost of the services, software and devices.

166.  A Day in the Life which covers the time she is not working.

288. A Day in the Life: Work Day

Next:  Part 2 Dealing with the Emotional Reaction to Vision Loss

Home

Be Prepared

I have decided a poor memory and poor vision leading to no driving is a bad combination. Once again what I planned to work on got left at the office. Really thought it was in my bag.

I have been roaming the house, picking things up, doing laundry and filling the dishwasher but we all know keeping house is not my shtick. (Just take a look at this place!) I did bring one file home to work on. Should do it but I have these articles on disaster and the visually impaired that I ran off, so…

Sue redux! Explain to me why I thought I had actually shut up!

Disasters – and this time I am not talking about my housekeeping – and visual impairment are another nasty combination. According to a 2007 American Public Health Association article, eye injuries are very common during and after all kinds of disasters but yet, at least ten years ago, most emergency response teams know very little about managing eye injury and other problems.

I looked for more recent articles saying they had beefed up the eye injury training for first responders in the last ten years. I found nada. That means these people could very well be scrambling to deal with stuff like penetrating eye wounds, chemical exposure and retinal detachment, not to mention infections and other such things with very little training and materials to do the job. And that means, my dears, we with our progressive vision loss condition are on our own. Not that I would not want the guy with the pierced eye ball to go ahead of me in line, mind you. Just saying, we need to expect to be very low priority.

Wisefamilyeye.com – love your logo! – did a page on preparing an eye emergency kit and putting it in your go bag. They suggest spare, impact resistant glasses. I suggest also having a copy of your eyeglass prescription. You might want to store it in drafts in your email so you can access it from anyone’s device. Wisefamilyeye.com also suggested safety goggles and sunglasses, artificial tears and saline solution (you might want to add an eye cup if you have one) and at least two weeks of prescription eye drops.

I already touched on clean-up with my mention of my bout with flood mud crud. Flood water contains EVERYTHING you can think of. Sewer plants and chemical plants cannot get out of the way so everything they contained will come to you. Safety goggles are a must. Protective clothing, such as heavy rubber gloves and thick soled boot if you can find any. And face masks. Face masks are good.

Essentially, disaster preparedness is just that: being prepared. The American Federation of the Blind put together their own checklist. Their list included having emergency numbers nearby and knowing who to call to get yourself evacuated asap. This could be either a buddy, the local authorities or, even better, both. Let people outside of your area know your predicament and that you might be coming to visit!

If you have a service animal – or any animal! – make plans for him or her as well. Reasonably sure evacuation services and shelters must take service animals. They do not have to take pets and rumor has it, many people recently refused to go to shelters rather than leave pets behind. Do not allow yourself or your animals to be in that position.

If recent events are any indication, we can expect to have more (and more?) disasters as time goes on. Be prepared.

September 30th, 2017 Continue reading “Be Prepared”

Downtime

Another Friday night. A little ‘fried’ on a Friday. Not interested in doing anything of substance. I tried watching NCIS (CBS) on my tablet and there is a glitch. It switches me over to another episode with 12 minutes left in the one I am watching. Lin says it does not happened for her and it does not happen when I watch PBS on my iPad. Weird. Anyway, I’m going to watch Nature instead.

I have just started to watch a little TV on my iPad. It is nice because you can practically put your nose on the screen and no one cares. Relative distance magnification at it’s finest.

Apps for CBS All Access and PBS Video are available for free in the app store. A fair number of episodes from prime time series are free. Might help to trim the old cable bill. [Lin/Linda: The apps are free but for access to all of their shows & live CBS in certain areas, CBS All Access offers several subscription options.  PBS does not charge a fee.  You can view both on quite a few more devices than on the iPhone and iPad.  There are TONS of ways to ‘cut the cord’ and reduce or get rid of cable TV.]

I am taking some downtime now because there is plenty going on soon. It seems my nature abhors a vacuum.

In addition to going back to work in earnest, I am participating in the local ‘event’ scene. I got invited to go to a local theater production and my yogini is having a moon salutation practice at moon rise for the full moon.

“When the moon is in the seventh house and Jupiter aligns with Mars…” Born 30 years too late for her inclinations, my yogini is our resident hippie. And FYI, the Age of Aquarius does not officially start until 2579 so we have some time to hang out.

One of these days I have a Party in Pink. That is the Zumba fundraiser for breast cancer research. Then towards the end of the month I am supposed to go to a yoga fundraiser for Puerto Rico. That is in addition to the hot air balloon festival, which is a fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network. Apparently disasters can lead to lots of fun events around here! Ouch. Forget I said that.

But on the topic of disasters, Bascom-Palmer Eye Institute, once again the top shop for eyes in the country, did their good deeds during the recent hurricanes in Florida. Not only did they call all staff in and encourage them to bring family members along, Bascom-Palmer sent out emergency teams to the Keys.

In a press release quoted by healio.com Bascom-Palmer reported serving more than 40 patients for eye problems. Chronic problems with no available medication, broken glasses, injury, infection? They treated it all. Dr. Richard Lee opined how treating eye problems during and after a disaster is essential, a real priority. People who cannot see well are ripe for incurring other injuries.

Speaking personally, I know we who were volunteering in the local flood zone in 2011 were all required to wear eye protection. I came down with a raging case of flood mud crud (hacked so hard I actually put my back in spasms!). How much worse if I had topped that off with a raging eye infection!

I was going to roll right into a discussion of a couple articles I found on eye care during a disaster but I am at 500 words here. That will have to be a new page.

Dang! And you thought you got rid of me! ?

Written September 30th, 2017 Continue reading “Downtime”

Not As Cut and Dried

Back for a page sooner than I thought. I wanted to get some of this out there before it got too stale.

I told you I was going to the first vision seminar offered by our local hospital. Yes? Yes. The presenter, Paul Freeman, is the chief of low vision rehabilitation at Allegheny Hospital. That’s Pittsburgh; don’t ya know. Dr. Freeman’s first talk was about driving. Like many things, driving appears not to be quite as cut and dried a topic as I generally thought.

Freeman quotes statistics indicating drivers with intermediate AMD – not advanced like yours ever lovin’ truly – are less likely to have accidents than others including ‘normals’.

