2024 looks to be a big year in addressing medical devices when it comes to their accessibility for us who are blind or low-vision. Currently, HR 1328 has been taken up by the U.S. Senate with the aim of directing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make at home medical devices better able to be used by us without assistance. Medical devices in the doctor’s office such as adjustable tables, diolysis machines, etc. are being addressed for their accessibility by people having any physical disability.

But here’s the catch. What if there are offices where no one is trained to explain such accessibility to patients? What if there are no one in your area who can show you how to use that at-home medical equipment in a way that best accommodates you? Said equipment would lie dormant and, in time, forgotten. The solution lies in the training and encouraged schoolinbg of vision or low-vision rehabilitation therapists.

Yes, I know, says the ACVREP, we can smack a unit or two of continuing education for those occupation therapists already in the field. We may pat them on the back with a tiny raise and say, “Go to it.”

That’s not an adequate response. Instead, we need to recruit people to schools like Salus University, Western Michigan, Florida State, or Northern Illinois where schools for blind and low-vision studies teach students how to teach people who are blind or low-vision in the terms that best suits them. The same goes for instruction in orientation and mobility or assistive technology.

Said students can be low-vision or blind themselves or can be fully sighted. In any case, where the needs are, we need people who will rightly meet those needs with the appropriate expertise.

With that said, as bills mandating the FDA or the DOJ to enforce the accessibility for medical devices progress through Congress, our schools where blind and low-vision specialists are trained need to ramp up the recruitment efforts. Yes, all said schools have online options. Yes, all of them incorporate 400 hours of internship that goes toward licensure. That is all fine and good as far as training goes. Yet, there needs to be a further advocacy component as well that engages VA hospitals, centers for independent living (CIL’s), Vocation Rehabilitation, and State departments for the blind to employ graduates who are specifically trained and vetted for fostering voice, choice, and independence in the blindness community.

In short, vision rehabilitation therapists (VRT’s), certified orientation and mobility specialists (COMS), and certified assistive technology instruction specialists (CATIS) are in high demand and for a very good reason. They can go into teritory where the average home healthcare worker or CNA may not be able to navigate when dealing with patients who are blind, deaf, quadriplegic, or any combination thereof.

Thus, as we pour our passions toward advocating for legislation upholding the rights and dignity of people who are physically disabled, we encourage the training of workers in the blindness and low-vision field with just as much fervor.

As Boldly Blind is turning two years old, I hope you all are continuing to enjoy reading this blog as much as I am writing. My hope is to build the site and your experience more as the next few months unfold. Here is a bit on how I want to boost your reading, interacting, and encouraging others to be boldly blind.

First, contact me. This site now has a regular email address where you can drop your compliments, critiques, suggestions, and recommendations. In short, I want to hear from you about topics to address, article suggestions which you’ve gathered on the web, and writing you have done that you’d like posted on Boldly Blind. That way this blog can be our thing, nuestra cosa, not just me to you or just a stop on a random browsing venture through the disabiliverse.

So write me at davidrosenkoetter@boldlyblind.blog or enter your message at this link which you can find also under the contact link on the site. https://boldlyblind.blog/contact/

Also, consider this email spot a way in which you can request some trouble-shooting. Say you want to subscribe to the blog-and I hope you do after reading it for the first couple times-but the edit field for putting your email address. Let me know and I can see how I can best help you.

In short, let’s be boldly blind together-whether you are yourself blind or low-vision or know someone who is as we navigate life’s contours.

It’s always fun coming across new technology that’s out there for us who are blind. This braille display that I just heard of through a friend’s FB page goes much further than being a reader of books. It’s from Zoomax and you can check out a multi-part tutorial for it here: https://www.loc.gov/search/?fa=partof:nls+ereader+zoomax+how-to+series

Of course, it’s been out since late 2020 or 2021. Yet, like so many of the gadgets and gismos we get to use, not everyone gets wind of it right away.

And, another bonus reminder to coming with this braille reader: Yes, braille is still and will always be a crutial meadia for written communication, especially for us who are totally blind.

An old tower rises above the 93 acre plot of ground at 7725 North College Avenue in Indianapolis, a historic landmark along with the buildings on either side of it. Icon of the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired’s heritage, will soon stand like a sentinel over the changes that are coming upon campus As of July 1 of this year. For the campus as we know it will be under great demolition and reconstruction for five years. Still for any of us who saw that tower or heard someone’s description of it, the image will always remain etched in our minds.

That tower told of much more than marble marvels of architecture. For within its walls and through the whole school’s corridors resound echoes of our stories, classes, fun and frustration. To keep the memory alive, the Last Blast At ISBVI will bring together former and present-day teachers, alumni and current students, and those of us who were there for part of our schooling.

