Thursday, December 30, 2010

Full Circle: Sending the Music Forward - DivineCaroline

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Fw: Check out my latest montage at onetruemedia.com:Brian's Basketball game

MsKathyssLogo2.gif picture by mskathy0724

http://www.kathyskids.org
Ms. Kathy's Kids Blog: http://mskathyskids.blogspot.com/

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Kathy
To: mskathy
Sent: Thu, December 9, 2010 11:06:43 AM
Subject: Check out my latest montage at onetruemedia.com:Brian's Basketball game

	Come see Brian's Basketball Game

Kathy has shared Brian's Basketball Game, a montage created at One True Media.

A personal message from Kathy:
Hi, here's a montage I created online at onetruemedia.com. Click on the link below to see it. You don't need to have an account.
Brian's Basketball Game

See Brian's Basketball Game online.

Brian's Basketball Game

If clicking on the image or link does not work, copy and paste this link into your browser's address field: http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=cdbf6edd5b86e1eb992018&skin_id=701&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=email

One True Media, Inc.
customercare@onetruemedia.com

www.onetruemedia.com
www.facebook.com/OneTrueMedia
twitter.com/One_True_Media

Batten's Disease

http://www.hcnonline.com/image_114925d6-f3a7-11df-8f88-001cc4c03286.html

Visual Impairments Specialist
Westminster Elementary School
http://lee.ebrschools.org/kathynicholslee
http://www.kathyskids.org
http://teacherweb.com/LA/RobertELeeHigh/MrsMichael/t.aspx
http://mskathyskids.blogspot.com

CHRISTMAS!!!

A former student was upset because he was concerned about what he was getting for Christmas. He was thinking his parents were upset with him and that Christmas wasn't what it used to be when he believed in Santa. He felt he deserved that same feeling in anticipation of what he would receive for Christmas.

"So what are you doing for Christmas? What do you want? What are you gonna get?"

My answer took him by surprise.

"First, I am going to church to celebrate Jesus' birth. I know we picked a day to celebrate His birthday and we can celebrate that any time we want but this is the day we chose and that is what I am going to do," I replied.

"I don't understand why a church would have service and take you away from your family on Christmas day!" he said without thinking. "Shouldn't you be with family first and opening your gifts and all?"

"Yes, I should be with my family," I said. "And we should all be in church together to celebrate the greatest gift of all."

Christmas has become so commercial that we must teach our children that it is not about material things they receive but about the Greatest Gift they have been given: The most precious gift of love ever as expressed in John 3:16 as it came into fulfillment on that night over 2,000 years ago.

My husband refuses to recognize the day as the bible does not say exactly what day Jesus was born. if it had been relevant, the Bible would have mentioned it. He says that we took the day from a pagan celebration and made it Christian. Jesus said to take the Lord's supper to remember His sacrifice but not his birth. I say we can take any day and make it Holy so why not December 25th? So I celebrate!

I do agree with the profane commercialism of the day with the pressure to buy, buy, buy. I refuse to purchase and decorate my home with blow-up, motorcycle-riding Santas, plastic light-up nativity scenes and the like.

Each Christmas, I have vowed to put feet to Jesus' teachings in some specific way. I try to do that all year long in taking the church beyond the four walls of a building by doing what we do in prison ministry and children's ministry. Of course I want my daily walk to reflect this even without being a part of a formal organization.

This year my projects were my less fortunate students and my mentee in the Second Chance Mentoring program. I have a young mentee who has had absolutely nothing: no clothes, no shoes and basically no family. She has Jesus, which she hadn't had in her life and now she can see some light at the end of the tunnel. People whom were thought to have written her off are returning or taking notice. My daughter and I surprised her with a photograph of things that will greet her when she is released from parish prison. We got a suitcase and put some new and used items of clothing in it for her. My daughter found that she likes some of the same books and has prepared a box of books. I have not seen anyone go on about a photo on a sheet of computer paper before, but she was ecstatic over these few things. More so, she has been telling me that what she appreciates most is someone listening to her and caring about her.

After our prayers both separately and together, her dad and brother traveled from out-of-state to pay her a visit. Then another mentor from the past came to visit! Things are looking up in anticipation of her release.as her grandmother has agreed to come and get her from another state and reunite her with her family.

To me, this is what Christmas is all about. My daughter sees the benefits in giving more than Christmas gifts to others. It's about giving of your time and resources all year long to give someone else the resources to help themselves out of the quagmire that lives can become without love.

God's love is not about hate for anyone:
--not gays in the military or wherever they may be
--not for brown people who may be living here illegally
--not for those who worship differently
--not for those who don't drink the tea or depend on "Faux news"
--not for those whose present address is where they have been sentenced as punishment for a crime.
It just is NOT about hate no matter who tries to make it so. It's about seeing Him in the eyes of every pair of eyes that looks back.

I went to Christmas service this morning at Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church. This afternoon I will go to my mother's house for lunch and visiting with out-of-town relatives. But this has been a great season to celebrate and see the Holy Spirit in action as we take Christ's walk. For that I am truly grateful. I thank God for the gift of his only Son, teacher, Savior and example.

