What could be better than giving back the ability to read and enjoy stories to veterans who are living with vision loss? Not much! The National Library Service (NLS) and the Library of Congress have teamed up to create the Braille and Talking Book Program.Any honorably discharged Veteran who is living with blindness, low vision, or a disability that keeps them from reading traditional print can access talking books, audio magazines, and digital talking-book players for free. The Program mails participants the materials they select online; the NLS has an impressive catalog of best-sellers to classics.
For more information: Call the National Library Service at 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323) or visit them on the web.
Please contact San Diego Center for the Blind if you require assistance. We offer several services for people living with visual impairments.
“Free Braille and Talking Book Program for Veterans”
A new study indicates that cataract surgery may help people beyond giving patients better vision. Research published in JAMA Ophthalmology shows that patients with new lenses following cataract surgery got more REM sleep or deep sleep. They also did better on cognition tests. The findings suggest that the amount of light entering the eye regulates the internal clock of humans.
Color blindness is a condition that affects millions of people around the globe. Dental hygienist, Savannah Allen (22), has been living with the condition since she was a small child. Naturally, her inability to precisely identify colors makes her job more difficult.
Ian Treherne was born deaf, and then began losing his vision at 15. Treherne has a rare genetic condition called Usher syndrome. Even though the disease stole 95 percent of his vision, Ian is a self-taught photographer who takes stunningly beautiful still frames. "My blindness has spurred me on to achieve more and focus more," said Mr. Treherne.
Dr. Patricia Bath was the first African American female doctor to receive a medical patent. She invented a better treatment of cataracts, Dr. Bath passed away last week at the age of 76. She led a remarkable life, being the first African American surgeon at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. The pioneer was also the first woman ophthalmologist on the faculty of UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute.
Ian is an 8-month-old puppy receiving lessons on how to be a guide dog for individuals living with vision loss. Last week, Ian and ten other Labrador retrievers (6 to 17 months old) descended upon John Wayne Airport in Orange County, CA. Guide dogs need to be comfortable in any place a blind person can go. Naturally, people waiting for their planes on June 1, 2019, had big smiles on their faces in response to the puppy parade. 
Blind people show that they do understand what sighted people process through vision, according to a new study. The findings prove that “visual” ideas don’t require vision. The research, published in PNAS, involved 20 blind and 20 sighted adults. Rather than rely on rote learning, scientists found that blind people make sense of the visual world by using a catalog of clues.
D.C. Metro’s new trains will now include features to protect the safety of blind riders after some passenger injuries. The safety fixes should be complete this week, such as chain barriers between every car to prevent people from falling on the tracks. Reports indicate that at least two people fell off platforms mistaking the gap between cars for an open door.
Did you know that more than 25 million Americans are estimated to have a cataract? Prevent Blindness has declared June as Cataract Awareness Month, a time to educate people about the risk factors, symptoms, and treatment. Cataract symptoms may include blurred vision, double vision, ghost images, or the sense of a “film” over the eyes.
The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) is accepting nominations for the upcoming Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children’s Vision Award Ceremony. Individuals or organizations worthy of the award are those who demonstrate significant contributions to advancing public health approaches for children’s vision and eye health at the state or national level.
Cornea donors may be a thing of the past one day thanks to new technologies. Millions of people around the globe have bilateral loss of vision due to corneal disorders. Cornea transplants can help men and women living with corneal blindness, but there are only so many transplants to go around each year.
Bradford Manning and his younger brother Bryan own a New York clothing company. What’s unique about the company is that its profits are earmarked for vision loss research. The brothers have a genetic eye disorder called Stargardt disease, juvenile form of macular degeneration which damages center vision over time and leads to blindness.
Tyler Merren, 34, is a Paralympic USA goalball silver medalist. Merren is living with blindness, but that does not keep him from making a difference in his community and beyond. On top of training for the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020, he is a father of four, personal trainer, and public speaker.
It is essential that blind and sighted children play together! Braille Bricks by Lego allows for children living with blindness to engage with kids with perfect vision. The Lego Foundation, which is funded by the Lego Group, has a new project that will alter the knobs on the regular bricks into Braille dots. Braille Bricks will feature both Braille dots and written letters.
Grace Fisher is a junior in high school. Despite living with blindness, she has found a way to sing her heart out in women’s choir. “I’ve always been into music. I wanted to be in choir,” Fisher said.
About 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women in the world see things a little differently than the majority. Such people have what is known as color blindness or color deficiency. There are three types of color blindness: protanopia (the inability to process red light), deuteranopia (the inability to process green light), and tritanopia (the inability to process blue light).
