An innovative laser surgery, called collagen crosslinking, helps extend Airmen’s careers. The procedure corrects degenerative eye diseases, such as keratoconus and corneal ectasia. Those affected by the above conditions are not commissioned unless they receive a waiver; and, pilots are restricted from flying. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved collagen crosslinking in 2016 for the treatment of progressive keratoconus.The procedure ends the degenerative process by stiffening and stabilizing the cornea.
“This groundbreaking capability to correct the condition allows us to treat cadets and active-duty members here and from surrounding areas,” said Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Marc Neuffer, chief of cornea and refractive surgery at the 10th Medical Group. “They keep their vision and stay eligible for deployment.”
SDCB offers many programs designed to make better the lives of people living with vision conditions. Please contact us to learn more!
“New Surgical Technique Saves Airmen’s Eyesight, Careers”
Major tech companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google have a new USB HID (Human Interface Device) standard for Braille displays; making computers far more accessible to the blind and people with visual impairments. The technology allows people to use Braille displays across different operating systems and devices, no longer having to concern themselves with the myriad of drivers and software.
Barbara Moore lives with a condition called nystagmus with cataracts; she was born legally blind, and she has limited vision. Despite her blindness, Moore taught herself to sew after deciding she wanted to make a comforter. Armed with a desire to work with needle and thread, she has spent the past 16 years sewing buttons and buttonholes on women’s military trousers while working as a seamstress at Vocational Guidance Services (VGS). Since 1890, VGS has trained and provided employment to individuals living with mental and cognitive disabilities.
In the May 2018 issue of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, an interesting case study appears that could prove beneficial for anyone who wears makeup regularly. Every night, millions of women around the world go out with myriad cosmetics on their face; and, when the night comes to an end, it is expected that a few minutes will be taken to wash off mascara, foundation, etc. Of course, there are some evenings that washing one’s face seems arduous and off to bed, people go. So, what happens when people opt to head off to dreamland with makeup in tow?
Larry Woods was diagnosed with sarcoidosis, the growth of tiny collections of inflammatory cells in different parts of the body, at a young age. He was treated with the steroid Prednisone which wreaked havoc on his optic nerve eventually leading to blindness due to glaucoma. While it seems like life was conspiring against him, Woods pursued his dream nevertheless. Larry completed his schooling at South Arkansas Community College, graduating with the highest grade point average in Liberal Arts, and now wants a chance at employment.
Technology can give millions of people around the globe the ultimate gift, the opportunity to see for the first time or see again after going blind. There are a number of tech companies developing smart glasses, such as 
Kenny and Justin Jongsma were diagnosed with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy—a rare genetic disease. The twin brothers became legally blind at the age 21; they only have peripheral vision now. A special kind of eyeglasses made by eSight of Toronto could help the brothers lead a more normal life, allowing them to do some of the things they did before losing their central vision. The eyewear uses a high speed, high-resolution camera to project real-time images to the wearer.
Around 5 million people are completely blind because of damaged or diseased corneal tissue; another 10 million people need surgery to prevent corneal blindness. While modern medicine allows for corneal transplants, there is a severe donor shortage. Fortunately, scientists are now using 3D printers to create synthetic corneas which could help prevent millions of people from losing their eyesight. The cornea is a transparent sheath that sits over the iris and the pupil, directing light rays onto the retina.
Actress Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) stars in a movie playing a character living with vision loss. In order to learn more about living with blindness for her role as a blind pianist in the movie Darkness, Dormer turned to the Royal National Institute Of Blind People (RNIB). Dormer says she had several challenges playing the role.
Be My Eyes is a remarkable new app that assists blind people and those living with low vision see where they are going. The Smartphone application pairs users who have questions or need directions. People who have interest in helping the blind get around can download the app and lend their eyes.