It is my prayer that more parents of my students will make Christmas more about what it should be--a day of recollection of how much one can give by His example during the year rather than anticipation of what material things one can receive on the day.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Understanding Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Understanding Sensorineural Hearing Loss--http://www.luisfvalle.com/luisf-valle/216

Nigeria Boosts River Blindness Control in Africa

The following page from the "PR-CANADA.net" web site has been sent to you by Ms. Kathy ( knl ).
You can access it at the following URL:
http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=309835&Itemid=58

Retinopathy of Prematurity Snyderville

Snyderville - http://nhsnyderville.blogspot.com/

Daily Life with Quads

http://benandkarisjourneytoparenthood.blogspot.com/2010/12/trip-to-eye-clinic.html

Friday, December 17, 2010

Hope for poorly Llandudno girl - North Wales News - News - Daily Post North Wales

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Ophthalmology Article Retinopathy of Prematurity

Genetic screening of Wnt signaling factors in advanced retinopathy of prematurity
http://www.mdlinx.com/ophthalmology/xml-article.cfm/3406483

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Braille literacy flags, even as technology makes it more urgent / The Christian Science Monitor - CSMonitor.com

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0719/p13s02-legn.html?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4ce6c576ee7e277e,0
---

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Albino's grave mysteriously dug

Shame!
Click the following to access the sent link:
http://www.times.co.sz/News/22229.html

Study finds trabeculectomy does not decrease mean IOP of fellow eye

I read this article at OSNSuperSite.com and thought you might be interested:
Study finds trabeculectomy does not decrease mean IOP of fellow eye
I found this article at OSNSuperSite.com and thought you might be interested.

Albinism--Grave mysteriously dug

Albinism Grave mysteriously dug: http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.times.co.sz/News/22229.html&ct=ga&cad=:s1:f2:v0:d1:i0:lt:e1:p1:t1288037370

AT DeafBlind Dream: Ramsham Haning up Our Boots

http://atdeafblinddream.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/ramsham-hanging-up-our-boots/

AFB Press Newsletter - October 2010

AFB

American Foundation
for the Blind

Expanding possibilities for people with vision loss

AFB Press Newsletter - October 2010

The cover of the JVIB Special Issue on vision and the brain, print edition.

JVIB Releases Special Issue on Vision and the Brain

The Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness has just released a special issue on vision and the brain, a topic that has been rapidly moving to the forefront of medical, educational, and rehabilitation services for children and adults with vision impairment. Edited by Gregory L. Goodrich, Ph.D. and Amanda Hall Lueck, Ph.D., this special issue strives to offer current and relevant information for readers on this critical topic. The issue includes opening commentaries on terminology, children with cortical visual impairment (CVI), vision rehabilitation services, and vision rehabilitation practitioners; articles on involving the participation and input of parents when working with children with CVI, functional vision assessment, and functional outcomes; and a Roundtable section on the ways personnel preparation programs have changed to include instruction in CVI.

The issue also features opportunities for certificants of the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) to earn approved continuing education units (CEUs) by reading JVIB articles. This month's CEU opportunities include a personnel preparation article on neurological vision rehabilitation and how to conduct a functional vision assessment with children who have CVI.

To subscribe to JVIB and receive immediate online access to the special issue on vision and the brain, go to www.jvib.org. To order print copies of the special issue, go to www.afb.org/store. To see all of the CEU opportunities available through JVIB go to http://www.jvib.org/allCEUs.

Click here to subscribe to JVIB!

____________________________________________________________

New Editions of Foundations of Low Vision, Foundations of Orientation and Mobility, Now Available Through International Distributors

International customers of AFB Press wishing to purchase the new editions of Foundations of Low Vision and Foundations of Orientation and Mobility can expect faster delivery time and less expensive shipping by ordering these and other AFB titles through international distributors. AFB Press has an agreement with Lightning Source, Inc. - an international, print-on-demand provider – to make its books more readily available to customers abroad. Books are printed at Lightning Source's UK facility and can be shipped within the UK, Europe, Africa and Australasia.

Nearly 40 AFB Press titles are available through this arrangement, including the newly released second edition of Foundations of Low Vision: Clinical and Functional Perspectives and the third edition of Foundations of Orientation and Mobility. They can be ordered through the following international distribution partners:

For individuals:
Amazon (www.amazon.co.uk)

For wholesalers and retailers:
Gardners (www.gardners.com)
Bertrams (www.bertrams.com)
Blackwell (www.blackwell.com)
Coutts (www.couttsinfo.com)

The new Foundations books can also be ordered domestically from the AFB Press online bookstore at www.afb.org/store or by calling 1-800-232-3044.

Click here to place an international AFB Press order at Amazon.com in the UK.

The covers of Volume 1 and Volume 2 of Foundations of Orientation and Mobility, third edition.

____________________________________________________________

The covers of the 5 paperback books that comprise the CareerConnect Collection.

