Friday, September 19, 2008

Braille services in Ft. Walton Beach

I am posting this information today to inform the citizens of Northwest Florida of a service that is available to them if needed. For visually impaired residents in our area, it can often times be difficult to have materials translated into Braille. The following non-profit organization is wonderful and should be able to help you put materials in the necessary format: Braille, large print, or recorded on audio tape.
NORTHWEST FLORIDA VISIONNAIRES, INC.

"There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark."
-Helen Keller


The Northwest Florida Visionnaires, Inc., is a non-profit, all-volunteer, charitable organization founded in 1976 to produce material in three forms for the visually impaired: Braille, Large Print, and Taping.

There are no charges for its services.

Our building is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m on Saturdays throughout the year at the:

John R. Hane Center
538 Bob Sikes Boulevard
Fort Walton Beach, FL
(850) 862-4495 (leave message)

Tax-deductible donations are gratefully accepted.

BRAILLE
Volunteers transcribe into Braille material that includes textbooks, pleasure reading books, menus, Christmas or birthday cards, and others.

TAPING
2-track and 4-track cassettes are used to record textbooks and/or pleasure materials.

LARGE PRINT
Large print calendars and personalized phone books are provided for the visually impaired.

Other assignments upon request.


Please call us at 850-862-4495 and leave a message. We will return your call.

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 444
Shalimar, FL 32579

Leia Mais…

Ten Warning Signs of Age-Related Eye Problems


The following signs and symptoms can indicate a medical emergency. In most cases, you should see your eye doctor immediately if you experience:

1. A flood of spots and floaters in your field of vision.

2. A sensation that a dark curtain has settled across your field of view, which could be signs of retinal detachment.


3. Sudden
eye pain, redness, nausea, and vomiting. These symptoms can signal a sudden (acute) attack of narrow-angle glaucoma, which can permanently damage the eye's optic nerve. Immediate treatment is required to prevent permanent vision loss.

4. A gradual (or sudden) narrowing of your field of vision, leaving you with the ability to see only directly in front of you. This could mean you have developed glaucoma that damages your optic nerve.

5. A gradual loss of central vision, including distortions such as seeing wavy instead of straight lines. This is a sign of macular degeneration.


6. Cloudy and blurred eyesight, "halos" around lights at night, loss of bright color vision. These vision changes may be due to
cataracts.

7. Blind spots in your field of view, accompanied by eye floaters and unexplained blurred vision. If you have diabetes, these vision problems may be due to the onset of
diabetic retinopathy.

8. "Scratchy" or irritated sensation, eye surface pain, tearing.


9. Double vision, double images, or "ghost" images.


10. Sudden blurry vision in one eye.


While some vision symptoms are less urgent, sudden vision loss means you should immediately contact your eye care practitioner.

You also can reduce your chances of developing serious eye problems by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, along with undergoing regular eye exams.

Source:
http://www.allaboutvision.com/over60/warning-signs.htm

Leia Mais…

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Vision for the Future


Hello Everyone!


My name is Alicia Hefty, and I became the new Grants & Finance Specialist for Independence for the Blind of West Florida in September of 2008. I look forward to assisting this great organization in building relationships throughout the community it serves and to help create a bright future for IB West so that we can continue to help the blind and visually impaired of West Florida live successful, independent, and happy lives.


If you have information about blindness or other eye conditions, or any new technology or issues facing the community that you feel other people would like to know about, please feel free to email me so I can share it with others: alicia@ibwest.org.


Sincerely,


Alicia

Leia Mais…