Here are Julie’s recommendations for apps that help you get around; on your feet, using a transit system or in a car…and how to know what is around you. On Your iPhone, Using Siri to Get Directions To Where You Want to Go The Maps app built into the iPhone provides turn-by-turn directions to […]
Read more "Transportation Apps: #2 of Julie Atkins Guides to the Best Apps for Vision Loss"
Here is an important update for anyone who is interested in the Orcam system. The offer lasts until June 5: ~ A pre-launch version is now available at $2,500 (This is a similar price to a mid-range hearing aid) ~ The text reading component is up and running. It can be used for reading books, magazines, newspapers, […]
Read more "Wearable Sight Enhancement with Sound, Any Progress?"
For a person with little or no sight there are practical and emotional difficulties about using a public restroom. So much of vision loss is about finding things with your hands, and also not being able to find things you need like the flush. You are also afraid of what your hand might touch! You […]
Read more "Restrooms: Stories from the Stall and the Urinal"
This is the first of the three interviews announced in January. . This week, how a compassionate and caring rehab teacher works with clients who are often stunned by their loss of good sight. He is asking his clients to use a white and red cane and go out into traffic! How can he help […]
Read more "Interview: A Mobility Professional Discusses the Art of Getting Clients Past Their Fear"
What to be aware of when there is a lot of snow Joe Kolb has been teaching mobility to people with vision loss for 31 years. I interviewed him on January 30, three days after a big blizzard swept across parts of New England. I started with questions about snow safety. Here are his recommendations, […]
Read more "Snow and Ice Awareness: Advice from One of New England’s Premier Mobility Instructors"
Today winter is reaching down into southern states that don’t usually have to bother with snow and ice. Stepping onto invisible ice which you aren’t prepared for can be an ankle-breaker or worse. It doesn’t have to be a big patch. Sometimes the most treacherous ice is small and right outside your front door – […]
Read more "Stepping Out Even When It’s Icy"
DeAnn Elliott was a member of early Interpersonal Skill groups at the Carroll Center, and also of the focus group I held at my home. She is a perceptive thinker and writer and has taught me a lot. Here is a re-post of her blog about one of our mobility instructors and her own fears […]
Read more "Are You Afraid of Getting Some Mobility Training? Join the Club"
Holiday visits and winter getaways are coming soon, but will you enjoy yourself? At present my husband Neil and I are in Queenstown, New Zealand. We are on a long-wished-for visit to my sister and her family as well as old friends in Australia. So far we have used every means of transport except bicycles, […]
Read more "What Makes a Trip Fun? Rich Sensory Environments Versus Deprived Sensory Environments"Heading for the jungle When you have trouble seeing you need to pack as if you’re heading for the jungle. You have to be prepared for the unexpected. It’s wise to take back-ups of essentials that your family probably can’t lend you – magnifying spectacles, digital recorder, etc. Pack for yourself, though it may take […]
Read more "Packing for the Weekend: Part 2 – Clothes and Equipment"
Managing your own stuff takes work, but it’s worth it When you are new to vision loss, a member of your family may offer – almost insist on packing for you. Anyone with good sight might be quicker, and you will probably feel cared for. But it’s much better to manage your own stuff. You […]
Read more "Packing for the Weekend: Part 1 – Your Bag"