The following articles are not an endorsement by Second Sense. Editor, Kathy Austin.
March at Second Sense
What is Grief?
Looking for a K9 Buddy?
Advanced Orientation and Mobility Training
How to Find the Perfect Emoji!
RP Meet Up
Eye Drop Warning
New Phone Line for Uber Service Animal Denials
New Generation Victor Reader Stream
Dare2Tri Multi-Sport Clinic
BARD and Smart Speaker Beta Testing
Calendar of Events
Spring is fast approaching and we have some great new programs coming your way! Check out the following articles for dates and times. If you are looking for technology training, daily living solutions or independent travel needs, please contact Kathy Austin or call the office directly at 312-236-8569. We’ll discuss your specific needs and get you connected to the appropriate staff person or volunteer as soon as possible. As we do not always have a full staff in the office, we ask you to please leave a message in our general voice mail. This voice mail box is checked regularly and we will return your call as promptly as possible. If we do not reach you, please know that our staff will always leave you a voice mail.
According to the American Psychological Association, grief is experienced when we regret something lost, remorse for something we have done or sorrow for a mishap to oneself. Grief can cause physical distress, anxiety, insomnia and depression. Many talk about the stages of grief, but how one travels through the stages, and for how long, is unique to the individual. On Friday, March 17 at 10:30 am, Beth Gustin, LPC, EMDR from Transitioning Through Change, joins us to help us better understand what grief is and ways to cope. Beth, who is also visually impaired, has worked with individuals experiencing grief from the loss of a loved one, a pet or eyesight. To join us for this compassionate conversation, call our conference line at 312-809-1004. For questions, email Kathy Austin.
Sharing your life with a dog builds a strong sense of caring, companionship and responsibility. A dog also provides many other benefits such as improve cardiovascular health, reduced stress, decreased loneliness and increased social interactions with other dog lovers. Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) understands the impact of the human animal bond and has expanded their K9 Buddy program to include adults and children with vision loss in the United States and Canada. On Wednesday, March 22 at 1:00 pm, we welcome Kelsey Gilbert, K9 Buddy program manager, and Jane Flower, youth outreach specialist, from GDB to share how you can participate in this program. Kelsey and Jane will tell us who can qualify for a k9 Buddy, the application process and other benefits for having one of these specially selected, well-trained and socialized dogs. Please note, a K9 Buddy is not a service animal and therefore, is not able to travel to public places as a guide dog. These specially selected dogs provide companionship for someone who may not be able to have a guide dog or for someone who is thinking about a guide dog in the future as a mobility tool. Join us on the conference line, 312-809-1004. For questions, email Kathy Austin.
Improve your confidence traveling to new places with our advanced orientation and mobility training! When traveling in a group with sighted people, some you may know, others you may not, requires some different tactics you’ll want to implement. Asking for assistance and advocating for yourself seem to be at two ends of the spectrum. Sometimes you need the support, other times you don’t. Knowing how, when and why you should ask for assistance or when to refuse it, is the topic for our next orientation and mobility training. We’re traveling to the Art Institute of Chicago and taking a guided tour. You’ll also experience the multi-sensory gallery and explore the Institute’s TacTiles. Technology also comes into play with this training as we’ll be using the Art Institute app to enhance the visit. Our first group orientation for this series is Saturday, March 11 from 10:00 to 11:30 am. This workshop will be in-person or via conference call if necessary. Your strategy session is held via conference call on Saturday, March 18 from 10:00 to 11:00 am. The outing will take place on Saturday, March 25. This workshop is designed for travelers with good mobility skills with either a white cane or guide dog. Registration is required. For questions and to register, email Kathy Austin.
You probably know what an emoji is, but how do you find one that really fits the meaning of the text message you are sending? Yes, you can find the standard smiley faces emoji’s by tapping the emoji button on your smartphone’s keyboard, but there are many more you can use with the emoji search feature. At our Thursday, March 2 Apple Exchange, we’re talking about how to find the perfect emoji that truly expresses your message. Join us on the conference line at 1:00 pm by calling 312-809-1004. For questions, email Richard Stauder.
When coping with the seemingly ever-changing stages of RP, sometimes the going gets really tough. Laughing is not what you might first think of to help you deal with the sorrow of losing more vision. Laughter, however, can help you put things into perspective. Laughter can ease tension in a stressful or embarrassing situation. At our Tuesday, March 14 RP Meet Up, we welcome Beth Gustin, LPC, EMDR, from Transitioning Through Change to talk about laughter and how it can help us cope when we experience vision loss. Our RP Meet Up is for those affected by retinitis pigmentosa and related inherited retinal conditions. We meet on the conference line at 312-809-1004 at 7:00 pm Central time. For questions, email Kathy Austin.
Warning to those using artificial tears for dry eye and other conditions! The FDA and CDC advise everyone to discontinue using Ezricare eye drops due to the possibility of bacterial contamination that is resistant to antibiotic drugs. The manufacturer has also issued a recall of the product. 55 cases in 12 states as of January 31 have reported instances of permanent vision loss, hospitalization and one death. If you use these drops, you are encouraged to throw them away.
Have you been denied a ride with Uber because you travel with a guide dog? Uber has established a dedicated phone line to report ride refusals. The number, 1-833-715-8237, is staffed with trained customer service representatives and is available 24/7.
There’s lots of buzz about the third generation Victor Reader Stream coming out soon. You can preorder your Stream with Humanware, but know the new Stream is built on a new platform and there may be some minor issues with some bugs slipping through at launch. Humanware promises as soon as bugs are found, patches will be forthcoming promptly. You can order your Stream by calling Humanware at 800-722-3393. The price for the new third generation Victor Reader Stream is $550. You will be invoiced when your Stream ships.
Time to get in shape for summer activities! Dare2Tri has just the event to help you improve and learn new skills. Dare2Tri’s longest running event takes place March 4 from 12:45 to 5:45 pm. This multi-sport clinic is open to individuals of all ages who have a physical or vision disability, from beginner to elite athlete. You’ll have a full day of adaptive sports and fitness activities — swimming, cycling and running. The clinic takes place at the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, 1919 Skokie Valley Blvd., Highland Park. Transportation is available from the Wilson Skate Park parking lot, for those who require a ride to and from the event. Cost is $25 and scholarships are available. For more information contact Ryan Quilty, logistics and program manager, 847-721-2562 or rryan@dare2tri.org.
Finding your way through an indoor location with vision loss can feel like wandering through a maze, but help has arrived! Microsoft’s Seeing AI has just updated their app with new indoor navigation capability. You can create a route through a building and then follow the route guided by spatial audio cues. Plus, you can share the route with others and they can access it on their own device. You must have iOS 14 or later. Please note, this is not a replacement for your orientation and mobility skills.
The National Library Service (NLS) has developed a BARD skill to use on Amazon Alexa and Google Home smart speakers and is looking for BARD patrons to test the program. If interested, you must meet the following requirements:
If interested, send the following information to NLS via email dolson@loc.gov:
Thursday, March 2
1:00 pm
Apple Exchange: Emoji’s
Saturday, March 4
12:45 pm
Dare2Tri Multi-sport clinic
Monday, March 6
9:30 am
AYES at Access Living
Saturday, March 11
10:00 am
Advanced Orientation and Mobility – first session
Tuesday, March 14
7:00 pm
RP Meet Up
Friday, March 17
10:30 am
What is Grief
Saturday, March 18
10:00 am
Advanced Orientation and Mobility – second session
Wednesday, March 22
1:00 pm
Guide Dogs for the Blind’s K9 Buddy Program