The reason was many of people with intermediate AMD are aware of their problems and do four things: compensate, avoid, use caution and self-regulate.

All great strategies for trying to stay safe. However, Freeman also pointed out AMD with its acuity loss as well as decreased contrast sensitivity can cause a decrease in response time. Response time is crucial! For every 1.5 second it takes you to decide there really is something there and hit the brake, at 30 miles an hour you have gone 66 feet. Moving at 65 mph a second and a half’s hesitation will find you 142 feet farther down the road. That is nearly half a football field. Distance traveled increases if the vehicle goes into a skid.

Of course, response time is dependent upon much more than visual acuity. Physical and cognitive states come into the mix. And speaking of cognitive ability, Freeman also quoted a 2006 AREDS study suggesting a possible correlation – not causality – between advanced AMD and cognitive impairment….but what do they know; right??

Freeman reported ways of getting around some of our cognitive deficits are to reduce the burdens on attention and memory. We might have to turn off the radio or decline to take chatty or argumentative family members along for the ride. Cell phones are a definite no but talking GPS can help to take some of the burden of navigating.

Of course it would be easier if the only people we have to worry about while driving were us. Quite bluntly, people do the damndest things. Remember the YouTube video of the woman texting and falling into the fountain? She has sisters…and brothers. People are walking into things and each other and off curbs more than ever.

The takeaway message I got from the driving presentation was this: just as each of us is multifaceted, the decision whether or not to drive should also be multifaceted. How is your contrast sensitivity? How much glare can you handle? How fast is your eye-foot reaction time? How confusing and busy are the places you want to drive? All these and more have to be considered.

Written September 26th, 2017 Continue reading “Not As Cut and Dried”

Doing Beers with Grandma

Hey. Sort of blah today. Still getting used to the idea of no dog.

I am a spoiled brat and was sort of disappointed with my showing at the photo contest. A third and an honorable mention are not at all bad. I just have high expectations.

For some reason we are back to high Summer. It was over 90 Fahrenheit today, September 25. About the same yesterday. Along with mad dogs and Englishmen I have been out in the midday sun and I am hot! My body was gearing up for fall. Not feeling like fall now!

Then of course, since we are going to be away, my workload just more than doubled. Let’s give Sue another six kids to test. She’s going on vacation!

Oh well, better than never having a dog, six feet of snow and no interesting job. Although sometimes I feel a little too ‘blessed’.

One of the topics in the teachers’ lounge today was bizarre things your voice recognition software tells people you said. One of the milder ones was how “doing beets with Grandma” became “doing beers with Grandma.” Well, some grandmas might throw back a few. Just not my colleague’s.

I know fully sighted people produce text and other written things that make no sense. I send out plenty that is alternating perplexing and/or amusing and/or frustrating. Some of my mistakes I manage to catch. That said, though, the question in my mind became how do truly blind people proofread? After all, I may need the skill one day. [Lin/Linda: I wish I’d kept a list of all the crazy things I’ve gotten from Sue since we started this!]

Back in 2011 Ryan Cordell suggested using text-to-speech to read things back to yourself. He explains how on an Apple OS X device you can have what you wrote read back to you by just making a few changes in the settings. This can be helpful if you are composing reports or letters on your computer.

Stephanie Diamond wrote about using Dragon NaturallySpeaking to proof read. Diamond also suggested text-to-speech for proof reading. Dragon works on PCs and Macs. Since NaturallySpeaking records your voice as well as recognizing it, another option is to listen to what you really did say. Diamond added you can send documents received from elsewhere to your PC and have NaturallySpeaking read those too. [You’ll see this software as Dragon Naturally Speaking, too, with a space between Naturally & Speaking.]

And if you want a human opinion on not only the spelling and verbiage but other aspects of your writing, remember Be My Eyes (BME) is an app that connects blind people with sighted volunteers via live video chat.

According to an April, 2017 Lighthouse Media publication, Be My Eyes now has half a million volunteers! Whom you get when you call is random. You can call unlimited times.

No one is pushy or opinionated unless you ask them to be. Want to know if that shirt goes with those pants? You can ask that and get an opinion. And no one will ask you why you ignored the advice.

According to the article, BME is looking for more users. This could be a match made in Heaven.

So, there are a few ideas for proofreading. But please don’t get too perfect. I find some of the errors amusing!

written September 26th, 2017 Continue reading “Doing Beers with Grandma”

Get Busy Living

Closing the pool has been an adventure every year.  Today I discovered the diameter of the drain on the new sand filter was much larger than the old one. The standard hose I usually put on it was not going to cut it. Off to our local do-it-yourself store!

Once I got there and got someone to help me, I realized this was not going to be an easy fix. We were going to have to rig it. I had presented the store guy with a ‘problem’.

Problems energize people. Before we had put together a ‘fix’ we thought would actually work my little problem had engaged three of the store guys for over 15 minutes. They were scurrying back and forth, consulting on all sorts of possible solutions.

If the problem-solving process had gone on any longer, I bet I could have netted two or three more helpers. They acted like it was the most fun they had had all day!

Got me thinking. Got me thinking about part of the reason I am not interested in retiring. I thrive on the challenge.

Many people say they long for the easy life. I sometimes wonder what they would do if they got their wish …day after day after day. Shudder!

The blog Get Busy Living agrees with me. The author points out we all started out attacking challenges.  However, he (she?) says as we have gotten older we have lost our sense of fearlessness. We have abandoned the struggle in favor of lives that are ‘safe’ and ‘secure’. No problem. No risks. No fun.

In patheos.com’s blog entitled The Value of Challenge they talk about the sense of satisfaction and purpose we get when we tackle challenges. Challenges bring richness to our world. Much better than spending all day telling people plumbing supplies are in aisle 40. Ask the guys at the do-it-yourself yourself store!

How can we maintain challenge and accomplishment in our lives now that we are older and have a vision loss?  Looking at the more professional literature I discovered Hans-Werner Wahl in Heidelberg wrote about the psychological challenges of late-life visual impairment. Wahl quoted research on secondary control strategies, disengaging from no longer attainable goals, and accommodative mode. Accommodative mode is finding something that can be done rather than giving up.