Albinism can severely impact people’s vision making life more challenging. Ryan Huizdos is legally blind because of albinism, but that didn’t stop him from playing little league with the help of a bright yellow ball. Nobody had any objections about the ball until his team made it to a district tournament game in 2015. When Little League learned of the ball, the organization banned its use. A three-year legal battle ensued, and Huizdos can now use the ball when he's at bat, pitching or playing infield.
Myrna Hayutin sells fine art and has done so for the past three-and-a-half decades, despite the fact that she is legally blind. Retinitis pigmentosa began stealing Myrna’s vision when she was eight years old and continues to get worse. Hayutin manages a fine-art gallery and is now an art appraiser, thanks to assistive technologies.
Blindness may seem like an impediment when it comes to playing musical instruments. However, time and time again the general public witnesses remarkable feats involving visually impaired people mastering the art of music, i.e., Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder. Before Vincent Young learned how to walk, he was already making a name for himself as a musical prodigy despite his blindness. Today, Young is a professional musician who “sings by the words he lives by.”
Vivian Stancil went blind at the age of 19; at the age of 50 her doctor told her that if she wanted to live longer, she would have to start exercising. Even though Stancil didn’t know how to swim, she got into a pool in spite of her blindness. She was morbidly obese when she began learning how to swim since then she has won 220 swimming medals and now runs a foundation that teaches at-risk adults and children how to swim.
Taking care of one’s health is absolutely vital! You can lead a healthier life by utilizing various vitamins. Eating foods rich in vitamins or taking supplements, such as vitamin A, can strengthen the essential systems in the human body. In fact, consuming vitamin A can prevent vision loss and improve eyesight. Glaucoma, cataracts, night blindness, and other eye disorders can be avoided by regular consumption of foods with vitamin A.
Six-year-old Logan and 4-year-old Zoe Galloway are budding hockey players. While it’s not uncommon for people to begin skating at a young age, what makes these two children unique is the fact that they are visually impaired. Unfortunately, both children are going blind from an extremely rare form of eye disease, Leber congenital amaurosis.
Did you know that there is a gender gap in eye disease? In fact, studies indicate that women are at a more significant risk of experiencing vision loss, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts and glaucoma. Regular eye examinations are vital to early diagnosis; during Healthy Vision Month, the American Academy of Ophthalmology wants women to prioritize vision. The Academy encourages people to get a comprehensive medical eye exam at age 40; know your family history; eat healthily; quit smoking; protect their eyes from the sun; and perform daily eyelid hygiene.
Erik Weihenmayer was born on Sept. 23, 1968, with a rare eye disease, retinoschisis; his vision worsened through childhood, and he went completely blind in his early teens. Despite living with vision loss, Weihenmayer was introduced to rock climbing and, as he says, was reborn. Since that time, he has climbed or attempted some of the most technical peaks in the world. 
A former equity research analyst hopes to create a tactile alphabet that echoes the Roman characters; the goal is to help people who experience vision loss later in life maintain the ability to read. It turns out that some people struggle to learn braille, Andrew Chepaitis’ grandmother had the same experience; as a result, Chepaitis founded ELIA Life Technology. Ike Presley, National Project Manager for the American Foundation for the Blind, has concerns though regarding ELIA citing inaccurate statistics about braille literacy, but he is not entirely against the idea.
Experts believe that “blue light’ can disrupt sleep patterns, diet, and people’s vision. Purdue assistant professor of biochemistry, Vikki Weake, led a blindness study in fruit flies. The findings of the vision loss study could prove useful in understanding human ocular diseases.
People in the advanced stages of diabetes are at risk of losing their vision; the disorder is known as diabetic retinopathy. Given that hundreds of millions of people around the globe, including millions of Americans, have diabetes there is an urgent need to find ways of preventing diabetic-related vision loss.
When Kathy Martinez began her career, a counselor at the California Department of Rehabilitation said that Martinez would probably never make it further than working at a lock factory. Why would someone rain on the parade of young women with aspirations? It might have to do with the fact that Kathy is blind. The counselor couldn’t have been farther from the mark! It may have taken her 13 years to finish college, but since that time Martinez has worked with the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, served under two administrations, and led Wells Fargo’s Disability and Accessibility strategy.