Special Offer: CareerConnect Collection - Five Career Titles for $25

In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, CareerConnect®, AFB's premiere online employment resource, is proud to offer a collection of classic books on careers and employment from AFB Press at a very special price.

The CareerConnect® Collection includes five books that describe exciting career possibilities for people who are blind or visually impaired. They include Jobs to Be Proud Of: Profiles of Workers Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired; Career Perspectives: Interviews with Blind and Visually Impaired Professionals; Health Care Professionals Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired; Business Owners Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired and Teachers Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired. These books are designed to inspire young people by expanding their knowledge of available career choices and profiling successful workers.

For a limited time this collection of five books is available for only $25. This special offer provides professionals and educators an opportunity to expand their libraries at a fraction of the list price.

CareerConnect® is a free employment resource created by the American Foundation for the Blind to expand employment possibilities for people with vision loss. For more information, go to www.afb.org/careerconnect.

Clcik here to order the CareerConnect Collection!

____________________________________________________________

Title Profile:Art Beyond Sight: A Resource Guide to Art, Creativity and Visual Impairment

504 pp.
$79.95
Available in paperback and ASCII on CD-ROM
Edited by Elisabeth Salzhauer Axel and Nina Sobol Levent, Ph.D.

Art Beyond Sight Awareness Month is being celebrated in October. It is an international initiative to promote art by and for people with vision loss and other disabilities, and to encourage multimodal approaches to education and creativity. Organized by Art Education for the Blind (AEB) and its more than 200 partners around the world, it recognizes that exposure to the arts and cultural institutions is crucial for the advancement of many key issues in the education and rehabilitation of people with disabilities.

Art Beyond Sight: A Resource Guide to Art, Creativity and Visual Impairment, co-
published by AFB Press and Art Education for the Blind, is a one-of-a-kind resource that provides vital information on all aspects of exploring art and creativity by people who are blind or visually impaired. This beautiful, fully illustrated manual is the result of a decade-long international collaboration among researchers, art educators, teachers of visually impaired students, psychologists, museum professionals, and blind and sighted art enthusiasts. It includes a section of reproducible pages for classroom or workshop activities.

The book, Art Beyond Sight: A Resource Guide to Art, Creativity and Visual Impairment, can be purchased from the AFB Press online bookstore at www.afb.org/store or by calling 1-800-232-3044.

Click here to order Art Beyond Sight!

____________________________________________________________

News From AFB Press

AFB Press
American Foundation for the Blind
#2 Penn Plaza, Suite 1102
New York, NY 10121
212-502-7640
afbpress@afb.net

AFB Press is the leading publisher in the field of blindness and visual impairment in the United States. It produces books, journals, videos, and electronic materials, offering a wide range of information for students, professionals, researchers, and blind and visually impaired people and their families.

Visit the AFB Press online bookstore!

____________________________________________________________

Click here to go to the AFB Press online bookstore!

You can unsubscribe at any time. To remove your name from this mailing list, or to find out what other newsletters are available from AFB, visit http://www.afb.org/myAFBNewsletter2.asp. American Foundation for the Blind #2 Penn Plaza, Suite 1102 New York, NY 10121

Albinism http://www.newstimeafrica.com/archives/14464

http://www.newstimeafrica.com/archives/14464

Work n Play Rowan's Way:

A blog about a little girl who is cortically visually impaired with CP. Yes, you guessed it! I have had and have sevral students who are CVI

http://rowanstherapyblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/orthotics.html

Visual Impairments Specialist
W Elementary School
http://lee.ebrschools.org/kathynicholslee
http://www.kathyskids.org
http://teacherweb.com/LA/RobertELeeHigh/MrsMichael/t.aspx
http://mskathyskids.blogspot.com

Retinopathy of Prematurity

Retionpathy of Prematurity
Retinopathy of prematurity is often mild and may resolve spontaneously , but in cases where progression is noted treatment with laser can significantly ...
http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.budning.com/webserverbei/retinopathy%2520of%2520prematurity.html&ct=ga&cad=:s7:f2:v0:d1:i1:ld:e2:p2:t1288281843:&cd=7lmhz91IYYo&usg=AFQjCNH2hNuok3CWLSRbAGrpshTu0Onoww

Albinos see hope for protective law in Tanzania - CNN.com

* Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.

I do hope so!

Click the following to access the sent link:

Albinos see hope for protective law in Tanzania - CNN.com*


Get your EMAIL THIS Browser Button and use it to email content from any Web site. Click here for more information.

*This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/11/03/tanzania.elections

Fw: Blind Access Journal

I'm a little behind sharing this but here it is...

http://www.kathyskids.org
Ms. Kathy's Kids Blog: http://mskathyskids.blogspot.com/

--- On Mon, 11/8/10, Blind Access Journal wrote:

From: Blind Access Journal <editor@blindaccessjournal.com>
Subject: Blind Access Journal
To: mskathy
Date: Monday, November 8, 2010, 7:07 AM

Blind Access Journal

AT&T Describes How to Fix iPhones in Arizona Whose Time Fell Back by One Hour on Nov. 7
Posted: 07 Nov 2010 04:39 PM PST
While Arizona did not observe the Sunday end of Daylight Saving Time, some iPhones in the state configured with default settings did, falling back an hour along with those in the Pacific time zone.
April, an AT&T customer service representative, reported that the issue involves the configuration of time zone support in the iPhone's Mail, Contacts and Calendars settings. By default, time zone support is on and set to Cupertino.
April provided the following instructions for disabling time zone support, so that this information can be obtained from AT&T's network:
These steps will work for sighted users who are not running the VoiceOver screen reader for the blind. Instructions for blind users follow.