I won’t be able to work in the school forever, but maybe I can do more counseling at the office. I cannot drive myself anymore but I am planning on doing more bus trips. Both examples of ‘accommodative mode’ will provide me with new experiences and challenges.

How can you disengage from old goals and substitute things you are capable of doing?  Listen to books on things you have never explored before? Learn how to use new technology for low vision? Cook foods from different ethnic groups? Read this blog? …I know; don’t be silly!?

I was always told that when God closes a door, He opens a window. And yes, sometimes it is an attic window three stories up. But just think of the stories you will have to tell after finding a way through that window!

Enjoy the challenge!

written September 4th, 2017 Continue reading “Get Busy Living”

Preparation: Start Now!

Greetings from a rainy Labor Day weekend. Supposedly this rain is a Harvey leftover. We had a ‘little flood’ here six years ago right about this time of the year. What a mess! Hubby and I did not get much of that; we are on a hill. However, I went into town to do some shoveling and needs surveys….Never got so sick in my entire life. Flood mud crud is nasty business, folks. If you are helping, wear masks and goggles. Take any innoculations they offer. I was sick literally for weeks.? Once more, try to profit from my stupidity!

Of course, the good news is what doesn’t kill you can make you stronger. Except for the food poisoning I don’t think I have been sick since! ?

Anyway, in the States Labor Day is the unofficial official end of Summer. That means today before the rain we were preparing for cool weather. The houseplants came in from their summer home on the deck. I picked the tomatoes that had not yet ripened for my friend’s mother. She is supposed to make a mean green tomatoes pie. Ran into a little snag in trying to close the pool, but that will get done before the leaves start to fall.

Preparation. We prepare for Fall. We prepare for holidays. How many of us prepare for vision loss?

Many of you are in the early stages of this disease. I truly believe research will soon make it possible to slow or even arrest the progress of AMD. I believe you could easily be spared the worst of AMD. But just the same, preparation is a good thing.

Harley Thomas is blind. Last February he wrote a piece in his blog. The title was, of course, How to Prepare When you Are Going Blind. Harley (he looks like a nice guy so I will refer to him by his first name) says preparation can give you a sense of control. He agreed with other people I have read in saying starting now to learn skills will make things much easier later.

Harley would approve of us all learning about our disease. He would also approve of how we are coming together for support. He talks about ADA and telling your employer about your sight loss.

There are lots of references and links on Harley’s page. One of them is entitled “What to Tell Your Employer When You Are Loosing Your Sight”. I have not read it yet but somehow I don’t think it says to call work in hysterics directly from the doctor’s office like I did!

Harley suggests habilitation/rehabilitation and independent living courses. He also talks about getting your house organized. All good ideas with links to how to posts. [Lin/Linda: if you’re curious, there’s a difference between habilitation & rehabilitation.]

What Harley does not talk about are transportation and finances. To me, these are huge! I believe trying to get services and benefits from the government can be one of the most convoluted and frustrating things you have ever done. It literally took a couple of months to line up transportation. I had straightened our financial house several years ago when I got an inheritance. If I hadn’t, the income loss could have been problematic. Looking into the basics of getting around and doing what you can to get – and keep – your finances in order is crucial. Start now. You will be glad you did.

Written September 3rd, 2017 Continue reading “Preparation: Start Now!”

Home Away From Home

We all want to be independent and live in our own homes as long as absolutely possible. Still, there may come a time that vision loss and other disabilities make it difficult for us to do that.

Many people are looking at alternative living arrangements to satisfy their needs. For example, my mother-in-law lives in a ‘continuing care community’. She has her own house but the facility takes care of all the outside maintenance and any interior repairs…right down to changing light bulbs if need be! The community has affordable van transportation and a community center where some meals and entertainment are offered. If there is an emergency, people from the facility are right there. They also maintain their own, small security force.

If my mother-in-law should require assisted living and/or a nursing home, they are right there on campus. She is guaranteed placement.

Of course, my mother-in-law does not have a vision loss – I am the ‘lucky’ one there! – but I would suspect many of the community residents do. Problem is, many if not most of the care communities have not caught on to the fact they actually have visually impaired residents! And if they do realize they have them, they don’t know what to do with them.

If you are interested in assisted living, what should you, as a visually impaired individual, look for in a facility? After all, we don’t intend to sit in bed all day. We want to be as independent as possible and the staff should help, right?! Right!

VisionAware to the rescue. They have a short article on Help for Seniors with Vision Loss: Tips for Assisted Living Staff Members. They also did a short webinar and have the transcript for that at the end of the page. While this article is meant as a tutorial for facility staff, you or your agents can use it when shopping for assisted living.

We have talked about many of these before in the context of making your home safer and more livable. It is important to control glare and use contrast. This includes contrast tape on all stairs. Bold fonts and contrast should be used on handouts and enlarged or tactile versions of games should be in the game room. Staff should understand how to function as a sighted guide. Hallways should be free of clutter. Low furniture and throw rugs likewise should be avoided.

When you go for your tour, staff should make an effort to talk to you about the layout of the facility. Descriptions should be just that: descriptive! If the dining area is 20 feet on the right, it is 20 feet on the right, not up here somewhere.

Then of course we come to a horrible blind joke from when I was a kid: how do you punishment Helen Keller? Rearrange the furniture! Meaning, if you are looking at a facility where they rearrange furniture and move things from their typical places on a whim, it may not be the place for you.

Hoping no one has to make such a move before they want to, but if assisted living becomes a necessity for you, try to make sure the place is attentive to your needs. After all, you are a VIP!

Written September 2nd, 2017 Continue reading “Home Away From Home”

Anticipation

Did some of you read the title and hear the song “Anticipation” by Carly Simon in your head?  Good!

Hey, there! TGIF. Friday evening. I have good stuff on the stove (don’t all fall down in amazement at the same time!). The dog is on day 36 after our being told she was ‘dying’ (maybe she is, but not today!) AND, big AND, I have something to look forward to!

My friend and I have reservations for hot air ballooning! I am excited!

I had been feeling a little bland. Same old, same old. No pizazz, no zest. And, yes, I know I have nothing to complain about because I have a great life, but just the same, even a great life can get a little flavorless.

Then this opportunity came about and we jumped on it. Something to look forward to!

