[nabs-l] curing blindness

Mon Oct 1 04:14:33 UTC 2012

Gerado,
Yes the I phone can OCR documents, but there are some limits on it and I 
heard its not as accurate as a desk top scanner.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Gerardo Corripio
Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2012 11:12 PM
To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
Subject: Re: [nabs-l] curing blindness

Hey Ashlee and list
Can't those of us with IPhone already Ocr pamphlets? Sorry for my ignorance, 
but I've had IPhone alnost 2 months; some things I still don't know.
Thanks for info.

Enviado desde mi iPhone

El 30/09/2012, a las 21:44, "Ashley Bramlett" <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> 
escribió:

> Desiree,
> Thanks for the info. So when is the braille plus coming out? Then, how 
> much will this cost?
> I hope less than human ware and freedom scientific charge.
>
> You're right it will be able to scan documents. But you still would have 
> to have this thing in a paper form to scan it. Many information literacy 
> things I speak of are not  something you can handle, but are things you 
> simply look at as a pedestrian or traveler traveling by. But, still, I 
> think this is a big step in bringing us  information literacy the sighted 
> people have; many things are able to be handled after all.  Restaurants 
> have paper menus for people to look at for take out food. Most brochures 
> and tourbooks you can grab and would be scannable. I'll research the 
> braille plus. I did not know APH was remaking that product and coming out 
> with a new version.
>
> Ashley
> -----Original Message----- From: Desiree Oudinot
> Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2012 10:32 PM
> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] curing blindness
>
> Hi Ashley,
> That's a good point about restaurant menus and brochures, but
> technology is improving in regards to that. I was just reading about
> the new Braille Plus which is made by APH, and how it's going to be
> running Android, so will be an extremely powerful note taker. I bring
> this up because it also includes a camera, and it said that something
> like that could be used for scanning menus and other things like you
> described. I'm not sure if it's going to be able to do bar code
> scanning. Perhaps so, considering that you're supposed to be able to
> download Android aps, but since I'm pretty unfamiliar with the Android
> OS, I'm not sure if there is one for bar code scanning yet. Anyway,
> this is a big step up for people who don't want to use touch screens
> but desire some of the things you describe, since I know the IPhone
> can do this stuff too, but some people have their reasons for not
> wanting to use touch screens.
>
> On 9/30/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>> Arielle,
>> That is my reaction too. It made Mr. Lloyd able to pass as sighted, but 
>> his
>>
>> vision was so fuzzy that it really did not help him act like a sighted
>> person. Want to bet that when he got to work, he had to use jaws or other
>> adaptive tools to do his work? His vision simply was not at that point to
>> read print and use a computer to function as sighted at work.
>> I share your concern that those getting  treatment to restore some vision
>> would give up proven blindness techniques in favor of the rudimentary 
>> vision
>>
>> and therefore they would struggle more than they were as a blind person.
>>
>> I am not sure if I'd take treatment to get all vision. I think it would 
>> be
>> such a psychological and physical adjustment. I'd have to really weigh 
>> the
>> pros and cons if such  a thing were avaiable; I'd also consider any side
>> effects such treatment had. One benefit to having more vision is the 
>> ability
>>
>> to read; if my vision were say 20/100 I might be able to read more easily
>> without fatigue. I'd only need some magnification and I'd be able to read
>> pretty well. I often wondered what it would be like to walk into a hotel 
>> and
>>
>> be able to pick up those brochures about local events, read the 
>> restaurant
>> menu as I pass by, pick up a local newspaper from the concierge, and then 
>> go
>>
>> up to my room and read the tv listings on screen.
>> I would have a very different experience. Oh, and I'd be able to read the
>> labels on the shampoo and lotion, and not have to ask someone. I can see 
>> the
>>
>> colors, but they are often the same color, so still have to ask. I do not
>> want to put cream in my hair!
>>
>> Anyway, it’s a complex topic and I suspect that as treatment comes
>> available, some will take it while others will not. Those that do not 
>> will
>> opt out for many of the reasons articulated here.
>> Ashley
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Arielle Silverman
>> Sent: Sunday, September 30, 2012 6:01 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] curing blindness
>>
>> Hi all,
>> I have studied this topic a bit because it was the subject of my
>> honors thesis when I was an undergraduate student. I did a survey
>> about six years ago (a few of you may have participated) to assess how
>> blind people felt about the prospect of having their sight restored.
>> One of the most interesting findings was that when asked whether or
>> not one would take a magic pill that would restore full vision
>> immediately with no risks or side effects, only 72% of the sample said