Tap Settings on the Home screen.

Tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars.

Tap Time Zone Support.

Tap the button to turn Time Zone Support off.

If you are a blind iPhone user who relies on Apple's built-in VoiceOver screen reader, follow these steps to turn off time zone support:

Press the Home button to move to the Home screen.

Flick left or right to locate the Settings icon. This will be found on the first page of most iPhones.

Double tap Settings.

Flick right several times to locate Mail, Contacts, Calendars.

Double tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars.

Flick right until you locate "Time Zone Support, On."

Double tap "Time Zone Support, On." You are now in the time zone support window.

Flick to the right a couple of times to find a button labeled "Time Zone Support, On."

Double tap the button to turn this feature off. The iPhone will now pull all its time zone information from the cellular network.

Once the time zone support setting has been deactivated, close the settings screen by pressing the Home button and test the time change by following these steps:

Press and hold down the Sleep button on the top of the iPhone for two seconds.

Double tap the Power Off button. Single tap the button if you are not using VoiceOver. The iPhone will announce it is shutting down.

Wait 5 or 10 seconds.

Hold down the Sleep button for two or three seconds to start the iPhone.

Allow 10 to 15 seconds for the iPhone to fully power up. If you use VoiceOver, its active status will be announced.

The iPhone starts in a locked state, with the current time shown. Flick to the left a couple of times to hear it announced. Flick to the right twice and double tap to unlock the iPhone and go on your merry way.

As always, comments, corrections and all constructive feedback is useful.

You are subscribed to email updates from Blind Access Journal
To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google

Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Nick Sigur
To: kairos-angola
Sent: Mon, November 15, 2010 4:48:09 PM
Subject: [Nick's Walk] Still Human! Devotional for Tuesday, November 16, 2010

. . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God —1 Corinthians 10:31

Kairos #50 just finished at Angola and by all accounts it was wonderful, a true hilltop experience. I did not take part but I know what the participants are going through this week.

In the Scriptures, the great miracle of the incarnation slips into the ordinary life of a child; the great miracle of the transfiguration fades into the demon-possessed valley below; the glory of the resurrection descends into a breakfast on the seashore. This is not an anticlimax, but a great revelation of God.

We have a tendency to look for wonder in our experience. It's one thing to go through a crisis grandly, yet quite another to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, and no one paying even the remotest attention to us. If we are not looking for halos, we at least want something that will make people say, "What a wonderful man of prayer he is!" or, "What a great woman of devotion she is!" If you are properly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the lofty height where no one would ever notice you personally. All that is noticed is the power of God coming through you all the time.

The true test of a saint's life is not successfulness but faithfulness on the human level of life. We tend to set up success in Christian work as our purpose, but our purpose should be to display the glory of God in human life, to live a life "hidden with Christ in God" in our everyday human conditions (Colossians 3:3). Our human relationships are the very conditions in which the ideal life of God should be exhibited.

To all my brothers and sisters, moving down from the hilltop, I pray for you now as I did during the weekend.

Continue to be blessed and to bless.

Nick

Batten's Disease- Tow Trucks Light up the Night in Yellow for Murdered Friend

http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/region/baltimore_city/tow-trucks-'light-up-the-night-in-yellow'-for-murdered-friend-

Google Alert - Albinism-

http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=15747

Kairos Kids' Agape--Too Cute

Oh boy!
I took this picture of one of the cards a child made for Angola Kairos #50. We always need stuff like this for the ministry. It can be mailed to POB 74514 Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4514

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Your colleague found this article on OSN SuperSite

I read this article at OSNSuperSite.com and thought you might be interested:
Standard medication regimens hard to define for treatment of glaucoma
I found this article at OSNSuperSite.com and thought you might be interested.