It got me thinking about anticipation, thinking about happiness. Some of the most fun I have ever had has been planning and looking forward to all sorts of experiences. Anticipation can be fun!

I found a post online by Gretchen Rubin. She is reported to be a happiness guru and bestselling author but I never heard of her before. (Sorry, Gretchen. Pardon my ignorance.) Be that as it may, Gretchen wrote on anticipation. She also believes having something to look forward to helps to make a happy life. Gretchen includes anticipation as the first step in enjoying an event.

Hot air ballooning might be inaccessible for many, but what can we almost all look forward to? Maybe you can search for a new hairstyle and look forward to having your hair cut that way. Or, how about going online to look at menus for local restaurants? Plan everything you are going to eat when you go out with friends. If a restaurant meal is not in the budget, look at recipes and find a different way to prepare a favorite food. Search the bestsellers list and decide which book you will be watching for in new BARD releases. Just about anything can be something to look forward to.

Then there is the question: Can people still be happy after vision loss? A post on the Club VIBES website says absolutely yes. The things that allow ‘normal’ people (have you SEEN some of those people??) to be happy are pretty much the same as what allow visually impaired people to be happy: health, friends and family, accomplishments, meaning. The author ends his (her?) page with this comment: Blindness is not what makes people unhappy; it is believing blindness limits your potential.

In other words, happiness is limited because we allow vision loss to rid us of dreams and things to look forward to. But it does not have to be that way. Find something to look forward to. Anticipating good things makes us happy.

written August 18th, 2017 Continue reading “Anticipation”

Time to Watch Some TV

Hi, guys! Lin is crazy busy with all of the new FaceBook members so she asked me to do some work! I have an assignment. Actually, a couple of them. Oy. [Lin/Linda: ah, who started this project, eh? ::grin::]

My first assignment is to put together a page on watching TV. Now personally, I watch practically no TV. TV watching is something I know nothing about.

Like I am not a domestic goddess, I am not an entertainment maven. However, I do a wicked web search, so let us see what the experts say!

First of all, no matter what your parents said, watching TV close to the screen does not – I repeat, NOT – damage your eyes. I have it on good authority, the American Academy of Ophthalmology says so.

What does that mean for you? Move up as close as you need to. Magnification is just about the best thing we can do to help us see better right now and getting closer is a way of making things appear bigger.

And speaking of magnification, Max TV glasses are called Max TV for a reason. They were made for watching television. If I do have something to watch on a screen, this is the way I usually go.

I realize some of this stuff is expensive. I got my Max TV glasses for free. You may have to pay $170 or about a third of that for the knockoff brand. Either of those sums can be prohibitive.  [Lin/Linda here: I guess Sue forgot that she wrote a page called Comparison Shopping where she talks about less expensive MaxTV-like glasses that she found.

The Near Sighted VR app for your Android cell phone magnifies and it is free. I just tried it again with my cardboard ‘goggles’, however, and I still get a shimmer. As motion sick as I can get, I am not doing a shimmer (Shimmy, yes. Shimmer, no). Since downloading the app and trying it on your cell phone will cost you only time, I would suggest downloading the app and trying it. Lin can give us a link to the cardboard box ‘goggles’ that are needed.

Those are your magnification options. Oh, also remember if you need a new TV, get the biggest screen you can afford. Ask the salesperson about good, not famous brand products.  And in this instance, size really does matter!? Oh, my! Did I say that?

Now for this stuff you may need a teen. Preferably a male, but some girls are excellent at this too. Not sure if that is sexist or not. Oh, well… [Lin/Linda: in my household, it is ME who takes care of the electronics…watch what you say!]

Many, many TV shows and movies now come with audio description. I did a couple of pages on this and Lin can provide the links. Pretty please and thank you! Just like closed captions, audio description is embedded and you have to enable that function. Do I know how? Of course not. That is why I would need to borrow a teen from someone. They could do it in 30 seconds. It would probably take me 30 hours!  [Sue’s pages on audio description: Enjoy the Show! and Wanted: Tech Savvy Teen.]

Just some thought about getting more out of TV even when you have low vision. Anyone have any other ideas?

Oh, PS, remotes. Keep them in the same place at all times! Otherwise, your program can be over before you even find the dang thing.

written August 16th, 2017 Continue reading “Time to Watch Some TV”

Did You Drop Something?

Just came from lunch with high school friends. They actually drove 80 miles to visit! Thanks, ladies! Love you!

And that all came about because of a ‘catching up’ email I sent. Moral? Reach out. You never know where one, simple contact will lead. Give people a chance to be kind.

And speaking of reaching out, a reader/member reached out this week. Frustrated by failing vision. Frustrated at how her life has changed. Frustrated by her frustration.

Sound familiar? Thought so. But I don’t want to talk about that?.

The proverbial last straw for our reader was dropping something she needed and not being able to find it. Now this person sounds like a kindred soul. She is inclined to be, shall we say, ‘messy’ and she is also creative. Read some research – like that cited by Clive Thompson in Put Down the Broom…Tidying Up Can Hamper Creativity – and you will see mess and creativity can go together. Our reader/member doesn’t want to give up that part of her personality either. This is even though messiness makes it easier to lose things. But I don’t want to talk about that.

What I want to talk about is finding things you drop. Now that skill is valuable!

VisionAware did a post on Searching for Dropped Objects When You Are Visually Impaired. They suggest you need to remember to protect your upper body. Don’t search stooped over and come up under a lower ceiling, etc. That would be while uttering the memorable phrase “Eureka! Ouch, damn it!” (That is the true quote of Archimedes as he jumped out of the bath and hit his head on a low ceiling. History just cleaned it up a bit?).

VisionAware also suggested listening for the sound of the thing hitting. Soft or hard surface? Things dropped on hard surfaces bounce more. If they are roundish, they roll more.

And may I add, if you drop something and it shatters? Call for back-up, especially if you are like me and ‘shoe’ tends to be a four letter word. A couple of years back I dropped nested, Pyrex baking dishes. My feet were fragged. The entire kitchen was fragged. My husband had to come to my rescue with dustpan and broom. Then off to the walk-in clinic to get glass out of my toe! I tell these somewhat embarrassing stories so you can avoid the same fate.