You can read about this awesome event here. Perhaps, if you are blind or know someone who is blind, you might consider journeying to the campus yourself, not just to see the old tower but to walk the halls that have been there since 1931. Let me share a few memories of my own at the monolith of wisdom, truth, honor, and grace-the best school in the land, as the school song croons.
Now, if you have driven past the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired or seen its main building on the news, you might think it looks like a castle, a bulwark of sorts. Like other buildings erected at that time for educational excellence, it was meant to serve as a beacon for everyone in the State. Here, just like in previous locations, the Indiana School for the Blind has proven that students with any degree of vision loss can learn just as well and adjust to life as equally as any other child going through public or private schools. Teachers down through the decades have shared their knowledge in history and civics, math, science, English and Spanish. I can recall my favorites by name nearly four decades after transferring from there: Ms. Heck, Mr. Gacsco, Mr. Davis, Mrs. Griffin, and many, many more.

If you walked the halls during or after the school day, the sounds of a piano or woodwind might grace your ears. That’s because Mrs. Francisco, Mr. Porter, and those who followed their tenures instilled more than knowledge about what notes to play. They fostered a burning love for that music long after graduating. Mrs. Price’s choirs sang as beautifully as any choirs in the State, often at local functions and dinners along with the concerts they’d give on campus.

Can you hear those saws or hammers resounding from D-Dorm? Yes, that’s shop class being taught by Mr. Reynolds. Or that aroma of grilled cheese or fried chicken wafting from K-Dorm meant that Ms. Lobdell was teaching her students to cook up something tasty along with how to organize a kitchen.

Stick around after the school day’s done and you’ll hear the coaches, drilling the guys in wrestling as they prepared for meets a couple times a week during the winter. In the fall, Mr. Gacsco’s voice rose above the sound of birds or distant traffic as he urged the competitors in track and field during their practice in hopes of beating other schools for the blind across the midwest.

Now, of course, the methods for teaching class are different, the technology much more complex than when I attended there. Yet, the fervor has remained the same, preparing…challenging…encouraging students to be ready when stepping in the big world beyond those 93 acres for college or work.

I can remember well the times in the dorms as many of us stayed on campus during the week, returning home only for Saturdays an Sundays. Our house parents, as we called them, kept us entertained. When my friends and I were little kendergarteners, Miss Murray got down on her hands and knees while we played pile on or blocks in Lambert 1 or she’d imitate Oscar the Grouch by jumping in a trash can while we all giggled. I learned I like pizza for the first time when Ms. Beimfore took our first grade boys in Lambert 4 to the Paramount Pizza Palace. As we grew older, house parents took us on walks off campus like to Broad Ripple or a near by park…or sliding down hills and wading through creeks like we’d do with Mr. Johanchess. And, as the tween years made our energies rage, house parents like Ms. Ulrich, Mr. Odom, and Mrs. Brown talked sports with us, chatted up the dating scene with us, and of course got into much of the same music that rocked our changing worlds.

You can ask any of us and we’ll tell you the struggles, too-crying as little kids while watching our parents leave us for the week…getting confused while some amount of our sight deteriorated in waves during a single afternoon…throwing temper tantrums when communication breakdowns or homesickness got the best of us.

And through it all-sometimes not appreciated till years later-the bond between us formed memories that would last our whole lives. As house parents encouraged our skills for everyday life, Mr. Soja and Mr. Busick taught us how to use the red-tipped white cane and a whole swath of routes for traveling off campus.

Yes, when we were in the dorms, we were kids and were allowed to be like any other kids-playing Star Wars with those action figures when in elementary, getting into cars and cops as we watched the Dukes Of Hazzard, Some of us started picking guitar, collecting our tapes-yes, way before CD’s and downloadable music off the internet. *grin* Yes, we sure had a life before the www at ISB. Then as the music played on Wednesday nights, we learned to dance and talk smack while doing so at the time for cantene. Some of us fed off an older friend’s developing talent as a student deejay when jamming out with a dual cassette boom box and a Mr. Microphone. We played blind pranks on each other at the oddest moments and no one was immune to those ambushes from silently waiting floormates, having a cup of water douse our hair unawares, and so much more.

Yes, the rough-housing, the relaxation, rec events, and radio all brought us together beyond the classroom.

Yes, from the tower to the track, from the basement cantene dance floor to the Boy Scout cabin-ISBVI’s hallowed grounds laid some foundation for who we all still are today decades later.

So on March 23, from 12:00-5:00 PM, teachers, students, and friends will give Rocketland one last blast of let’s-remember before its campus changes forever. If you can’t make it or even if you can, tune in http://www.Z103.com where the internet radio station hosted by ISB grad, Monte Sieberns, will give live coverage of this incredible day.

