Retinopathy of Prematurity

	retinopathy of prematurity Daily update ⋅ April 22, 2015
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	Medical Xpress Caring for blindness: A new protein in sight? Medical Xpress Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity (in newborns) are characterised by progressive ... Flag as irrelevant

Former Student's Blog: All About Judo

This site is for my  former student, Scott Moore who teaches judo and has been to five Paraolympics Scott lives in Denver, Colorado and is always  searching and encouraging blind and sighted kids to learn judo.

http://www.allaboutjudo.com.

APH Guidelines for Print Document Design

http://www.aph.org/edresearch/lpguide.htm

These are some great guidelines to remember for the classroom as well. I'm printing a few here and the rest can be found at the link provided above. For some of my babies with learning disabilities who are in resource or special classes I suggest using Comic Sans font as it's like the teacher's handwriting. ~K

J. Elaine Kitchel
Low Vision Project Leader
American Printing House for the Blind
The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) believes guidelines for print documents should be brought to a standard of optimal usability for persons with low vision. The standards should be based on fundamental principles gleaned from research that originated from the study of the impact of print characteristics on readers of print products. This research also includes existing industry standards, where they apply.
With the advent of word processing, document design has become an intrinsic part of writing. Writers for APH encounter a wide array of new printing options. The knowledgeable use of these options helps the writer gain an advantage because readers of APH materials have become accustomed to very well-designed documents. For the writer of documents at APH, it has become an imperative to be knowledgeable about typography and design.
It is impossible to teach the writer everything he/she should know in a brief primer, but here are the essentials:

A. Use a Readable Typeface/Font

For text, a readable typeface means a sans-serif (/san-ser-if/) typeface (or font) made up of mainly straight lines. A serif is a short stroke that projects from the ends of the main strokes that make up a character. These are not desirable for use in a book to be read by persons of all ages and/or persons with visual impairments.
Although serif typefaces often work well in headings and personal stationery, they can be difficult to read in continuous text. Among the better san-serifed typefaces are APHont, Antique Olive, Tahoma, Verdana, and Helvetica.
The minimum size of any typeface to be used on APH documents is 12 points. Most large
print is 18 points.

• 12 pt. = regular print
• 14-16 pt. = "enlarged" print (not considered large print)
• 18 and larger = large print
• 18 and larger, with other formatting changes = enhanced print
• Note: Students who need print 28 points or larger should probably be considered as candidates for Braille education.

Here are the primary things to think about when selecting a font for use by persons with low vision:

1. The upper case "I" and Roman Numeral I, the numeral 1, and the lower case l, should all look different from one another.
2. The font should be wide-bodied with space between each letter. Letters which have a bubble inside them, such as o, d, g, and others should have plenty of space inside the bubble.
3. Punctuation should be rounded, large and very visible.
4. For these reasons APHont was developed and is suggested as a font that meets all necessary guidelines.
5. Font strokes should be solid and without gaps in them.

B. Use White Space

Ample white space makes a page more readable and useful because it provides contrast to the print and creates luminance around the text. The primary ways to create white space on the page are to use generous margins, e.g., margins of at least one inch for letters and other business documents. Another way to provide white space is to provide ample spacing, leading and kerning to text.
APH encourages its writers to:

• Indent 1 inch at margins
• Justify left margin, unjustify right margin
• Use a wide, san-serif font for ample kerning
• Space 1.25 between lines, especially on forms where underscores and boxes are used to provide space for writing
• Double space (30-34 pt) between paragraphs or other bodies of text
• Use block paragraph style, no indents

Other ways include white space are, supply headings and sub-headings, enumerate items in separate paragraphs, subparagraphs, or bulleted lists.
White space is especially important on forms. Lots of horizontal lines, or grids with horizontal and vertical lines can be very difficult for some people with visual impairments to follow across the page. These difficulties can be minimized through the use of pastel, colored background for every alternate line. Example below:

State	Year	Auto Sales	Home Sales	Boat Sales
Alabama	2010	309,436	99,307	27,397
Delaware	2010	214,556	78,477	39,765
Virginia	2010	349, 887	125,095	33,482
Washington	2009	272,299	69,433	30,442

Crowded text detracts from readability and usability because contrast is limited by too much black text. In studies, persons with normal vision who filled-out crowded forms often lost focus before they reached the end of the task. Persons with vision impairments struggled more than their typically-sighted peers with forms and text.

