Thursday, January 24, 2013

Some Misconceptions About Blind People

On one of my information seeking journeys on the vast spacial plane that is the interwebs (internet for non nerds) I came across some information about misconceptions about blind people. Many sighted people and even some people in the blind/visually impaired community often believe these misconceptions simply due to ignorance. One article I found was Delco Daily Top Ten: Top 10 Misconceptions about Blind People. The article was by David W. Wannop who "is a music journalist, talent developer, booking agent, and show host based in Center City Philadelphia.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Resources for the Blind

I added a new list of resources for the blind which can be found here. The list has listings of organizations from all over the world. If there are any organizations that you would like to see added to the list feel free to leave it in the comments or the contact page.

Friday, November 30, 2012

Check Out The Tommy Edison Experience on Youtube



If you're reading this you already know that the blind can blog but have you ever wondered if they can vlog? Yeah, vlog  as in making video blogs. Well the answer is yes, I've actually come upon a few. 

A week or so after I started formally posting on this blog, I came across the Tommy Edison Experience youtube channel thanks to The Daily What. Did you know that being blind had a funny side? Well that's what Tommy's youtube channel is about. When you check out his videos or listen to them.... be prepared to laugh. 

Friday, November 16, 2012

World Prematurity Day: Premature Babies & Vision Loss

World Prematurity Day - November 17 | Photo Credit: World Prematurity Day Facebook Page

November 17th is World Prematurity Day. This day is to bring awareness to the global problem of premature births. A premature birth occurs when a baby is born 37 weeks or earlier. Babies born this early are underweight and most of their body systems are underdeveloped. These factors make pre-terrn birth one of the leading causes of infant death worldwide. 

Friday, November 9, 2012

A Different Perspective on: Introverts

Recently I made an account on the social bookmarking site StumbleUpon. This was to help get new content ideas for the blog and to learn about new things. You get to 'Stumble Upon' websites that match your interests. that you might not have normally come across just doing a Google search. When you first start out you're asked what your interests are so you have a more customized experience. On the site you can search for things you like or get recommendations based on your interests. WARNING, clicking on the 'Stumble' button can lead to a massive loss of productivity and of your so so precious time (no different from a lot of things on the internet haha). Sorry for the long explanation just wanted to give an overview of what the site is about. Also I want to put it out there that StumbleUpon did not pay me to write the previous, that would be cool but all the opinions are my own. Oh and come and join me on the site at Essceejulies.

Friday, November 2, 2012

A Bump in the Road

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So I hit of bit of a bump (not literally). I won't be able to do an update on the state of my vision. Yesterday I was scheduled to have my doctor's appointment but there was an issue with my health insurance so I wasn't able to see him. I was actually more afraid I wouldn't be able to see him with all the Hurricane Sandy stuff going on (I live about 70-80 miles north of New York City) Thankfully the storm just knocked out the power for a few days instead of the widespread damage it caused to the south of my area. So once I get everything settled with my insurance (don't really know how long that will take) I'll do a proper update. Here's the link to my last update. My last Doctor's appointment was 7 months ago and in my opinion it hasn't changed. It would of been great to know in more detail how little or not it hasn't changed.

I'm just grateful right now that Hurricane Sandy wasn't worse for my family and I. If you're reading this and you live on the Eastern sea board and in Canada I hope you and yours are well too. My bump in the road is really nothing compared to the task at hand for those greatly affected my Hurricane Sandy. If you would like to help those in need visit the American Red Cross website for more details.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Toddler and Her White Cane



I came across this video a few weeks after my diagnosis. I think this video of a toddler learning to use her white cane to navigate her surroundings is awesome. If she can do it then why wouldn't I when the time comes. Most of the comments on the video are for the most part positive but a few were filled with pity. The video shouldn't provoke feelings of pity, this little girl is being given independence. It would be pitiful if the video played only to the fact she couldn't see, but it doesn't. Just because someone is impaired in one area in their life doesn't mean they aren't capable in others.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Stargardt Stories

"It's not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. - Charles Darwin.
Image created by Mia Pallas found on inspirably.com 
When I was first diagnosed with Stargardt's I stumbled upon the site
Stargardts.net/. Under the tab Living With Stargardt's they had compiled stories of various people with the disease from all around the world. It was so comforting to read about people's experiences having similar fears yet still pulling through. It brought into focus that I'm not alone with this affliction. I'm not exactly sure if they are still excepting stories but you can contact them at info@stargardts.net if you yourself or a loved one wants to share your experience.

UPDATE: If you would like to read more Stargardt Disease related blogs I added a a new page Stargardt Blogroll which can be found on the header bar above or to the sidebar to the right. Its that thin vertical line to the right of the page. If you put your cursor on it magical things happen. Ok, well maybe not magical things but it will give other links to interesting pages. Feel free to recommend any other blogs in the comments.