by Kathy Austin
When I moved into my home 28 years ago, my backyard was a blank slate. I began digging up parts of the lawn to create flower beds, raised beds and a large vegetable plot. Over the years, some beds have gotten bigger and some have long since been turned back to lawn. I’ve watched the […] Read More »
Tags: adaptive gardening, container gardening, gardening
by Brad Blair
Brad is hosting a route planning workshop on March 17 at 4:30 PM CST via our conference line, 312-809-1004. This is a great opportunity to ask specific questions about the strategies he shares here. The Coronavirus seems to be receding — finally. Restaurants, sports venues, movie theaters and art galleries are once again […] Read More »
Tags: Independent Travel, O&M, route planning
by Eleni Gaves, COMS and Brad Blair, O&M intern
Whether you are fully sighted, losing your vision or blind, traveling in inclement winter weather is challenging. It requires planning and adaptations. These tips and methods will help you plan safe, productive travel. Many of these tips are similar to what anyone with 20/20 vision needs to do, but with methods adapted for those […] Read More »
Tags: travel with vision loss, winter travel
by Brad Blair
Global positioning system (GPS) technology is nearly everywhere. Today, GPS is in nearly every car on the road and every phone carried in a person’s pocket or purse. It’s now taken for granted that if you are planning a route from Chicago to Portland, or even just across town, you will use GPS systems. […] Read More »
Tags: GPS, GPS for visually impaired, O&M
by Siobhan Midgley
For all you iPhone users out there, some exciting new accessibility features have accompanied the unveiling of iOS 14! I’ll discuss some of the new features you may find useful if you have vision loss. Some of our clients have found some iOS 14 updates to be a bit of a nuisance. If you […] Read More »
Tags: iOS 14, iPhone, iPhone Accessibility
by Kathy Austin, CVA
Air Never before has there been so much controversy about how we will vote in our National General Election. Today, with the coronavirus spreading, shortage of election officials, controversy about mail-in ballots and post office woes, you have to think carefully about how you are going to vote. November 3, 2020 is Election Day. Whether […] Read More »
Tags: accessible voting, electronic voting, vote-by-mail
by Eleni Gaves, COMS
When you travel to a new destination, how do you know how to get there? What steps do you take to prepare so you will find your destination with minimal risk of getting lost? A sighted person can use GPS, consult a physical map, read street signs and look out for visual landmarks. People […] Read More »
Tags: Independent Travel, Mental Map, Mobility, white cane
by Cody Froeter, CVRT
Summer is still here! For many folks, that means there’s still time to fire up the grill for some great barbecuing! If you have vision loss, barbecuing can seem like a daunting task. In reality, adaptive grilling skills are incredibly similar to adaptive kitchen skills. With any cooking task, safety is always a priority. […] Read More »
Tags: adaptive cooking, adaptive grilling, grilling
by By Cody Froeter, CVRT
For many individuals with vision loss, an iPhone is an essential tool for accomplishing a wide variety of daily tasks. The Home Button was one feature of an iPhone that many of my clients found useful. It was not only used for performing tasks, but it was a tactile landmark on the screen when […] Read More »
Tags: iPhone, iPhone 11, VoiceOver
by Kathy Austin, CVA
Could any of us have imagined on New Year’s Day 2020 what our world would be like just five months later? We have been isolated from our family, friends and co-workers. We may have taken ill with COVID19 or have grieved the loss of a loved one. We may have felt lonely during these past […] Read More »
Tags: coronavirus, gratitude, nostalgia