But again I digress. VisionAware suggests pointing a toe towards where you think the thing dropped and then having a system. Search with your hands in overlapping semicircles. Search with one hand at a time and use the other one to protect and stabilize your body. If searching with hands is not practical (or is dangerous or icky) , use feet, a cane, a broom, etc. The final VisionAware suggestion is to use visual memory of the area to try to decide where the *!#*! thing may have gone. OK, so they did not say “*!#*!”. That was me. You get the point.

And something not mentioned in that post: Be My Eyes. Load it on your phone. Keep the phone on you. After all, you never know when you are going to drop something.

written August 14th, 2017 Continue reading “Did You Drop Something?”

Managing Medications

Never really thought about it in quite this way, but VisionAware has a series of ‘getting started as a visually impaired person’ posts. Sort of like a starter kit for a hobby. Instead of scrapbooking or constructing terrariums, we get visual impairment. “Oh, yes, did I tell you? I’m taking up visual impairment. This book says that in just six easy lessons ($19.99 each) I can have the start of a very promising visually impaired person. And the book says I can do this at home in my spare time!”

Uh, yeah. Really did not need another hobby…especially THIS one.

That is not to say, however, that a ‘how to’ series for vision loss newbies is not a fine idea. It is such a fine idea I am going to borrow shamelessly from them in writing this, and perhaps another page.

The page I am borrowing from is entitled Products and Devices to Help You Identify Your Medications. In that article they cover all sorts of clever ideas for trying to make sure we don’t poison ourselves. I vote for that!

Some of the suggestions in their article are as simple and low tech as keeping a black tray in the bathroom so you can have contrast to see your pills. Others are more high tech. The one I am going to focus on is a high tech option: audio description.

The VisionAware article mentions several different options for audio description devices to use with your medications. There is one manufactured by AccessaMed and there is another one called Talking Rx. But the one I want to talk about is ScripTalk. Why? Can’t write about everything in 500 words.

According to a disabilities lawyer (lflegal.com), many pharmacies are now offering talking labels and label readers for medication bottles. The lawyer’s website gives kudos to a number of chains. (We will ignore the thinly veiled attempt to drum up litigation business.)

I will get back to offering some chain names in a minute but first let’s talk about how this works. Apparently your pharmacist reads the label information into a device that digitizes the information and puts it on a little label that he attaches to the bottle. When you get it home, you have a reader that will allow you to hear what the pharmacist said.

Now, ScripTalk is offered through CVS, HEB, Walmart and Humana. It is a free service to satisfy the requirements of ADA. Of those four corporations, however, the article lists only the customer service numbers for CVS and WalMart. Got a pen? The CVS number is 800-746-7287. The Walmart mail-order pharmacy number is 1-888-237-3403.

Just because you are not in the States and subject to the ADA, does not mean you cannot get medicine bottle labels that talk to you. I have it on pretty good authority (the Vancouver Sun online from 10/07/2016) Shoppers Drug Mart was sued under Canadian accessibility laws and now offers ScripTalk, and free use of a ScripTalk reader.

In the United Kingdom Boots started offering talking medicine labels in 2006. (My, but the Colonies are Johnny-come-latelies on this!) Not exactly sure what is happening on this issue in Australia. Most of what I found there was about a general relabeling of all pharmaceuticals. Anyone know?

Call your pharmacy and see what they offer in the way of audio description labels and readers for your medications. If they have nothing it might be good to remind them this is an accessibility issue. Nothing then? I heard of this disability rights attorney….?

Have a great evening. Don’t accidental poison yourself.

Written August 11th, 2017

Continue reading “Managing Medications”

Fighting the Mess

Morning. I am officially overwhelmed. I have said it before: my life is cluttered. My house is cluttered. Sometimes even my mind is cluttered. On one level I realize this is not good for someone with visual impairment. It means I lose things. Lots of things. More things that I ever used to lose.

On another level, dealing with the mess can be just plain overwhelming. I don’t feel like tackling it. Sometimes it is a lot easier to buy new or do without.

Generally, the mess wins no matter what I do.

This morning things reached critical mass – again – and I figured I had better do something about it before it blew up. Parts of my half-hearted effort were to sort laundry and get rid of articles I had printed out but never written a page on.

Laundry and vision loss articles…they may not be two great things that go great together, but one of the printed out articles I found from VisionAware was about blind people doing laundry.

Does that freak you out a bit when things come together like that? That cosmic convergence stuff? Does me.

Anyway, laundry is not that hard for me. I keep the setting the same (except for delicates) and stick a finger in the measuring cup to make sure I don’t run the cup over with detergent. Then I wipe my hand on a piece of clothing so I am not all detergent-y. If I have to change the setting, I use a light to make sure it is right. My handheld reader has a light and that works well.

What I liked were the suggestions they made for ironing. I admire you people who are organized enough to get things out of the dryer and hang them instantly. I know this avoids a lot of wrinkles. I am great for leaving the house with the dryer running or going to bed with it on. Clothes have sat in the dryer for days. Meaning? I iron every morning.

VisionAware has some really good ideas. Since we all know contrast is a good thing when you are low vision, having a solid color ironing board cover is good. They also suggest you get a heat-treated pad to set your iron on when you are moving the clothing, etc. That will allow the hot part to be down and you don’t burn yourself when you reach for it.

Those are the two things you might have to purchase. Ideas that involve things you probably would not have to purchase include using a funnel or a turkey baster to put water in the iron. Personally, I just use an old Febreze bottle and squirt things. Marking the proper setting so you don’t scorch things can be done with that raised marking stuff or even nail polish. [Lin/Linda: When Sue says ‘raised marking stuff’ she means using tactile pens.]

The last idea I liked was finding the iron by grabbing the cord first. If the contrast of the cord with everything else is poor, tie a ribbon on it! After all, safety first.

OK, back to the fight. Personally, I think I am going to lose again.

Written August 6th, 2017

Continue reading “Fighting the Mess”

Put the Savor Back in Life

As my father got older I really started to worry about his nutrition. Left to his own devices Daddy would prepare a lunch of canned peaches in heavy syrup, a couple of cookies and a bowl of ice cream. It was like dealing with the tastes of a six year old! Sugar, sugar and more sugar!