>> they would do it. While most of the participants said they would do
>> it, a substantial minority (about 20%) said no. Some of the people who
>> said no cited concerns about losing their identity as blind people,
>> or having  to adjust to a new sense  and that possibly taking away
>> from their quality of life.
>> Another finding from the survey was that most people said in order for
>> a sight-restoring technology to be worthwhile, it would have to give
>> them most or all functional vision. I personally don't have any
>> objection to the technology like the Argus II being developed. I do
>> think it could be a problem, though, if technologies that only give
>> very rudimentary vision become popularized. They could perhaps lead
>> people like the man in the article to forego using a proven travel aid
>> like a cane in favor of using very rudimentary vision. As a result,
>> people who have these procedures could actually end up struggling more
>> than they were before. Based on the article, I am not convinced that
>> Lloyd has actually gained any independence from the artificial vision,
>> beyond what he would have gotten with a cane. Instead, it makes him
>> better at passing as a sighted guy, but possibly worse at navigating
>> his environment because he is no longer using a cane. I think the
>> challenges and self-esteem issues associated with "passing" without
>> actually having good skills are evident to many of us.
>> I don't think I would undergo a procedure to improve my vision, for
>> several reasons. I wouldn't even consider it until the technology was
>> extensively tested and perfected, and then, only if it could actually
>> give me full functionality (driving etc.) Even then, I'm not sure I
>> would do it because I am terrified of surgery and only want to go
>> through that if it is absolutely medically necessary, and I do not
>> want to put the rest of my life on hold to learn how to see. I have
>> more ambivalent feelings about how much I want to support research on
>> curing blindness, and I'm curious to know others' thoughts about this.
>> I have a genetic eye condition and have been told I should send my
>> blood to a lab to have my gene identified because this will aid
>> research on genetic treatments. I've debated whether or not to do it
>> and at this point I am mostly indifferent. On one hand, I do think
>> that treatments could legitimately help some people who don't have
>> access to technology or who  live in communities where blindness is
>> viewed very poorly. On the other hand, I am bothered by the negative
>> press about blindness that is often propagated by cure-oriented groups
>> like Prevent Blindness America or Foundation Fighting Blindness,
>> making me not want to support these causes. Furthermore, I believe
>> that no matter how good treatments get, some people will continue to
>> be blind. So I would rather direct my limited energy toward finding
>> ways to make life better for those who are blind rather than wiping
>> out blindness.  What do you think?
>> Arielle
>>
>> On 9/30/12, Ashley Bramlett <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I know NFB doesn’t focus on treatment of blindness or low vision; they
>>> focus
>>> on living with it and adapting to the world with training and equipment.
>>> But many organizations do focus on this such as Foundation Fighting
>>> Blindness and the organization mentioned in this article.
>>> The link is below to the article.  I think this guy in the article was
>>> sure
>>> taking a gamble with his life to walk to work without a cane and only
>>> relying on unclear vision. At least the quote from him indicates its 
>>> hard
>>>
>>> to
>>> focus and learn to see with this artificial vision; not as if he claims
>>> its
>>> perfect. Still he is happy with the artificial vision he does have
>>> through
>>> the camera.
>>>
>>> I’ve had very limited vision all my life and I was fortunate to be 
>>> taught
>>> braille after they taught me large print, but realized its shortcomings;
>>> so
>>> I learned braille and I had a cane in mid elementary school. Training in
>>> O&M
>>> was a lot to be desired, but I did learn how to use it as well as other
>>> alternative techniques from my teacher of the vision impaired.
>>> Therefore, I’m adapting and still learning with what I have. Techniques
>>> will
>>> also change with technology; for instance, when I was young,  we had no
>>> digital recorders, digital NLS players, no book share or any way to
>>> download
>>> books in braille, no bar code readers, and scanners were around although
>>> not
>>> to the efficient degree we have today. So, with all that said, I’m not
>>> sure
>>> I’d want more vision. But this article paints a picture of getting some
>>> vision back as a good thing. I certainly would not want to enter the
>>> sighted
>>> world as I would not know how to function.
>>>
>>>
>>> If you read the article, what do you think? Would you take artificial
>>> vision? This is becoming a reality and they are going to improve the
>>> technology. The chip sends signals to the camera which sends signals to
>>> the
>>> eyes so the person can see some images.
>>>
>>> Here it is.
>>> http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57522740/new-technology-may-bring-sight-back-to-blind/
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>>
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