A couple of months ago we shared a New York Times article written by columnist Frank Bruni. Those of you who read the NYT are probably familiar with the author's op-eds. Bruni wrote an eloquent essay about discovering that he had nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy(NAION); it is often referred to as ‘a stroke of the eye.’ There isn’t a cure to the condition which usually results in blindness, but his doctor said he could take part in the world’s largest clinical trial of NAION; scientists are testing a groundbreaking injection of RNA that could prevent such patients from going blind.
In Baltimore, Maryland, high school students living with blindness are participating in a songwriting project called "Seeing Through Music." The program was created to assist young people living with vision loss share their story through songs and poetry.
Movies and TV shows that touch upon disability rarely employ actors who have the condition they are portraying. With that in mind, it is also lovely when directors and producers flip the script, hiring actors living with an impairment. Last week, the 350th episode of NCIS included a blind witness played by Woodland, California, native Marilee Talkington. Aside from being an exceptional actress, Talkington was perfect for the role because she is legally blind.
In New Caney, Texas, on the first Saturday of each month, blind and visually impaired children become budding artists as part of the "Creating with Blind Abandon" Art Club. Visual impairment teacher Kathy Trimm made a discovery; traditional art was not accessible to children living with vision loss. If you have a moment, the video is worth your time.
People who are living with diabetes often experience damage to their retinas, an eye disease known as diabetic retinopathy. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetes and is the number one cause of vision problems among working-age adults. The FDA recently approved the IDx-DR program, which utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) to detect diabetic retinopathy.
Retinopathy of prematurity, or ROP, is a rare form of blindness that strikes people born prematurely. The findings of a new study showing the value of telemedicine eye screenings could lead to more blindness-preventing treatments for infants, especially babies born in areas lacking ophthalmologists. The study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, shows that telemedicine screens can be as useful as in-person eye exams.
A 24-year-old YouTuber and motivational speaker shares her thoughts about dating when living in blindness. Molly Burke lives in Los Angeles, CA. She says she isn’t able to experience physical attraction in the same way as most people because she suffered vision loss at the age of 14.
When Kirsty James was just thirteen years old she was informed that she would one day go blind. Before being diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition called Stargardt disease, she hid the fact that her vision was deteriorating; Kristy also came to believe that she might even be losing her mind because of the visions she was experiencing. Her hallucinations persisted without any explanation as to the cause, then she learned about Charles Bonnet Syndrome. It’s a condition that affects some people losing their vision; the brain replaces images with hallucinations because it's trying to make sense of what it is seeing.
Carol Green, a blind teacher of the visually impaired, has developed a braille code for people who know the Navajo language. She is on a mission to raise money for her cause, becoming a semifinalist considered for the Holman prize, which awards up to $25,000 for innovative projects by the blind.
Jeri Weatherholt has a college degree from Indiana State University. She works as a medical transcriptionist and lives independently, despite the fact that she has been blind since the age of 10. At first glance, it may seem like there isn’t anything Weatherholt can’t accomplish; and that might actually be the case. The Indiana U grad has had a lifelong fear of water, but the 61-year-old didn’t let that stand in her way when she decided to learn to swim a year ago.
Last week, we shared a story with you about a woodworker living with vision loss that teaches his craft to others with eye diseases residing in Northern California. Napa artist, George Wurtzel, sees life in ways that sighted people can’t begin to understand, a fact not lost on Subaru of America; the favorite car company of outdoor enthusiasts featured Wurtzel in Subaru of America’s television spot called “See the World.”
Did you know that April is Women’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month. Prevent Blindness is an organization on a mission to educate, prevent vision loss, and preserve people’s eyesight. A study, The Future of Vision: Forecasting the Prevalence and Costs of Vision Problems, shows that 63 percent of those that are blind and 62 percent of those that are visually impaired are women. More women than men struggle with blindness, including age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and dry eye.