I eventually learned taste loss comes with old age. Since sweet is the last flavor we can still taste, many of us go to a high sugar diet. Not all that great.

Lost of taste is just one of the sensory losses we experience. Science Digest in February of 2016 ran an article reporting 94% of older Americans have at least one sensory loss. 38% have losses in two senses and 28% have three, four or five sensory losses. Some of these deficits were mild but many of them were serious. The study found 64% of their sample ages 57 to 85 suffered with a significant deficit in at least one sense. 22% had major deficits in two or more senses.

Yikes! This is scary stuff!

Sensory loss takes the savor out of life – literally. It is one of the main reasons people may report a reduction in the quality of life.

Alright, now that we have had the stuffing scared out of us, what can be done about this? Most sources suggest getting any potential sensory loss evaluated medically. Some sensory problems cannot be treated but there are some that can.

Just because some of us have a vision loss that is currently not treatable does not mean the same holds true for other sensory loss. Don’t be fatalistic! Go for help.

Then, of course, there are rehabilitation services. I would like to say rehabilitation services and assistive technology is universally available, but I know better. If you cannot get services funded, use resources such as this website. We regularly try to find things that are free or relatively inexpensive that can help you cope with your vision loss. I expect there are websites for hearing impaired although I am less optimistic about sites on taste, smell and touch loss.

And speaking of smell and taste loss…

In Betrayed by our Bodies – Sensory Loss and Aging Dan Orzech suggests the use of odor detecting technology so we can avoid burning up in a fire (smoke detectors) or being asphyxiated by leaking gas.

Orzech suggested using a little butter or gravy to make the odor and flavor of food more chemically available. (A man after my own heart!). He also reported dehydration can make it harder to taste so make sure you drink your fluids.

Although not being able to see colors well is a hallmark of AMD, do what you can to make foods bright, colorful and visually appealing. Intensely colored foods are rated as more flavorful that dull colored foods.

Given the number of readers and FaceBook members we have, I would suspect more than one or two of you are experiencing multiple sensory losses. Don’t ignore them. There really are ways to put some of the savor back into life!

Written August 4th, 2016

Continue reading “Put the Savor Back in Life”

Behind the Wheel: Part 2

continued from Behind the Wheel: Part 1

In talking about why Yvonne drove after three years, she mentioned independence. Speaking personally, I would love the freedom of driving. The shared ride service here is a pain. The other night I was picked up at the Y and had to ride along to a local restaurant. We waited half an hour for the second passenger to get his ‘stuff’ together and get it on the road.

You have heard me scream plenty about rolling out of bed at the crack of dawn to get 10 miles down the road ‘only’ an hour early.

Unfortunately, shared rides come with many indignities and inconveniences.

Right now I have started ‘jonesing’ for a chocolate milkshake. The drive-in restaurant is only a mile away but it is on the other side of a busy road. I’m thinking that trying to get across that road for a milkshake – even a large! – may not be a good idea. Shared rides and going by foot may not leave a lot of room for spontaneity, either. (Yes, I do have a husband. He is dieting!)

I would love the freedom of driving. After all, this is the woman who renewed her license so she could feel like a big girl! But I don’t drive. The eyes in this head are too far gone.

Yvonne did her homework. Good idea. I did my homework for my bike riding. I know my routes pretty well. Today the Children’s Museum next to the Y had a street fair. The road was blocked. Detour ahead! On my bike, I just dismounted and walked through the fair. In a car, I would have been rerouted to a road I rarely travel. Things happen. The best laid plans of mice and men and all that. You cannot always count on doing what you planned to do.

Yvonne mentioned problems with family members using the car, not transporting her and not doing basic maintenance. Without the family members she is on her own. Maintenance? I used the same garage for nearly 40 years. I think if I asked, they would have come for me. I find it is always good to inquire. You don’t know what people will do for you until you ask.

My license has not been pulled. A few weeks back I went and had it renewed. No one questioned me. No one threw me behind bars. I can legally drive but I don’t.

Many states are not good about making sure people who should not drive don’t. And even if they pull licenses, the roads are full of unlicensed drivers anyway. Driving or not driving is the decision each of us must make for himself.

Would I ever drive? Perhaps. With a very sick husband or a very sick dog or if I had fewer resources, perhaps. I have said it before: I am blessed with resources. What would I do if truly stuck? Dunno. Maybe, but right now, my answer would still have to be no.

But what did the Yvonne do?

written August 6th, 2017

Continue reading “Behind the Wheel: Part 2”

Behind the Wheel: Part 3

continued from Behind the Wheel: Part 2

Did we leave you with a cliffhanger? Silly, of course: Yvonne drove! I am relieved to say she got home without injuring herself or others. The car still has all its pieces…but what did she say about it and will she make a habit of it?

If this were a TV show, we would have gone to commercial break, but since we have no sponsors, there will be no words from our sponsors…just returning to what she said:

Yvonne could not see any gauges – including the speedometer. Her dark glasses caused that problem. The lighting and shadows would change along the route and it was bothersome. She planned a route that took her a bit out of her way but allowed all right turns.

Yvonne felt a bit exhilarated she had accomplished the trip. She admitted she had been scared and said she would not make a habit out of it. Many places she has to go are in congested areas and she does not want to drive there.

So successful experiment for our reader. She tried it and I will not. I see waaay too many problems with it. What is the difference? And more importantly, should you try it yourself??????

I have no idea of how much vision loss Yvonne has. I know my loss pretty much precludes driving. But if no one ever said not to drive, how do we make that decision? [Lin/Linda: Yvonne lives in Alabama where they never check a driver’s vision. Also, her doctor never tells patients NOT to drive.]

I found a resource at AAA. That is the American Automobile Association. They have a special website SeniorDriving.aaa.com.  AAA suggests we try the informal driving self-assessment tool 65 Plus to start. If the informal assessment suggests we have problems, a professional driving skills evaluation can be conducted. This can be done at a driving examination site for your state DMV or by a trained driving instructor. AAA also suggests you might want to spend some time with an occupational therapist driving rehabilitation specialist.

Some of these services can be pricey. The OT evaluation may be between $200 and $400 according to AAA. If you need lessons, it may be $100 an hour. Rather doubt any of this is reimbursable by insurance but you can try.

