Saturday, October 6, 2007

Smoking linked to Age-Related Blindness

Smokers are four times more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration, according to Australian researchers.

The study followed 2,454 who were at least 49 years old at the beginning of the study, for ten years. The study showed that that smokers were four times more likely to develop age-related macular degeneration than those who had never smoked, and they developed it an average of five years earlier.

Previous smokers were three times more likely to have an advanced form of the disease than never-smokers.

Smoking is considered the most preventable cause of Macular Degeneration.

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Friday, October 5, 2007

Target to stand trial in Web Site Accessibility case

A federal court judge ruled on Oct. 2 that $60 billion retailer Target needed to stand trial on charges that its Web site is not totally accessible to visually-impaired shoppers.

U.S. Court judge Marilyn Hall Patel, Northern District of California ruled that the case was certified as a class-action fro a group of visually-impaired U.S. consumers, under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The court also ruled that, under California law, Target.com is required to be accessible.

The decisions are preliminary, and simply allow litigation to continue. The broad issue in the case is what requirements a web site is required to meet to accommodate visually-impaired users.

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Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Eating certain foods may ward off blindness

Researchers have recently concluded that two nutrients found in eggs, spinach, and other leafy green vegetables can offer protection against age-related macular degeneration. The nutrients, lutein and zeaxanthin, are carotenoids, compounds that give many fruits and vegetables a yellow color.

The 6-year study tracked the dietary habits of more than 4500 persons aged 60-80. Those who were in the top fifth of dietary consumption of foods containing the two nutrients had a 35% decrease in the chance of developing age-related macular degeneration when compared to those in the lowest fifth of consumption. No other nutrients showed clear associations.

Food sources considered to be good sources of the two nutrients include eggs, spinach, kale, turnip greens, collard greens, romaine lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, corn, garden peas and Brussels sprouts.

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Monday, October 1, 2007

Satellite Navigation to Aid Blind

The European Space Agency (ESA) has successfully demonstrated a prototype of its satellite navigation system for use by visually-impaired persons.

The demonstration, held in Madrid, featured a blind man guided a guide dog walking along the streets while wearing specially-equipped headphones. The headphones gave him directions to his destination.

By using a mobile phone combined with a position receiver and a voice synthesizer, a visually-impaired person can walk through the city while being guided by satellite.

This system is not intended to replace a white cane or a guide dog, it simply offers an "audible map" to guide the visually-impaired person to their destination, reducing dependence on other pedestrians for directions.

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