Anti-VEGF Inhibitors Appear Safe for Treating Infants With Retinopathy of Prematurity: Presented at AAO

This Doctor's Guide DGDispatch has been recommended by Kathy
Title: Anti-VEGF Inhibitors Appear Safe for Treating Infants With
Retinopathy of Prematurity: Presented at AAO
Web Address :
http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/EAC/852576140048867C852577C000718195?Open&type=DGDispatch

Movie finds our colour centre (Science Alert)

http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20101910-21458.html

Blind Woman Says Guide Dog Not Allowed in Dunkin Donuts

http://www.wickedlocal.com/rehoboth/news/x102602081/Blind-woman-says-guide-dog-not-allowed-in-Taunton-Dunkin-Donuts

Visual Impairments Specialist
WES
http://lee.ebrschools.org/kathynicholslee
http://www.kathyskids.org
http://teacherweb.com/LA/RobertELeeHigh/MrsMichael/t.aspx
http://mskathyskids.blogspot.com

Possible Cure for ARMD Blindness

http://www.starcitynews.com/a-possible-cure-for-old-age-blindness-is-now-in-trials/1637

Visual Impairments Specialist
W E School
http://lee.ebrschools.org/kathynicholslee
http://www.kathyskids.org
http://teacherweb.com/LA/RobertELeeHigh/MrsMichael/t.aspx
http://mskathyskids.blogspot.com

fundraiser for deafblind

Huddersfield University Marathon Band is fundraising for Sense ...
Sense is the UK's largest organisation offering support to deafblind people and their families. Established in 1955 as a parent's support group, ...
http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.justgiving.com/Phillip-McCann&ct=ga&cad=:s7:f2:v0:d1:i1:ld:e1:p1:t1287570168:&cd=e-VKczEeG0I&usg=AFQjCNGcSBoHspAMky_gJf77RCfDp3JWAw

Visual Impairments Specialist
WESchool
http://lee.ebrschools.org/kathynicholslee
http://www.kathyskids.org
http://teacherweb.com/LA/RobertELeeHigh/MrsMichael/t.aspx
http://mskathyskids.blogspot.com

You've Got Braille!

On Arthur's (PBS Kid's) web site one of the characters learns about braille from one of her friends who uses it. On this page is a translator box and a letter key. This is a fun place to share with children!

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/3872/preview/

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Performers from the Sghree Ramana Maharishi Academy for the Blind in India

http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1389367421/Performers-from-the-Shree-Ramana-Maharishi-Academy-for-the-Blind-in-India

Burton MP goes blind for a day to raise awareness

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/News/Burton-MP-goes-blind-for-a-day-to-raise-awareness.htm

Camera Chip Provides Sight in Retinitis Pigmentosa, Research Says

http://www.wtma.com/rssItem.asp?feedid=116&itemid=29589299

Study Claims Vitamin A Pill Could Stop Blindness in Old Age

http://uktodaynews.com/9595/us-study-claims-that-vitamin-a-pill-could-stop-blindness-in-old-age/

Adessi Faith Day Being Held for Deaf-Blind

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Adessi-Faith-Day-Being-Held-bw-458935784.html?x=0&.v=1

Glaucoma

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=23&storycode=4127384&c=2

Visual Impairments Specialist
W E School
http://lee.ebrschools.org/kathynicholslee
http://www.kathyskids.org
http://teacherweb.com/LA/RobertELeeHigh/MrsMichael/t.aspx
http://mskathyskids.blogspot.com

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Article from The Hindu: Sent to you by Kathy

=============================================================
This article has been sent to you by Kathy
=============================================================
Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2010/10/14/stories/2010101461700300.htm)
Karnataka
-
Bangalore
  

Project eyes blindness prevention in children

Afshan Yasmeen

Boon to poor people in the State as public-private partnership scheme will be launched in January

Retinopathy of prematurity is a leading cause of preventable blindnessAll babies weighing less than 2 kg at birth will be screened for ROP

— FILE PHOTO

PREVENTIVE STEPS:Narayana Nethralaya will train ophthalmologists and technicians to screen rural children and transfer the images to the hospital.

Bangalore: Did you know that most premature babies are at the risk of developing retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a leading cause of preventable infant blindness?
Come January, premature babies born in the backward districts of north and central Karnataka will be screened for ROP soon after their birth and treated. This will be possible through a public-private-partnership between the Union Health Ministry and the Narayana Nethralaya under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
Boon to rural areas
With childhood wellness, including right to sight, being one of the major components of NRHM, this partnership will be a boon to children in rural areas. “The plan is to screen all premature babies born in rural areas and ensure that their defective vision is treated at the right time,” S. Selva Kumar, State NRHM Mission Director told The Hindu on the eve of World Sight Day.
With the theme for this year's World Sight Day (October 14) being “Countdown to 2020: The Right to Sight,” the Government is keen on expanding the project to other districts. The focus will be on tackling preventable blindness,” he said.
Although ROP can be prevented if diagnosed and treated early, there is a severe paucity of ROP-trained ophthalmologists in the country. Under the partnership, experts from Narayana Nethralaya will train ophthalmologists and technicians to screen rural children and transfer the images to the hospital.
The defect will be diagnosed and if required the children will be brought to Bangalore for further treatment, said K. Bhujang Shetty, Chairman of Narayana Nethralaya.
The hospital has already conducted a pilot project titled Karnataka State Internet Assisted Diagnosis of Retinopathy of Prematurity (KIDROP) in the surrounding districts of Bangalore and Mysore.
Nearly 4,500 babies have been screened and 400 of them have been treated. The hospital has collaborated with i2i TeleSolutions to develop the telemedicine software.
“All babies whose birth weight is less than 2,000 grams (2 kg) will be screened. While the Government will provide staff, vehicles and equipment, we will provide the logistics. There has been some delay in the procurement of equipment. But the project will start in January in the backward districts of northern and central Karnataka,” Dr. Shetty said.
With the main causes of chronic blindness being glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, the State-run Minto Ophthalmic Institute has started a comprehensive programme to screen, detect and treat these two eye diseases among the rural masses. If detected early, these diseases can be managed thereby protecting the infant's vision.
Hospital Medical Superintendent K.S. Sriprakash told The Hindu that this was in tune with the theme for this year's World Sight Day.
“Although we have been conducting eye camps across the State to detect cataract and perform surgeries, we have recently started organising camps for diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Nearly 10,000 have been screened so far and 600 are getting further treatment,” he said.
That apart, the hospital is also regularly conducting school screening programmes to detect vision defects in children.