As reported on Friday evening, the 2024 Southwest Regionals for goalball set a number of story lines in motion along with lots of stiff competition. Once returning to their championship form, the Manticores ran the table to win the event for the men and the Minks showed a solid unbeaten performance in winning the women’s division.

You can find the breakdown of medals and results here. Needless to say, we have much to anticipate this season. The King Cobras from Seattle are for real with, no doubt, a favorite for season MVP in Daryl Walker. His agility and shot selection garnered him by far the most individual points of any player.

The balanced scoring of the Texas Rattlesnakes makes them an automatic threat regardless of who they will face in future games. Sure, Will Lopez and Jim Debus were in peak form but you cannot push the ball at will past any of the Rattlesnakes’ inside defense. Rather than speculating on what chinks in the Manticores’ armor Friday’s match-up revealed, fix on the preparedness of the Rattlesnakes poise to rack up a lot of points at will.

As for the repeat national champion Manticores, we know what the top three long-standing teammates-Wellborn, Main, and Buhler- can bring. Now add to the rotation Ali As reported on Friday evening, the 2024 Southwest Regionals for goalball set a number of story lines in motion along with lots of stiff competition. Once returning to their championship form, the Manticores ran the table to win the event for the men and the Minks showed a solid unbeaten performance in winning the women’s division.

You can find the breakdown of medals and results here. Needless to say, we have much to anticipate this season? The King Cobras from Seattle are for real with, no doubt, a favorite for season MVP in Daryl Walker. His agility and shot selection garnered him by far the most individual points of any player.

The balanced scoring of the Texas Rattlesnakes makes them an automatic threat regardless of who they will face in future games. Sure, Will Lopez and Jim Debus were in peak form but you cannot push the ball at will past any of the Rattlesnakes’ inside defense. Rather than speculating on what chinks in the Manticores’ armor Friday’s match-up revealed, fix on the preparedness of the Rattlesnakes poise to rack up a lot of points at will.

As for the repeat national champion Manticores, we know what the top three long-standing teammates-Wellborn, Main, and Buhler- can bring. Now add to the rotation Ali Ghousiasl, whose defense and scoring punch made for several photo ops which you can see throughout the competition. Just check out Ability 360’s webpage and scroll down to the links taking you to the various days of action. Will this foursome garner yet more victories for the Manticores this year en route to another title in USABA goalball? The next few months will unveil that possibility as the Manticores, whose members hail from various parts of the country, display their passion for the game and prowess few have matched in recent memory.

On the women’s side, without the NJ Honeybees present, the Maryland Minks were simply dominant led by Bridget Cassidy. In addition, the relatively new team-the NY Disciples showed that they are a program on the rise. Meghan Fink and her teammates will no doubt show even more maturity in the game as coached by Alvin Suarez. So don’t be surprised for even better results for them than this tournament’s bronze.

As always, Boldly Blind will bring further updates on the forthcoming tournaments and individual accolades in USABA Goalball. So stay tuned as those goalballs roll!

Who knew the story lines kicking off the 2024 USABA goal ball season would include the Rattlesnakes’ second round victory over the Manticores today at the Southwest Regionals? Fans like me had no doubts that last year’s repeat National champions would run through the field with as much ease as they did many tournaments last year.

Yet, the Rattlesnakes had a whole other thing in mind-lock-down defense. And that’s what they played from start to finish in their game against the Manticores. They filled the gaps, clogged up the angles and…oh, yes…scored a bunch of points in so many ways.

Of course, that didn’t diminish the complete dominance that the Manticores showed in their first and third round games against the Chicago Fury and Utah Raptors respectively. Zach Buhler’s scoring punch was simply on fire and everyone they brought along got in the game. When their day was all said and done, they’d mercied the the team from Utah 16-6.

Another story line to watch came in the scoring dominance of King Cobras’ star, Darryl Walker. The Rattlesnakes simply had no answers to his relentless and accurate shots. He didn’t stop with game first round but kept pouring it on regardless of who they faced in the next two rounds. Of course, he’d be the one to take most of the penalty shots, too. Who would block them? In short, if Walker’s performance keeps up, we are talking an easy MVP status for him during the first tournament.

A final line to follow is that of the Maryland Minks’ women’s team. Without last year’s champs, the NJ Honeybees there, it has become a matter of how much the Minks will win by, not if they’re going to collect the victories. Brianna Pumphfree and Britany Breen were on fire from the offensive and defensive perspective. Credit to Alvin Suarez for coaching this team to their first few victories so far in this tournament.

Of course, others on various teams gave a great accounting of their skill including the Fury’s Juan Gonzalez, the ECA Reapers’ Jeremy Capati, and the Rattlesnakes’ Will Lopez and Jim Debus.

