[nabs-l] curing blindness

[Ashley Bramlett]

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/