Copyright: 1995 - 2006 The Hindu
Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly
prohibited without the consent of The Hindu

ROP Message Board Discussion

http://www.afb.org/message_board_replies2.asp?TopicID=6782&FolderID=37

Today is World Sight Day

http://visionaware.blogspot.com/2010/10/today-is-world-sight-day.html

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Awarded $1 Million Grant to Begin Clinical Trials on Eye Reservoir for Cancer Drug Delivery

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has been awarded a $1 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to conduct a clinical trial on a ne drug delivery system to treat young children diagnosed with retinoblastoma. The device is designed to deliver chemotherapy through a tiny silicone cup sealed to the outer surface (sclera) of the eye, which can more directly target cancer cells and greatly reduce the side effects caused by current chemotherapy treatments.

“It also offers the promise of inexpensive treatment for thousands of children in developing countries who now die of this childhood eye cancer, because their families cannot afford traditional chemotherapy”

The grant, given to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, is part of an RC3 ARRA grant of $2.7 million awarded to 3T Ophthalmics, Inc. by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The Phase I clinical trial will start enrolling patients in July 2011 under the direction of A. Linn Murphree, MD, director of the Retinoblastoma Program in The Vision Center. Dr. Murphree is also professor of ophthalmology and pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and attending physician at both the Doheny Eye Institute and the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at USC.

The new delivery system, called the episcleral drug reservoir or eye port, is a small silicone cup about 8mm to 10mm in size and can hold the chemotherapy for slow sustained drug delivery to the eye. The eye port isolates the medication targeted to the eye from being absorbed into the blood stream. This new delivery system is a simple way to deliver medications to the interior of the eye over weeks to months.

Currently eye doctors use drops, injections around the eye and even injections directly into the eye to place medications where they are most needed. All of these methods, however, deliver the drug for only a few hours. Several other â€œslow deliveryâ€ systems are being tested but they all require major eye surgery and the risks of complications are high.

The eye port, in contrast, is firmly attached to the outside of the eye under the thin, filmy conjunctiva, or covering of the eyeball. The eye port slowly releases the drug to pass through the wall of the eye, where it reaches the retina and vitreous. The device is so small the patient should feel little or no discomfort, and it does not hinder normal vision.

â€œThe new device could fundamentally change the delivery of medications to the eye for diseases such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, uveitis, endophthalmitis, retinopathy of prematurity and retinoblastoma. Children receiving chemotherapy could potentially return home wearing the device and avoid most of the complications of standard chemotherapy,â€ says Dr. Murphree.

The Vision Center at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles will partner with three other U.S. retinoblastoma centers to conduct the clinical trials; The Retinoblastoma Center of Houston (a joint program of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center/University of Texas and Texas Childrenâ€™s Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine); Memphisâ€™ St. Judeâ€™s Childrenâ€™s Research Hospital; and Philadelphiaâ€™s Scheie Eye Institute.

"While we are beginning this protocol with the eye, this type of device could potentially be implanted on a variety of internal organs and could fundamentally change the way we treat many types of cancer,â€ said Dr. Murphree.

â€œCurrently, when we use I.V. chemotherapy to treat retinoblastoma in young children, we give high doses to ensure the medicine gets into the eye. Most of it, however, affects other parts of the body, causing nausea, a reduction in white cell count and depression of the immune system. With the eye port, we will be giving much less chemotherapy, but far more will reach the cancer cells,â€ said Dr. Murphree. â€œIt also offers the promise of inexpensive treatment for thousands of children in developing countries who now die of this childhood eye cancer, because their families cannot afford traditional chemotherapy,â€ he added.

The three-year grant will enroll 36 patients in the Phase I (Year I) trial and an additional 24 patients in Phase II. Only patients with unilateral advanced intraocular retinoblastoma that have received no previous treatment will be eligible for clinical trial enrollment.