See more guidelines at http://www.aph.org/edresearch/lpguide.htm

 

Famous African Americans with Visual Impairments

I've shared FamousAfrican Americans

Click to open:

• FamousAfrican Americans

Google Docs makes it easy to create, store and share online documents, spreadsheets and presentations.

Menu Complaints Served Up (The Province)

http://www.theprovince.com/health/Menu+complaints+served/6371074/story.html

Source:
The Province (http://www.theprovince.com)

Pair Claims Discrimination over Restaurant Chain's "Albino Rhino Beer"( canada.com)

http://www.canada.com/Restaurant+chain+albino+rhino+discriminatory+pair+claim/6369292/story.html

Source Link from:
Canada.com (http://www.canada.com)

Albino Rhino Beer Complaint (Victoria Times Colonist)

http://www.timescolonist.com/business/Albino+rhino+prompts+complaint/6371306/story.html

Perhap they forgot that there are animals with albinism as well. Maybe this is their way of calling attention to the condition as the protest makes no sense otherwise, IMHO. Come on! ~K


_______________________________________
This is a free service courtesy of
The Victoria Times Colonist (http://www.timescolonist.com)

Albino Beer Draws Complaint

Perhaps it's gone a bit far. ~K
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Albino' beer name draws complaint

Please click on the link below to view on UPI.com
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/03/28/Albino-beer-name-draws-complaint/UPI-44911332963994/

Furor over albino rhino beer has me stampeding for common sense

	Furor over albino rhino beer has me stampeding for common sense Source: blogs.calgaryherald.com Peter Ash and Ikponwosa Ero have no doubt convinced themselves that they're doing the right thing by trying to pour Earls Restaurant's albino rhino beer down the drain.

DNA - Sportsperson crosses all hurdles with ‘I can’ spirit

Sportsperson crosses all hurdles with 'I can' spirit

Vaishali Salavkar wears several hats with ease — chess champion, half-marathon runner and professional masseuse. And between all this, she has managed to find time to raise a 12-year-old daughter.
That Vaishali is partially visually challenged is one of the many things that makes her an inspiration for many.
She recently won her sixth national blind chess title and now plans to take advanced coaching so that she can play against sighted opponents. "A few months training and I am sure I can do it," she says.
It is this ‘’I Can" spirit that has egged her on to achieve commendable personal and professional goals.
Vaishali has a skin condition called albinism which makes her melanin-deficient and partially sighted. "I can’t see anything from my right eye and the left can only make out shapes, not faces, unless they are really close," she adds.
Growing up in a society which is not necessarily sensitive to the needs of the differently-abled, Vaishali struggled for years to fit in. One of the teachers at her school saw a spark in Vaishali and taught her to play chess as an extracurricular activity. "I beat him at a game and there has been no looking back since," she says.
The 40-year-old loves to jog and has also participated in the 7km Dream Run and the 21km half marathon a couple of times along with her husband Narendra and other members of the National Association of the Blind.
"A lot of physically challenged people take up activities that are perceived to be difficult or beyond their reach. For me, the loud cheers and encouragement from the viewers and fellow participants are exhilarating," Vaishali says.
She and her husband keep fit by brisk walking and light jogging. The couple is helped in their regime by their daughter Tanvi. "When Tanvi was born, I couldn’t help but wonder if I would be able to take care of her or whether sightless parents can bring up a well-adjusted child," she says.
And when Vaishali started playing chess in 1999, she was worried whether she would be able to juggle her job and parenthood with her passion for the game. "But I have managed to do all that is important to me with sheer determination on my part and a lot of help from my husband," she adds.

ARTICLE URL: http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_sportsperson-crosses-all-hurdles-with-i-can-spirit_1658927

LVB Show (Low Vision Bureau Official Podcast) posted a new episode on PodOmatic...

Subject: LVB Show (Low Vision Bureau Official Podcast) posted a new episode on PodOmatic...

You are a follower of LVB Show (Low Vision Bureau Official Podcast) on PodOmatic, and there is a new episode available:
"Interview with Founder of Arkansas Acupuncture Center (Alternative treatmen for eye diseases)"

To view this episode, follow the link below:
http://lowvisionbureau.podomatic.com/entry/2012-03-10T14_48_14-08_00

Thank you, The PodOmatic Team

'It helps me read' |

Ms. Kathy sent this using ShareThis.