Jazz pianist Marcus Roberts has led a remarkable life. At the age of 5 he suffered major vision loss, resulting in him living with blindness. He recently agreed to an interview and spoke about his experience in becoming a musician despite his condition. At 12 or 13, he had a band while he was in a school for the blind. He taught each member how to play music. Today, he still helps young people hone their ear for music, especially those who live with vision loss.
Researchers identified some of the genetic variants that cause age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The study involved stem cells to learn more about this common cause of vision loss. While there is still much scientists do not know about AMD, people with a family history of the blinding eye disease are at higher risk.
Nicky Dawson was born with a cataract in her right eye. It had to be removed, resulting in blindness. However, being legally blind hasn’t stopped the young lady from being the second baseman for the Baylor University softball team. She learned how to compensate for the disability; Dawson doesn’t just play, she excels on the diamond!
Prevent Blindness is holding its eighth annual Focus on Eye Health National Summit on July 17, 2019. The event is being held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This year’s theme is “A Lifetime of Vision.”
Have you had your eyes checked lately? The National Eye Institute (NEI) would like to know: what’s your vision of the future? May is Healthy Vision Month! You can take steps today to ensure that you see clearly tomorrow. The NEI is encouraging young adults to prioritize healthy vision during the month of May and beyond.
Did you know that women are at a higher risk of experiencing vision loss and blindness? If not, please know that you are not alone. Less than 10 percent of women realize that they are at a higher risk of suffering permanent vision loss than men, according to a survey conducted by Prevent Blindness.
Mani Djazmi dreamed of being a journalist, and his dream came true. He hosts World Football for the BBC. What most people who watch his show do not realize is that Djazmi is blind.
Most people know that a heightened sense of hearing often accompanies blindness. However, the mechanisms behind the aural phenomena are less understood. A new study explains why blind people can hear better than sighted men and women.
Art enthusiasts living with color blindness will be treated to a unique experience at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Curators are teaming up with California-based EnChroma to help people who have color blindness experience O’Keeffe’s works as intended. EnChroma will provide guests special glasses to accomplish the goal.
As most of the country eagerly awaits warm weather, dreams of playing in the sun percolate. Golfing, volleyball, swimming in lakes and oceans, and yes badminton are just some of the activities in store for Americans. For those looking to take part in the latter, please be advised that the birdie or shuttlecock is not harmless.
“In the Dark,” a series meant to highlight what it is like to live in blindness debuted Thursday, April 4 on The CW. The show stars Perry Mattfeld as confident and rebellious Murphy Mason, a young lady living in blindness. You may find it interesting to learn that many cast members and most of the sitcom’s extras are blind in real life. Mattfeld hopes the show will raise awareness about the millions of people living with blinding eye conditions.
There is a lot of commotion in the news regarding the impact that blue light has on the eye. Many people contend that exposure, over time, can damage the eyes and potentially result in blindness. The accuracy of such claims is essential to millions of people who use devices that emit blue light, such as smartphones and smart TVs. So, are the allegations true?
Researchers from the University of Surrey and the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute at Indiana University School of Medicine have discovered compounds from a group of plants that could be used to treat the causes of degenerative eye diseases. The findings of the research could help treat proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and more blinding eye conditions. Diabetic retinopathy happens when high blood sugar levels harm the back of the eye, resulting in blindness.
A 6-year-old piano prodigy is capturing hearts and minds thanks to viral videos of his performances online. Avett Ray Maness used his ears to teach himself how to master the ivory and ebony keys. Avett was born with optic nerve fibroplasia; he has never had the experience of vision. He does not let blindness hold him back!
Did you know that women are affected by eye diseases such as cataract, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration at higher rates than men? Prevent Blindness wants to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of your vision. The nation’s oldest eye health and safety non-profit organization declares April Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month. Prevent Blindness recommends that women get regular eye exams, quit smoking, and use cosmetics safely.
The visually impaired are a market that has been mostly ignored by the cosmetic industry even though 36 million people worldwide are entirely blind, and 217 million have a visual impairment. Cosmetic packaging isn’t designed to cater to people with vision loss; however, changes are afoot.
Last month, three running guide dogs named Westley, Waffle and Gus ran with a blind runner in the 2019 New York City Half Marathon. It was the first time that a blind runner completed the half marathon with guide dogs.
The Bozeman Chapter of the Montana Association for the Blind gathered together to do something pretty impressive last week. They carved ice! Not just any carving either, they sculpted the BMAB logo along with the corresponding Braille! 