About Childrens Hospital Los Angeles: Founded in 1901, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is one of the nationâ€™s leading childrenâ€™s hospitals and is acknowledged worldwide for its leadership in pediatric and adolescent health. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is one of only seven childrenâ€™s hospitals in the nation â€“ and the only childrenâ€™s hospital on the West Coast â€“ ranked for two consecutive years in all 10 pediatric specialties in the U.S. News & World Report rankings and named to the magazineâ€™s â€œHonor Rollâ€ of childrenâ€™s hospitals. The Saban Research Institute at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is among the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, with 100 investigators at work on 186 laboratory studies, clinical trials and community-based research and health services. The Saban Research Institute is ranked eighth in National Institutes of Health funding among childrenâ€™s hospitals in the United States. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is a premier teaching hospital and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.

Future’s bright for Laura and Watson

Write the Happy Ending : What Next?

Kathy has sent you a link to a blog:
(Batten's Disease Blog)

Blog: Write the Happy Ending
Post: What Next?
Link: http://writethehappyending.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-next.html

--
Powered by Blogger
http://www.blogger.com/

There's a Cure for retinopathy in Premature Babies (Times of India)

PUNE: Ismail Memon, who celebrated his first birthday recently, is like any other child his age, except that he cannot see clearly beyond five ft.

"We know our child does not have good vision, but what he sees now is much better than no vision at all," said his rickshaw driver father Shakil Memon.

Ismail's is a case of retinopathy of prematurity (RoP), a disease peculiar to preterm and low birth-weight babies. It is a disease of the blood vessels of the retina (inside layer of the eye). In babies who are born premature, the retinal vessels are yet to grow. In some babies, if the vessels grow abnormally, they can bleed inside the eye leading to permanent irreversible blindness.

"Ismail was born three months premature. We diagnosed him with RoP and the surgery was performed immediately. He now has an ambulatory vision (3 to 4 ft visibility) in the left eye. The right eye could not be saved," said Saleel Gadkari, a retina surgeon, who operated upon Ismail at the H V Desai eye hospital in Mohammedwadi six months ago.

RoP needs to be taken seriously in India because premature babies are surviving and blindness among them is common. "If such babies are diagnosed early, laser surgery can help restore much of their vision. Detection is a hurdle as resources and exposure are limited. As a result, surgery is the only option, which may not help after a point," said Gadkari.

Sight Savers International, a UK-based NGO donated a Rs 70 lakh machine (RETCAM) to the Desai hospital to detect RoP. "This machine has helped detect at least 48 cases, mostly in rural Maharashtra. Of these, 40 were in the early stage and were cured with laser technique. The rest were operated upon."

Leaving infants untreated would mean a huge loss to society, said Gadkari. "The operation at our hospital costs about Rs 13,000. In private hospitals, it may go up to Rs 1 lakh. We have operated upon eight infants in a year as against the target of one set by the NGO," said Sucheta Kulkarni, deputy director and chief retina consultant at H V Desai eye hospital. It will also conduct a study on the benefits of the treatment in the last three years.

Read more: There's cure for retinopathy in premature babies - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Theres-cure-for-retinopathy-in-premature-babies-/articleshow/6744542.cms#ixzz12Mr8BASk
Story Source Link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Theres-cure-for-retinopathy-in-premature-babies-/articleshow/6744542.cms

Bayswater walk to aid African boy - Local News - News - Knox Leader

Supporters Fight for Sight This October

It's Eye Health Month and advocates are out in full force with a variety of education and fundraising campaigns to ensure individuals of all ages around the world have access to proper care and are making use of it.

Read more: http://www.nsnews.com/business/Supporters+fight+sight+this+October/3650692/story.html#ixzz12Mon9EYR
http://www.nsnews.com/business/Supporters+fight+sight+this+October/3650692/story.html

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Salif Keita Brings 'La Difference' to Dar Es Salaam

------------------------------------------------------------

From: Ms. Kathy
Email: k
Headline: Salif Keita Brings 'La Difference' to Dar Es Salaam
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201010130598.html

Salif Keita

Dear user,
A user, Ms. Kathy would like to share this article / content with you. To visit this article / content, simply click on the following URL / URI:
Site: http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10490:salif-keita-coming-to-town&catid=42:sizzling-entertainment&Itemid=74
P/S: This may be a restricted content which requires you to be registered on the site.

Sisters battle to keep their hearing, sight

* Please note, the sender's email address has not been verified.

You have received the following link from knl@ebrschools.org:

Click the following to access the sent link:

Sisters battle to keep their hearing, sight*


Get your EMAIL THIS Browser Button and use it to email content from any Web site. Click here for more information.

*This article can also be accessed if you copy and paste the entire address below into your web browser.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/life/Sisters_battle_to_keep_their_hearing_sight_.html?showFullArticle=y

Usher's Syndrome: http://tlc.ac.nz/newsletter/archive/tag/usher%E2%80%99s-syndrome/

A Blessing in Disguise:

http://tlc.ac.nz/newsletter/archive/tag/usher%E2%80%99s-syndrome/

Ms. K
Visual Impairments Specialist

http://lee.ebrschools.org/kathynicholslee
http://www.kathyskids.org

http://mskathyskids.blogspot.com

Third Sector Jobs: Email a Friend Job Alert

I found this job on the Third Sector Jobs website and thought you might be interested.