Albinism needs.
'It helps me read' | Local News Source: nvdaily.com STRASBURG -- Eight-year-old Austin Dykes has worn glasses since he was 10 months old.

Low Vision Bureau Interview

Here's the link to the pod cast with the interview I did with Alvaro Gutierrez of the the Low Vision Bureau Project:
http://lowvisionbureau.podomatic.com/entry/2012-01-14T09_38_54-08_00

NPR.org - Note-Taking Made Easy For Legally Blind Students

Ms. Kathy thought you would be interested in this story: Note-Taking Made Easy For Legally Blind Students
http://www.npr.org/2011/04/15/135442950/note-taking-made-easy-for-legally-blind-students?sc=emaf

*Listen/Watch on NPR.org*
Many stories at NPR.org have audio or visual content. When you visit the link
above, look for a "Listen" or "Watch" button.
For technical support, please visit NPR's Audio/Visual Help page:
http://help.npr.org/npr/consumer/kbdetail.asp?kbid=152

Famous People with Disabilities--Intellitools Classroom Suites Activities

March is Disabilities Awareness Month. I designed these activities for children to learn about people who succeeded regardless of having a visual impairment. here are the links to the two activities:

1. Famous People with Visual Impairments
http://aex.intellitools.com/searchdetails.php?act_key=famouspeoplewithvisualimp

2. Famous People with Visual Imapirments 2
http://aex.intellitools.com/searchdetails.php?act_key=famouspeoplewithvisualimp0

Big Bills--Dollar Store Purchase

Great BIG MONEY purchase from the Dollar Store for students with low vision. Found in the toy section.

Salif Keita

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Counting Bells and Learning to Write

Here's my little toy tester doing audible math with some jingle bells in a basket. The big bucket is underneath to keep the bells from rolling all over the floor. He has cerebral palsy and will drop them. Doesn't stop him from trying to hold all of them even when I tell him I can't even do that.

I will give him an addition problem like "What's four and three more or four plus three?" He picks up four, then three more and drops them back in the basket to check himself by listening to the bells clink as they hit the basket. He's pretty good actually!

I

In this photo, I have drawn lines on half a fluorescent colored poster board. Then I laminated it. My beginning large print readers can practice forming letters on it with dry erase markers. When I go to a couple of classes I use them to write what the teacher has on the class board for kids who can't see far enough to see the board. The students will copy from this board at their desks rather than from the board on the class wall.

 

One of my teachers uses actually uses permanent ink markers on hers. She found that the kids would rub the dry erase marker off the board with their noses from trying to read it or "accidentally on purpose" with their sleeves or fingers. To clean the boards she uses a spray can of "Goo-Gone" and a paper towel. In this photo I have a ruler on the line to show how far apart the lines are. I used Sharpee (C) fine point colored permanent markers for the lines. I made clouds at the tops of each line for little clouds that I outlined with blue marker. The white of the clouds is correction fluid. (I used this kind because it doesn't flake up and the little brush inside is flexible enough to actually paint it on).

Flower tops were drawn to the center dotted lin. The roots on the flowers show the line where certain letters like the lowercase "j" and "y" have tails that dip down into the ground area. 

  

I have made these in different colors but the kids tell me they like yellow best of all. White gives off too much glare for kids with glare problems like with albinism.

Usher Syndrome: A Genetic Disorder that Effects Vision, Hearing and Balance

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2812568/usher_syndrome_a_genetic_disorder_that.html?cat=70

Eye Trouble May Have Affected Galileo's Observations

This story from Newser has been sent to you by: Ms. Kathy Ms. Kathy's comments: I found this on Newser -- the place where you Know More, Search Less... Eye Trouble May Have Affected Galileo's Observations Published Thursday, January 22, 2009 1:24:01 PM Galileo’s vision problems may have distorted some of his findings, Reuters reports. Scientists want to exhume the scientist’s body to determine, through DNA tests, the exact nature of his eye condition. “If we knew exactly what was wrong with his eyes we could use computer models to recreate what he saw in his telescope,” said the director of a Florence museum. More »

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