Timely news and interviews relating to vision loss, including the latest updates in medical research.

Gifts for the Holidays for People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired
by Pris Rogers on 11/25/2019

With the holidays growing ever closer, it's time to think about shopping for that special gift. Over the years, VisionAware has offered many suggestions that can help you in your decision making for just the right present for friends or family with vision loss. Recommendations for Holiday Shopping Be sure to check out the following posts and resources to guide you in your decision making: VisionAware Gift Ideas. This is a…

• November is National Diabetes Month
  by Pris Rogers on 11/20/2019

VisionAware Is Full of Information and Resources On Diabetes and Vision Loss Read about diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. Get a comprehensive dilated eye exam at least once a year. Find out how to monitor your diabetes.…

• October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
  by Pris Rogers on 10/24/2019

National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an annual designation observed in October. The first National Domestic Violence Awareness Month was observed in 1987; in 1989 Congress passed Public Law 101-112, officially designating October as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Statistics The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) estimates that 10 million U.S. men and women experience domestic violence each year. On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the…

Visually Impaired: Now What?

Formerly known as the "Peer Perspectives Blog," we have renamed the blog to reflect the purpose more accurately. The posts are written by our team of peer advisors, many of whom are professionals in the field who are blind or visually impaired. The blog features solutions for living with visual impairment resulting from eye conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and retinitis pigmentosa. It includes posts about living independently, getting around, low vision, technology, cooking, and helpful products.

• Instant Pot to the Rescue!
  by Pris Rogers on 11/21/2019

By Jeannie Johnson When the bulk of the holiday meal preparation is your job, if youre like me, you have one standard oven and 4 stovetop burners. Because were efficient, we can prepare some things ahead of time, but in order for everything to be hot and fresh all at once, sometimes those cooking options just arent enough, especially if we want to minimize our stress. Multicooker/Instant Pot (IP) to the rescue! I have two Instant Pots and plan to put both of them to good use during the…

• Voices of the Talking Book Program
  by Lynda Jones on 10/24/2019

Excerpt from the Novel The Help I put the manuscript down on the table with a thump… I brought it over to show to Aibileen and Minny one last time before I mail it… "Now we just…wait and see," I say. "What if they find out?" Aibileen says quietly. "What if folks find out it is Jackson or figure out who' who." "They ain't gon' know," Minny says. "Jackson ain't no special place. They's ten thousand towns juz like it." Who Are the Readers Who Bring Books to Life? The voice of Jill Fox, Talking Book (TB) narrator in Louisville, Kentucky, fills the room with these lines from the classic novel The Help. With the slightest change in accent, rhythm, pace, tone, and attitude Jill Fox brings alive the three main characters…

• Guide Dog Training: One Skill at a Time
  by Maribel Steel on 8/22/2019

Photo by Maribel Steel Editors note: In celebration of National Dog Day August 26th, peer advisor Maribel Steel shares her experience of being paired up to a new guide dog in Australia. Decision Time For almost a decade, Ive been using a white cane as my mobility aid. After my first guide dog went to the great kennel in the sky, I wasnt ready to train with another guide dog. It seemed easier to continue my independent travel with a cane. Yet my sight continued to fade and it became obvious that where once I felt confident on my own on a busy street, I was beginning to falter and to…