Welcome to Third Sector Jobs. The following vacancy as been recommended to you:

Job title: Holidays Co-ordinator
Recruiter: Sense
Description:
Could you run a holiday programme for deafblind people and manage a complex project with paid and voluntary staff?

To view this job, please click on the link below:
http://jobs.thirdsector.co.uk/job/329440/holidays-co-ordinator/?TrackID=1987

-----

Questions?
Email us by visiting http://jobs.thirdsector.co.uk/staticpages/600/contact-us

Former Pres. Carter speaks of eradicating 2 diseases: http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5g4cSoDK9B6aXwomrhn9nyEWV8gvg?docId=4817941

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5g4cSoDK9B6aXwomrhn9nyEWV8gvg?docId=4817941

Ms. Kathy
Visual Impairments Specialist

http://www.kathyskids.org
http://teacherweb.com/LA/RobertELeeHigh/MrsMichael/t.aspx

New discovery to help ease the impact of glaucoma - News1130

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

deafblind community on facebook

Deafblindness | Facebook
Welcome to the Facebook Community Page about Deafblindness, a collection of shared knowledge concerning Deafblindness.
ko-kr.facebook.com/pages/.../107666589263303?v=wall...0

Educate public on albinism

Educate the public in NHLANGANO about the treatment of those with albinism.
Click the following to access the sent link:
http://www.times.co.sz/News/21708.html

I'm continually horrified by what can happen to those living with albinism in parts of Africa.

Suggestion from Kathy

Hi Ms. Kathy,
Kathy stopped by St Albans & Harpenden Review website
and suggested that you visit the following URL:
http://www.stalbansreview.co.uk/news/8444876.Little_trooper_battling_with_a_life_threatening_condition_treated_to_army_mad_bedroom_make_over/
Here is their message ...
Cornelia deLange Syndrome

Kind regards
St Albans & Harpenden Review Team.

Daily Commercial

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Attorney general: Teachers must report communications

http://www.kathyskids.org
Ms. Kathy's Kids Blog: http://mskathyskids.blogspot.com/

--- On Thu, 9/30/10, Louisiana Federation of Teachers <askLFT@lft-aft.org> wrote:

From: Louisiana Federation of Teachers <askLFT@lft-aft.org>
Subject: Attorney general: Teachers must report communications
To: mrs
Date: Thursday, September 30, 2010, 5:35 PM

Teachers must report electronic communications with students outside of school
Teachers who work with their students in activities that are not connected to the school, such as church youth groups, must follow rules set up to prohibit inappropriate contacts with the children, according to an attorney general's opinion.

The opinion, based on Act 214 of the 2009 legislative session, says that teachers who have e-mail communications with students outside of the official school system must report those communications to the school.

The law restricting ways that teachers can communicate was passed in response to concerns that some teachers were sending inappropriate e-mails to their students.

The bill, authored by Rep. Frank Hoffmann of West Monroe, was intended to protect teachers and students by making sure that e-mails could only be sent to students through approved school district channels.

The question arose about teachers who are facilitators for church youth groups, and who send e-mails or text messages to the children who are members of those groups.

The attorney general's opinion is clear. If the members of the youth groups are also students at the teacher's school, the teacher must report any electronic communications with the student to the school.

The opinion is on the attorney general's Web site at this link.

A wrong turn down the road to merit pay
Now that the U.S. Department of Education has announced that eight Louisiana school districts will split $36.5 million to experiment with merit pay for teachers, does that mean it's already too late to talk about whether or not merit pay really makes a difference in the classroom?

Hopefully, not. Because the data, while not yet conclusive, tends to show that there is little if any connection between performance-based pay and student achievement.

As Sarah Sparks writes here, the Department of Education is spending money before there is evidence that it is well spent. Says Sparks, "More than ever, the department needs a large, rigorous, comprehensive evaluation to dig into the details of whether and how performance-pay programs work."

Within a week of the Department's announcement of the grants, she notes, two different studies in Chicago and Nashville "have found few benefits for student achievement in merit-pay programs."

Despite a lack of evidence that these incentives accomplish their goal, the U.S. Department, as well as state and local education agencies around the country, are bound and determined to ram them down the throats of classroom teachers.

Why?

To read the rest of this article, please click here.

Help the NSU Demons win the Hawaii Five-O band contest!
Which college band performs the best rendition of the Hawaii Five-O theme? If the answer is Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, the school will win $25,000 and have a video of the band performing the piece on the CBS network this fall.

All that NSU has to do to win is get more votes than the other 17 colleges in the competition. That's where you come in.

Click on this link, and vote for the Spirit of Northwestern band. You're allowed to vote once each day until the CBS Hawaii Five-O Marching Band Mania competition is settled on October 4. Go Demons!

EdLog: News commentary and analysis

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Let's Get This Straight

My job is to help teachers teach blind kids the same thing they teach their sighted kids. I bring in and do the special "stuff" for their vision and inform them of the accommodations they need to make. Some people don't get it. They don't want to get it. I'm your back up and not your enemy! If you see it as more work, then it leads me to think you really haven't been working up to par in the first place.