Seeing the light in a visually impaired world
2019 marks the 150th anniversary of Wakefield District Sight Aid (WDSA). With its long history of supporting people living with sight loss in the Wakefield District, the charity continues its crucial work and is evolving to meet the changing needs of service users. This small local charity has a tiny team with big hearts, who... Continue Reading →
I haven't worn a watch for years because I can't see a regular watch and a talking watch doesn't appeal to me. I like the idea of a watch, I think they can complete an outfit and as punctuality doesn't run on my family, I need all the help I can get. My husband recently... Continue Reading →
Ballet is a very visual art form, but is appreciated by many people who are blind or visually impaired. I'd like to share with you why I think ballet can be and should be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of how little or how much they can see. I developed a love for ballet at an... Continue Reading →
The arts are an important, yet sometimes undervalued part of life. It allows people to express themselves regardless of their culture, language or the time in which they live. In its most traditional forms, some art is not accessible to those who are visually impaired. Often pigeon holed into the non-essential category of daily life,... Continue Reading →
Having a baby is the most wonderful thing, but it turns your world upside down and there's so much to learn that quite frankly, it's mind boggling. If you have a visual impairment, the usual advice that's doled out at every turn, by every grandmother, aunt, friend, neighbour, woman behind you in the queue at... Continue Reading →
I hope you have enjoyed 'The Cane and I' series so far. In Part 3, we look at the first few cane lessons. It's just the start, but if you've read the first two parts of this series, Blind People Faking It': The Truth and Mentally Preparing for Cane Training, you will know it's been... Continue Reading →
Welcome to Part 2 of the The Cane and I mini-series. We have already looked at how I came to decide I need a cane in Part 1, Blind People ‘Faking It’: The Truth. Next, let’s talk about how I prepared for cane training. This wasn’t a conscious process, but looking back there were two... Continue Reading →
Many visually impaired people rely on smart phones to navigate their surroundings and without them, some wouldn’t be able to go out on their own. This this technology is vital to our independence, but our ability to use it has caused some people to make accusations of cane and guide dog users faking their visual impairment. Unbelievably, it is still not common knowledge that blindness is not binary. There are many variations of visual impairments that lead to someone using a cane or a guide dog, but there is no visual impairment that is a barrier to using a mobile phone. It’s hugely unfair that visually impaired people have been made to feel uncomfortable about using a smartphone in public due to those incidents that have been talked about in the media and it is time that people were told the truth about blind people ‘faking it’. Because we do fake it, but not in the way you might think.
There are a number great apps out there designed specifically to help visually impaired people, but let me tell you why Seeing AI is my absolute favourite.