When I tried to find the website for 65 Plus I came upon a number of things that look kind of cool. The self assessment is 15 questions. Also offered are videos with tips for dealing with physical changes that come with age and a site that will tell you how your medications may affect your driving.

Other resources are offered through AARP, American Association of Retired People. The AARP website page Driver Safety suggested there is a driver’s program only 12 miles away from me. Amazing.

My research also suggested some states do driver’s training for ‘mature’ drivers. Check in your state for information.

So, going back to my original statement. Specifically, I am supposed to be the only bad influence on this website.

Please, please, please do not try to drive just because one reader had a successful jaunt. Think you might be able to drive? Have your hunch tested by a professional.

Been told you should not drive? For your sake, my sake and everyone else’s sake, listen, for crying out loud! You don’t want to ruin lives.

And if you are being pigheaded and driving in Pennsylvania? Tell us where you are. I want to stay far, far away.

written August 6th, 2017

Continue reading “Behind the Wheel: Part 3”

Behind the Wheel: Part 1

TGIF! Happy Friday! In real time it is the beginning of August, 2017. As usual, Lin and I have been pleading for ‘audience participation’ in the website and we actually got some! One of our readers who is also a member of our Facebook group has been sharing some of her experiences with Lin. Yvonne submitted a comment on one of the recent website pages.

Now a little background on how things work with comments. As I said when we started, Lin and I retain the right to refuse anything we do not think is appropriate. Advertisements are a no no. Anything too private or salacious may have us twittering over it but it does not get to the website???. Also, I reserve the right to remain the only bad influence for the site!

That said, Lin got Yvonne’s comment & did not publish it but asked her if we could share parts of what she wrote. She gave her go-ahead.

The topic? Driving with vision loss.

Why just pieces? First reason is this: it scared the bejesus out of us. Second reason: Yvonne outlined how she was going to try driving and we do not want any of you getting any ideas! We will not be responsible.

Yvonne said she was getting behind the wheel for the first time in three years. Oy vay. I would be afraid to get behind the wheel after a year and a half. I have asked my husband to let me drive in a huge empty parking lot and he has refused. He’s afraid of me behind the wheel, too.

I know riding my bike at 7 or 8 miles an hour there are some things I don’t see until I am right on top of them. At 4 times that speed I would be running right into them. Also, coming back from kayaking the other day my friend stopped for an accident. The cop was directing traffic but I could not see his hand signals. What would I have done if I were driving? Gotten out of the car and asked him what he wanted me to do?!?! Don’t think so.

Yvonne said she is not able to see the dials and gauges. Not sure what kinds of gear display her car has but I know I used to have one with the gears on the dash. Putting a car in drive instead of park or reverse instead of drive could be the last mistake I ever make….or ever want to make.

And even if a driver believes he is happily in control at 20 miles an hour in a 35 mph zone, what about the person driving behind him? Could he guarantee he is not going to pass on a double yellow and have a head-on collision? Or how about when he starts blinking his lights, honking his horn and screaming at you? Could someone even hope to maintain composure?

Another point: Yvonne was driving in a neighborhood. While I know kids don’t play outside as much as we did, some still do. Kids are unpredictable and do not follow the rules. Kill or maim a child? Kill me now because I am not sure I could live with that.

So those are my initial thoughts on that. Why did she want to drive? What happened? Tune in next page!

written August 5th, 2017

Continue reading “Behind the Wheel: Part 1”

BlindSquare App

When I was at the Summer Academy a couple of people mentioned they were navigating with an app called BlindSquare. They asked if I used it and I was almost sheepish to admit my vision is still good enough to navigate with plain old Google Maps.  It is surprising how social norms change from place to place.  I felt like being blinder would have given me more ‘street cred’, but what the hey, I got by.

BlindSquare appears to be the app VIPs (Visually Impaired Persons) in the know use to navigate. According to its advertising BlindSquare is the “world’s most popular accessible GPS-app developed for the blind and visually impaired.” It is said to describe the environment, announce points of interest and also alert you to street intersections as you travel.

The home page says BlindSquare is self-voicing and has a dedicated speech synthesizer, whatever that means. There is an audio menu that can be accessed with the buttons on the side of your phone. Seeing the screen is not required.

BlindSquare announces your progress towards your destination. It marks your spot (sounds like Beastie Baby!) and can lead you back should you want to return. The app opens with voice over. BlindSquare ‘understands’ a variety of languages. These include many of the most ‘popular’ European languages as well as some others like Finnish and Romanian. The farthest east they go looks to be Turkish. The farthest south they go looks like Arabic.

Reading the comments it seemed to me the developers of BlindSquare are awesome people. They responded in the affirmative to just about all of the suggestions and have been adding languages right along.  Updates are added regularly.

Now for the bad news. BlindSquare is $40.00 in the App Store. There is a free version called Blindsq Event  available in the App Store but it is seriously pared down from the for a fee version. The pay version featured three or four pages of options and Blindsq Event featured one. I would say what  do you want for nothing, but my answer would be ‘the World!’ so I know better than to ask that question.

I just downloaded the free version and will play with it later. As always, I would love to have others’ opinions. Please download it and let us know what you think.

Those who have the pay BlindSquare, please chime in!

written August 2nd, 2017

Continue reading “BlindSquare App”

Talking to Your ATM

Before I get on the topic of this page, I want to give you a quick FYI. If you remember, I mentioned my monocular was full of condensation. Could not see a thing! Although I think many of you know this anyway, I just wanted to remind you: don’t throw it away; dry it out. I plopped mine down in a nice, warm patch of sunshine and it is all better now. Hair dryers work, too. Microwaves do not. Monoculars have metal on them.

And from low tech aids to high tech….automated teller machine, ATMs, money machines, call them what you will, they are practically ubiquitous to modern life. Problem is, most of them require you to see and read that glary, little screen. Yippee.

I have sort of memorized the one I generally use. As long as the questions are the same and the answers are in the same places, I’m good. When I first lost a lot of vision and I had not mastered the routine, it was nasty.

If you are still able to see, don’t just mindlessly push buttons. When you use an ATM, think about what you are doing and master the sequencing and positioning. It will serve you if you lose sight later.