At the Retina World Congress in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Andrew A. Moshfeghi, MD, MBA said that neovascular age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy is estimated to cost the U.S. approximately $21 billion by 2020. Moreover, he said that if management of these conditions does not improve then the direct, indirect, and intangible costs will triple by 2050.
Only 17 percent of people living with vision impairment are offered emotional support in connection with their disorder, according to the Royal National Institute of Blind People. Elin Williams, 20, is a student living with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition that can cause blindness. She believes that it is imperative to raise awareness about mental health conditions affecting people with vision loss. She says:
China’s e-commerce site Alibaba created the DAMO Academy to explore “the unknown through scientific and technological research and innovation. The driving force behind the Academy is the pursuit of the betterment of humanity.” The $15 billion research initiative is determined to make smartphones more accessible to the visually impaired.
A blind athlete has dreams of one day being an NFL running back. The first-ever! Adonis Watt lost his eyesight at the age of 5 due to congenital glaucoma, a rare form of the condition. Adonis, like so many people living with blindness, does not let his lack of sight prevent him from chasing his dreams.
Sighted people don’t spend much time looking down when they walk city sidewalks. Many individuals have never stopped to wonder why some sidewalks are bumpy or grooved. Blind people and the visually impaired can tell you that there is a lot to glean from what’s under your feet. Paying attention to tactile signatures beneath one’s feet is a real lifesaver for countless people around the world.
Most museums severely frown upon people touching the exhibits on display. Such institutions have good reasons for their policies; however, it means that people living with blindness or low vision will never have a chance to admire works of art.
The American Foundation for the Blind, a leader in opening doors for the nearly 25 million Americans living with vision loss, recognizes two Mississippi State University leaders for their contributions in the field of vision loss. The Migel Medal – the highest honor in the blindness field – was given to Elton Moore, retired MSU professor, College of Education associate dean, and the former director of the National Research and Training Center (NRTC) on Blindness and Low Vision and Michele McDonnall, MSU research professor and current NRTC director.
Gabrielle Masone’s dream, hard work, and innovation could help people living with color blindness. While studying at Dalhousie University, Masone decided to set herself to task in finding a solution to color deficiency. At her company, Colorsmith Labs, Inc. in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she is using nanoparticle technology to create contact lenses which allow wearers to see every color. Scientists at Saint Mary’s University assist Gabrielle's research.
Depression, trouble walking, vertigo, exhaustion, body pain, numbness, weakness, and vision loss are some of the symptoms that people living with Multiple Sclerosis or MS can experience. Many people who are subject to the above troubles chalk them up as not worth paying any mind to; MS often goes undiagnosed for years.
Usher syndrome is a rare recessive genetic condition and is the most common cause of deaf-blindness. There is no cure or treatment, unfortunately. Those born with the disease have hearing loss; however, vision loss usually starts in one’s adolescence in the form of retinitis pigmentosa. 
Larry Misrok, 81, has a rare autoimmune disease (birdshot chorioretinopathy) that caused inflammation in his eyes, destroying a layer of his retina that left him living with blindness. He has lived with visual impairment since the 1970s, which is no easy feat. In recent years and thanks to technological advancements, Larry has regained some independence.
The Braille Institute in California hosts the National Braille Challenge each year. The competition is meant to inspire young, visually impaired individuals to hone their reading and writing skills.
While February was Black History Month, today we would like to introduce you to Dr. Patricia Bath. Dr. Bath is a leader in the fight against blindness in the black community. At Columbia University she learned that African Americans were twice as likely to develop blindness, compared to other patients. Moreover, the demographic is eight times more likely to develop glaucoma.
Doctors determined Levi Gobin was blind in the first year of his life. Now a seventh grader, Gobin does not let his blindness hold him back. Where the teenager's vision lacks, his ears make up for the difference. At a young age, Levi’s mother discovered that he had an ear for music.
Jasmine Jarrett is in middle school. She plays the trumpet in the school band and is on the honor roll. Moreover, Jasmine is a flyer for her school’s cheerleading team; a position which involves doing, exactly, what the name suggests. Her cheer squad hoists her into the air and then catches the young lady on the way down.
Cigarettes are bad for humans in myriad ways; most people are aware of the dangers that can accompany smoking. Each year, researchers uncover new links between tobacco use and health conditions. While the majority of adults understand that smoking can result in cancer, new research suggests that those who smoke more than a pack of cigarettes a day could be playing with their vision.