Two American students have created a website that talks to help blind and visually impaired individuals find trendy clothes, which are then mailed to the person's home. The website, www.whitecanelabel.com, asks users what types of clothes they like, what colors, or what style it is they are looking for (ex. business casual). The website then picks an outfits according to the person's taste.
Asmah Abushagur and Jaimen Brill, students at the Rochester Institute of Technology, thought of the idea for a school project. But once they realized the difficulties blind people often have trying to dress themselves, they created a non-profit organization which asks designers to donate clothes.
Braille labels will be attached to clothing so a person can tell the difference between different colors and outfits.
Abushagur and Brill's website, www.whitecanelabel.com, it scheduled to go online in the fall.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Talking website eyes fashion for the blind
Thursday, July 19, 2007
National Federation of the Blind staged march in Atlanta
On Tuesday, July 3rd, hundreds of blind people marched nearly half a mile through downtown Atlanta to prove a point: Blind people can do the same things sighted persons can do.
The event, organized by the National Federation of the Blind, was designed to improve access to jobs and education for the blind and visually impaired. According to Marc Mauer, federation president and a lawyer from Maryland, the blind population in the U.S. has a 70% unemployment rate and only 10% are taught to read and write braille in U.S. schools.
The march was led by U.S. Rep John Lewis (D). Organizers said 1,000 or more people took part. The Atlanta police estimate was 700.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Blind People have better serial memory
A study by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found that blind individuals are particularly adept at remembering things in the right order.
According to researchers Noa Raz and Ehud Zohary of Hebrew University, the study shows that mental capabilities might be enhanced in order to compensate for the lack of sensory input.
The researchers tested the performance of 19 congenitally blind individuals and individually matched sighted controls in two types of memory tasks. The blind individuals recalled more words than the sighted, and many in their original order.
The researchers believe that the superior memory of the blind is a result of practice. "In the absence of vision, the world is experienced as a sequence of events. Since the blind constantly use serial memory strategies in everyday circumstances, they tend to develop superior skills," Zohary said.
The study is published in the journal Current Biology.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
New Hope for those with Radiation Retinopathy
A U.S. study says that the drug Avastin may help those with radiation retinopathy to keep their eyesight longer.
The two year study, which was published in the journal Archives of Opthalmology, found that Avastin reduces abnormal blood vessel growth and stops leakage in the eye. This allows patients who were previously thought to be destined to blindness within 5 years keep their sight longer. Twenty-eight patients have been successfully treated with Avastin.
Dr. Paul T. Finger, director of Ocular Tumor Services at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, was the lead author of the study. Dr. Finger stats that before the Avastin findings, there was not an effective treatment for radiation retinopathy.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Coffee may prevent blepharospasm
An Italian study suggest that people who drink coffee are less likely to develop blepharospasm, an involuntary eye condition which makes the affected blink uncontrollably. Advanced cases of blepharospasm can render individuals functionally blind due to te inability to prevent their eyes from clamping shut.
The study involved a control group of 166 patients with blepharospasm, and two control groups. The participants were recruited from five Italian hospitals and asked questions about their coffee drinking and smoking habits.
The findings, which are published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, were inconclusive as to the relationship of smoking and blepharospasm, but strongly suggest coffee as a protective factor.
Monday, July 2, 2007
American Express makes charitable giving easy!
With the GivingExpressSM program, giving has never been so easy or rewarding
Give to your favorite charity, Independence for the Blind of West Florida, by donating with your American Express Card. Donations can be made in dollars or Membership Rewards® points. Your dollar donation is tax deductible and you will receive an e-mail receipt that meets IRS requirements as a record of your contribution. The site also enables you to set up recurring donations to your favorite charity, such as Independence for the Blind of West Florida. Plus, you can earn one Membership Rewards point for virtually every dollar you donate on an eligible, enrolled Card.
Visit www.americanexpress.com/give for more information * To be eligible to earn bonus points, you must be enrolled in the Membership Rewards program at the time of the donation and must charge your purchase on an eligible, enrolled American Express® Card. Terms and conditions of the Membership Rewards program apply. For more information visit www.americanexpress.com/rewards. Donation of Membership Rewards points are not tax deductible.
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