Let’s anticipate more great play-by-play call by Bill and Darryl over the USABA’s Youtube channel as the y bring us tomorrow’s excitement. We’ve got just a few more games to go before we’re in elimination rounds. For a full rundown of all the results from today throughout the weekend, visit http://www.goalballscoreboard.net.

Looking forward to the games and more discussion on the live chat that USABA’s YouTube channel provides.

I’m very glad that Ed Henkler at The Blind Guide posted this link requesting blind and low-vision participants to test a new mobility app for indoor travel. So often we think of orientation and mobility as effecting geting around outdoors-crossing streets, using moving sidewalks at airports or light rail transit in major cities.

Just as important is our travel safety indoors. I hope you or a blind friend you know will take advantage of this opportunity to help the developers of the RightHere App in their work.

Here is the link to sign up:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdeF-Gy31THsTCuse3pwWFPk-99GDf-Wrz4h9V7z2gauYAH3Q/viewform

Not everyday do we see blind advocates become actresses in the blink of an eye. But when Aria Loberti was extended a role on the Netflix Series, “All The Light We Cannot See,” she didn’t shrink back. Instead, she and her guide dog were glad to take on that part which led her to the Golden Globe Awards! Check out this article from the Guide Dog Foundation’s website and links to an accompanying interview with Aria herself.

https://www.guidedogs.com/blog/aria-mia-loberti-netflix

For those of us who have lost our sight over a series of waves, readjusting to the “new” normal gets tiresome. We’re changing the font on the computer screen and the enlargement of our letters. Keeping up with shots to our eyes gets painful and dominates our schedules.

Then there’s that nagging conscience that wavers between the fear of another wave of sight loss and the potential hardships that might bring. We critique and critique ourselves in how we cook, clean the kitchen, shrink away from social contact, and the list goes on.

On a recent edition of Hadley School’s “Insights and Soundbites,” Ann encourages us to look at our sight loss as if it were happening to someone else. You can check it out here or at the link at the end of this post.

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Often the motivation to get someone’s help with everyday tasks vacillates between glum apathy to eager anticipation in a matter of minutes. Each time the wave of sight loss hits, you are adjusting to again. Ann’s experience tells us the very real emotions that hit when we constantly assess how to meet our needs.

The question, though, ,remains. How might we anticipate the next wave of sight loss in the equipment we use, how large or small we adjust our computer screens, or the frequency we use a mobility cane or walk down a busy street without one.

One solution some present is using sleep shades as you reteach yourself to cook or sign your name or dress yourself. Some schools such as the Louisiana or Colorado Center for the Blind have every client in residence go under sleepshades more than not. The staff members have some degree of blindness, so they know the impact the whole process has on someone.

We who follow blind sports know that goalball requires everyone to go under sleepshades for the whole game. Everyone plays on the same level with feel of lines on the court and the sound of the bell-filled ball to guide their play.

But are sleep shades for everyone? Some centers like World Services for the Blind do not require trainees to wear them. Instead, they begin with the skill level each person is at. Then they build from there. When in residence at WSB on a couple occasions, I had acquaintances who underwent one or more waves of sight loss there. On one occasion, that meant taking some time from the planned course of study to re-engage with some mobility skills to readjust to a blurrier line of sight.

If you notice some change in your vision due to not being able to read the mail or cooking instructions so well, don’t wait. Instead, talk to your primary doctor and get referred asap to an eye doctor who can determine the best course of action-bifocal glasses, monocular lenses, or even taking off the glasses for good and handing your car keys to someone else.

Especially changes like this last one takes some serious self-talk, objectivity, and encouragement from family and friends. That’s why it’s important to DIY the coping with your vision loss. Finding friends and acquaintances on or off-line will help you view what’s happening through other people’s perspectives. Read blog posts or listen to Youtube videos of people who have successfully progressed on the coping journey. As someone who enjoys fitness, I love hearing how some of our USABA athletes talk about the paths they have taken and the type of workouts they do.

It’s very common for people going blind to accept the hovering hands eager to do everything or to just give in as if their abilities have waned along with their sight. This, however, leaves you in a static bubble that neither you or anyone else can willingly pop. Instead, adjusting to your vision loss through the questions asked of or to someone else will sharpen your skills toward knowing what to expect. Then, you can better approach each change with boldness, armed with the right questions to ask when navigating life’s contours.

https://hadley.edu/podcasts/insights-sound-bites/how-would-you-help-if-it-wasnt-you

Everyone’s experience navigating the web is different. Yet, the bugs or glitches in accessing some content is the same for many blind or low-vision users. That’s one reason a new survey promoted by Freedom Scientific is important.

Partnering with a group from Utah State, Freedom Scientific is gauging how well people of all experience levels and expertise can navigate the web. Follow this link and take the survey yourself. Anything we can do to assist web developers and assistive tech instructors in making the online environment the most conducive for our use the better.

Take the WebAIM Survey