Wednesday, June 5, 2013

June Is...

Clouds and Blue Sky | Photo Credit
Essceejulies/Sharina Julien | If you would like to use
this picture please contact me or give proper attribution 
Its the beginning of the month and  that means I'm spreading awareness. So what's in store for this month installment? Something about 3D baby audiobooks, research, vision, smiles and Pina Coladas. That doesn't sound right... read more to find out what I'm exactly discussing this month. 

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

TED Talk Tuesday: Chen Lizra - Seduction In Our Everyday lives

I took a bit of a mini-break from the blog but I'm back with this week's featured TED Talk... you know the organization that spreads ideas worth spreading (that I'm in L-O-V-E with). I wanted to switch up this week's talk and feature something a little lighter. 

The below video is from
a TEDx Vancouver event featuring creative marketing consultant Chen Lizra who discusses the powerful tool of seduction in our everyday lives. This talk is provocative in that Ms. Lizra uses the sexual connotation of the word 'seduction' to illustrate that seduction can be more than a device for temptation. Some people watching this video may not take it that way and never get pass the surface to see that the talk is really about self-confidence, passion and drive to live one's life and fulfill their dreams. Well that's what I took away from the talk. 
What I enjoy about the TED Talks is it gives the world a forum to talk about ideas in a different way that provoke deeper discussions. Like I said in my first TED-centric post A Different Perspective on: Introverts being presented with new ideas can be a catalyst to self-evaluation. An evaluation that makes us think differently about who we are and the world we live in the only difference is how will you react?

If you are interested in more perspectives in seduction you might want to check out Ms. Lizra's book My Seductive Cuba where much of the inspiration for her TED Talk comes from. I'll definitely say she 'seduced' me to think more inspiredly about my personal potential.



Thursday, May 9, 2013

Turning Your Can'ts into Cans: Being a Visually Impaired Parent

When I was initially diagnosed with Stargardt's I said I felt like my future was eroding away from me. Now looking back my future wasn't eroding away from me as much as it had changed from what I thought it would be.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

TED Talk Tuesday: Dr. Oliver Sacks - Hallucinations & Our Minds

I've mentioned before that I enjoy watching the presentations held by the TED organization. For more info about the TED organization check out my previous post featuring author Susan Cain A Different Perspective on: Introverts. There are so many interesting TEDtalks that every Tuesday I'll post one up that interests me.

Since May is Mental Health Awareness month I thought

Thursday, May 2, 2013

May Is...

So its the beginning of  a new month, May to be exact and its time to inform you what May exactly is. Yes I know its the fifth month in the Gregorian calendar but there are a ton of awareness campaigns going on. In previous posts it was fairly easy to navigate through the awareness campaigns of each corresponding month but May has campaigns for days I mean literally 31 days to be exact. There are some really great campaigns and then some are just straight-up bizarre like National Hamburger Month, really? I shouldn't judge... to each their own... but really a whole month for ground meat? *smiles*

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

The REAL Adventures of Helen Keller


The above image reads in bold black print 'The Adventures of Helen Keller" and beneath this heading there are four black rectangles arranged in a square two by two grid. I personally deem the above image a "F-A-I-L".

Monday, April 15, 2013

A Step in the Right Direction: Braille Burgers



I'm all for when companies strive for inclusion. The mentality is to provide the best experience for each of their customers no matter their circumstance. These altruistic goals should be celebrated but sometimes the execution of them aren't up to par. I'm testing out a new series of post entitled A Step In The Right Direction which will showcase the inclusion efforts of companies and how they can improve upon them.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Driving With Low Vision


The feeling of lost independence is a common experience among people dealing with vision loss. Many of us take for granted the privilege of driving until we no longer have the ability to do so. For many people who do not live in urban areas with mass transit having access to a car and the privilege to drive can make life difficult. Driving influences so many aspects of modern life. It lets us decide where we live, where we work and so much more. So think about what this experience must feel like for those of us dealing with vision loss.

There are several low vision specialists who actually want to give some of this sense of independence back to people with low vision. Many people with low vision have difficulty with their central vision. Our central vision only makes up about 3 to 5 percent of our overall visual field. In driving situations we mostly use our peripheral vision. Central vision allows us to see details like reading road signs and peripheral vision allows us to see bigger details.


Bioptic glasses picks up the slack for central vision loss while driving. The glasses help bring into greater detail road signs, traffic lights and other driving situations that need to be brought into detail. The Low Vision Centers of Indiana has the most comprehensive resource on Bioptic Driving in the US and maybe even the world. (website link below) The video above produced by the company gives a general introduction to Bioptic Driving.


More Information on Bioptic Driving:

Low Vision Centers of Indiana  - This website is a comprehensive resource for information on bioptic driving.

State Driving Laws - See if your state has laws regarding bioptic driving.

http://www.biopticdrivingusa.com/state-laws/

Driving With Stargardt's Disease - This is a post from the Low Vision Help blog written by low vision specialist Dr. Armstrong who is based in Virginia.