Blindness Prevention in Diabetics

Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in American adults according to an article from the Indiana University Newsroom. IU researchers have created a virtual tissue model of diabetes in the eye which can hopefully be used to develop new treatments for the disease.

To read the entire article, please visit:
http://news.indiana.edu/releases/iu/2016/07/diabetic-retinopathy-study.shtml

Books on vision impairments for kids

Looking out for Sarah is a Schneider Family Book Award winner and is written from the perspective of Sarah's service dog, Perry. Perry helps Sarah, a blind musician and teacher, navigate her way through her day. "This true story of an amazing black Labrador retriever and his owner will inspire young readers to follow their own dreams and give them the courage to achieve anything." -publisher

Another Schneider Family Book Award winner that CeDIR recently purchased is Things Not Seen. This book is about a fifteen year old boy who suddenly turns invisible to everyone, including himself. "For Bobby that means no school, no friends, no life.  He's a missing person.  Then he meets Alicia.  She's blind, and Bobby can't resist talking to her, trusting her.  But people are starting to wonder where Bobby is.  Bobby knows that his invisibility could have dangerous consequences for his family and that time is running out.  He has to find out how to be seen again-before it's too late." -publisher

Want to check out either of these books? Email us at cedir@indiana.edu or use Worldcat to find them in a library near you:
Looking Out for Sarah
Things Not Seen

Competing while blind

A Franklin, Indiana, high school student competes in her school's cross country meet. It's not so unusual an occurrence except for the fact that she's blind.

"I don't believe in blindness," says Logan Anderson. "I don't believe it's a disability. I think that's ridiculous and shouldn't stop anyone from doing anything they want to do."

An article found on therepublic.com has the whole story. Read it at:
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/ca8f79298d5a4055870d6e231fe8470b/IN--Blind-Runner

A watch for people with blindness

"The Bradley Timepiece, a watch designed for blind people and named after a Paralympian gold medallist who lost his sight in Afghanistan, is up for design of the year at London's Design Museum."

So begins an article found online at BBC News Magazine. This watch is amazing in its simple design that is so similar to other timepieces worn by those who have sight. Two ball bearings are used; one to indicate hours and one to indicate minutes.

To read the entire story, please visit: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26920782

IUPUI graduate wins Learning Ally National Achievement Award

According to an article in the Indiana Daily Student, Robin Kyle, a blind graduate of IUPUI, is one of 15 students across the country to receive a Learning Ally National Achievement Award. Kyle earned the award through academic work and her tireless advocacy for students like herself — those without the means to learn and read conventionally.

Read more about the award and Kyle at: http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=95894

Olympic News

According to NBC News, an archer who is legally blind just broke his own world record! Read the entire article at: http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-blogs/archery/south-korea-opens-games-with-record-scores.html?chrcontext=record-performances

Mobile App Monday - Digit Eyes

Digit-Eyes reads barcode labels. It enables people without vision to scan UPC / EAN codes and hear the names of over 25 million products. Users can also make their own barcode labels on the Digit-Eyes website and print them on inexpensive address labels. These barcodes may contain text that VoiceOver reads aloud or they can be used to record audio on your iPhone or iPad that is played back whenever the bar code is scanned.

To learn more about this app, visit: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/digit-eyes-audio-scanner-labeler/id376424490?mt=8#

Helen Keller in Her Story

Helen Keller In Her Story is a simple, honest, tremendously moving saga that is brought to the screen with the help of such notables as Katherine Cornell, Martha Graham, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Through newsreels, interviews, photographs and motion pictures, this film traces the life of Helen Keller from birth until 76 years of age, and shows how this blind, deaf, and mute woman became one of the most celebrated women of two centuries.


Interested? Email us at cedir@indiana.edu to check out this title. Or try worldcat.org to find it in a library near you.

Help with Tuition for Adults with Blindness

Looking for a little help with college tuition for someone who is blind?

"To recognize achievement by blind scholars, the National Federation of the Blind annually offers blind college students in the United States and Puerto Rico the opportunity to win one of thirty national scholarships worth from $3,000 to $12,000.

"Applicant requirements:

1. must be legally blind in both eyes, and
2. must be residing in the United States, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico, and
3. must be pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, postsecondary course of study in a degree program at a United States institution in the 2012 scholastic year, except that one scholarship may be given to a person employed full-time while attending school part-time, and
4. must participate in the entire NFB national convention and in all of its scheduled scholarship program activities.

"In addition to a scholarship, each winner will receive assistance to attend the 2012 National Federation of the Blind Annual Convention in July, providing an excellent opportunity for high-level networking with active blind persons in many different professions and occupations."

For more information, visit the National Federation of the Blind's Scholarship Program page at: http://nfb.org/scholarship-program

Freedom Scientific releases JAWS 12

Freedom Scientific today announced the release of JAWS® for Windows version 12, including JAWS BrailleIn™, a powerful new feature that enables users who prefer typing in Braille to use contracted Braille in common Microsoft applications such as Internet Explorer and Word. JAWS 12 includes a new Virtual Ribbon feature which provides a fast way to navigate the Ribbon Menus that Microsoft uses in Office 2007 and Windows 7. JAWS 12 also replaces the Configuration Manager with a new Settings Center. The Settings Center allows easy access to all JAWS settings and includes a search box to instantly locate and adjust the desired settings.

The upgrade is an SMA release and can be downloaded as either 32-bit or 64-bit versions from the JAWS downloads page. DVD shipments to SMA holders and new product customers will commence on Nov. 2, 2010.

Blindness and the brain

After two surgeries to cure his blindness of 40 years, Mike May was frustrated with the results. The 43-year-old could see the outlines of his wife's face but not the details. Why couldn't he "see" more clearly with what doctors claimed was one perfectly-functioning eye? The answer was surprising: his brain.

Read the entire NPR article at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129731859&sc=fb&cc=fp