by Kathy Austin
When I was going to college back in the 90s and early 2000s, a textbook consisted of a cardboard box with dozens of four-track cassette tapes. I played them on a special tape recorder that I now cannot remember the name of. It was about the size of a textbook, but heavy in my […] Read More »
Tags: apps, technology
by Cheryl Megurdichian, CFRE
Ditching Resolutions My New Year’s resolutions were always bright and shiny, full of hope on New Year’s Day. But, by the end of the month they morphed into failures. When I set specific goals – I will walk 10,000 steps every day – one miss started a downward spiral. And just a few days […] Read More »
Tags: change, resolutions, self-improvement
by Brian Marchetti
As a random disruption in my genetic code has replaced my vision with a constant series of swirling lines and exploding dots, I miss two things the most. I haven’t seen a human face in a decade. I have no idea what my wife looks like though I sleep next to her every night and […] Read More »
Tags: billiards, pool, retinitis pigmentosa
by Siobhan Midgley, CVRT, COMS, TVI
This post is the first in a series by Siobhan Midgley, CVRT, COMS, TVI, on blindness disorders occurring in the brain. In 2019, I was completing my teaching clinicals in a classroom with blind and visually impaired kindergartners. The classroom was set up with a desk in each corner for each teacher and paraprofessional. Each […] Read More »
Tags: Brain Blindness, Face Blindness
by Kathy Austin
Second Sense staff shares their holiday traditions
Tags: holidays, traditions
by Siobhan Midgley, CVRT, COMS, TVI
Bats, whales and other animals create sounds that bounce off objects to learn information about their environments. This strategy, called echolocation, helps them find prey and navigate under deep ocean depths and dark nighttime skies. Echolocation is now currently being researched as a tool for people with vision loss to also learn about the […] Read More »
Tags: Echolocation, Mobility, O&M
by Aly Slaughter
“Is there anything in your life that your vision prevents you from doing?” This was the question I was asked by the resident ophthalmologist in November 2017. I was at the University of Iowa where I go every 2 years for a full day of tests and eye exams. This was a question I had […] Read More »
by Kathy Austin
The last book I read in print was The Osterman Weekend by Robert Ludlum, a CIA spy thriller. It was the second time I had read it and I struggled seeing the print under the dim light of a table lamp. Months later, I took my daughter to the library. I had to ask […] Read More »
Tags: audio books
by Eleni Gaves, COMS
Getting a first cane can seem overwhelming up front. From different sizes to materials and then to cane tips, there’s a lot of variety. And certainly, there is a lack of clarity about what each thing does or why so many variations exist. Add in the fact that you may be wondering how to hold […] Read More »
Tags: cane tips, mobility training, white cane
by Second Sense
Your invitation to participate in the 2020 census should arrive in your mailbox this month. Why Does the Census Matter to You? Here are some very important reasons: Transportation Billions of dollars in federal funds are distributed for transportation projects. This includes public transit, accessible pedestrian signals, truncated domes at intersections. Projects that improve […] Read More »
Tags: Census