You may not have noticed but many, many ATMs have jacks for headsets. American Federation for the Blind reported there are 100,000 ATMs that are able to be operated by voice just in the States alone. All you need is a headset with a microphone. Plug in and do your banking. The ATM will ‘talk’ to you and guide you through the transaction.

I found a 2012 article from the Telegraph reporting Barclay’s had installed audio technology in three quarters of their cash machines in England and Wales. They should be farther along in the process now. The technology was reported to work with pretty much any standard headset.

The article went on to say Barclay’s had made the modifications when they realized people were being required to share security information in order to make simple transactions. They were also concerned about “small and fiddly” buttons – you guys know how to describe things? – and inconsistencies among machines.

Not sure how many other banks are actually providing talking ATMs. Be sure to inquire if you are interested – and even if you’re not. It is always good to give these people a nudge.

Prashant Naik did a nice comparison between the talking ATM and ATMs with public voice guidance. He reported that each screen is voiced but everything is private because you are hearing it through the headset. If you want to blank out the screen, you can. Naik also remarked upon larger fonts and better contrast if you do chose to use the screen. Naik in fact wrote 24 comparison points in his chart. He concludes the talking ATM is a superior product.

And btw, Naik is writing about India so these things are available internationally.

Once again, I have not tried an auditory ATM myself. I am telling you what I have read. I will occasionally try something and report but at the moment I am functional with what I have and if I bought everything – like headphones with a microphone for example – I would soon be in the poorhouse. Still hoping for some audience participation, guys. Who has used an auditory ATM? Stand and report!

written July 30th, 2017

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Centers for Independent Living

Moving right along, promised you a page on the Center for Independent Living. Let’s do it!

As Virgil’s (sweet, lovable guide dog that he is) Mom was telling me, Centers for Independent Living (CIL) are pretty much all over in the United States. At Virtual CIL you can click a state and a list for that state appears. CIL does appear to be international at least on a small scale. I found one in Dublin, Ireland. Where else? No clue. My browser keeps routing me back to local offerings. Too much like work to try to find many more. Check under Center for Independent Living in your area.

Centers for Independent Living are often funded by government rehabilitation agencies. However, I was told they do have some discretionary funds to use with those who don’t qualify for government funding.

CIL offers peer counseling from people who have practical experience living with your disability. They also offer advocacy. Although they work to support legislation for disability rights and teach self-advocacy, they provide more practical support like helping clients get better transportation or housing as well.

Skill training is a big part of CIL according to the websites. They are reported to not only run educational programs to help people DIY but also to help find trustworthy and reliable caregivers and even financial advisers.

Under the heading of information and referral, they list a variety of things. It sounds as if they may have speakers. Referrals to specialists and suggestions for home modifications and adaptive equipment are likewise within their purview.

Other services? They have LIMITED funds to do basic structural modifications that will allow you to continue to live at home. We are talking things like lowering a section of counter if you are wheelchair bound, not renovating so you have a state of the art, gourmet kitchen.

CIL also offers an awareness program so young people and other, similarly ignorant folks can experience ‘having’ a disability. There is disability sensitivity training – although I daresay one of the camp kids I met had some of the BEST, semi tasteless blind jokes ever! – as well as Americans with Disability Act compliance training for employers and training for firefighters and other emergency responders on how to rescue us – and deal with us! – if need be.

It does sound as if Centers for Independent Living can be a good resource for us who need just a little extra support and knowledge to make it happen as VIPs (visually impaired persons). Of course, like everything in life, individual results may vary. There are dozens of these centers and I would suspect quality of services is not the same everywhere. What I know I learned from a CIL employee who is proud of the job she is doing and a web page or two. Go check it out and report back. Your experiences cannot help others unless you report them. Here is your forum.

written July 30th, 2017

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Take the Bus

Back home from Lion Country! Nittany Lions, that is. We are Penn State! and all that. I rate the overall trip as a success. I made a few contacts and got some ideas.

The more I heard about what the kids were doing the more I thought we need a similar program for adults. How to use an ATM, do laundry, cook, use a long cane, technology…!

Just found an article on ATM use. Will write that up soon.

This morning I got the courtesy shuttle to the bus station. The bus trip was uneventful. Do I like riding the bus? No, but one of these days it may be necessary and I should have the experience.

The woman I was speaking with at the Summer Academy  (Virgil’s Mom! Did I mention I fell in love with Virgil?) said she has had mixed experiences with bus riding. The driver was nice but she was treated shabbily in the station at her destination. She may not even have light perception so her challenges are greater than the average person with AMD, whoever that might be.

Just the same, sometimes people can be royal pains. Make sure you have a few numbers to call in a crisis.

I did not ride with Greyhound but VisionAware did a piece on traveling on Greyhound (and other providers) a bit ago. They provided a number: 1-800-752-4841. This is the hotline for Greyhound. They like you to call 48 hours in advance of your trip.  If you have special needs, they prefer to know in advance. Reasonable, I think. I don’t like last minute complications either.

Remember you also need to be reasonable in your requests. Things like help finding a seat or the bathroom are within the realm of acceptable. If you are not getting even that modicum of consideration, I would expect that number also takes complaints.

Would I take a bus again? Yes, if it were my only option.  I would have to chose carefully to avoid the ‘milk run’ and hitting every village and crossroads along the way. I am just not that patient. This combination of public transportation and ‘Hubby Trailways’ transportation system worked out well.

The times I have been in England we were either driving (God bless us!), in a tour bus or on the trains. However, Britain does have a bus system. In British city transportation systems, stops are announced over the public address system, after which my first reaction was always to turn to a native and say “Excuse me. What did he say?”  Inelegant, but it got the job done.

Britain is not only supposed to be in the process of introducing free bus passes to those over 60 and those with disabilities (most of us on both points I would suspect) but they are also introducing a talking sign system. This is among several, other changes meant to make public transportation more accessible in Britain. See Jonathan Webb’s Bus Travel and the Blind or Visually Impaired for more info.

And FYI for you dog lovers, the Beastie Baby is now two days post when the vet expected her to live. Knock wood, cross fingers, cross toes, cross eyes. She still has not gotten the memo about her impending demise and we are not telling her!

Enjoy your evening!

written July 29th, 2017

Continue reading “Take the Bus”

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