[Nfbf-l] Attitudes toward Blindness - Argentine student invents 'smart shoe'

Wed Nov 19 20:17:11 UTC 2014

Personally, I agree with Miranda.
--I can't even think of getting a guide dog because it would mean not
having my cane with me--at least on a daily basis,
and O&M is so natural for me now that I wouldn't consider anything
else. no, the shoes wouldn't work for me either.
Now,taking things from a different prespective, it may be great for
either developing countries, where resources are not available, or,
(and I'm going on a limb here) but perhaps the hard-of-hearing would
find this kind of sensory notification useful?
I don't know since personally I'm not hard-of-hearing but was just
trying to be fair and look at things from 2 different prespectives.
--and I lost my site when I was 3, so not exactly born blind, but
pretty much the same, since I don't ever remember seing.
I don't think it comes down to whether you were born blind, but what
you're most comfortable with.
Dog, cane, and smart shoes--they're all different methods of achieving
the same goal, at least the way I see things.

On 11/19/14, Miranda Kilby via Nfbf-l <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> I think no matter if we were born blind or have lost our site we have looked
> up and the Myron people who have made a difference and I think this is what
> the national Federation of the blind does.  So, thank you to all those who
> are positive role models in changing what it means to be blind and living
> the life they want I believe being introduced to the national Federation of
> the blind has helped me overcome struggles and has showed positive role
> models to look up towards. I think if we are able to out reach to young
> individuals or even older individuals who are losing their site we can make
> impacts at the beginning which can help them in the long run. Darlene,
> No, I have only been blind since 2007 and before that I had 20/20 vision.
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Nov 19, 2014, at 1:12 PM, "Darlene Laibl-Crowe" <dlaiblcrowe at att.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Miranda, have you been blind since you were a child?  I found that those
>> who
>> have had their vision lost since childhood are able to do what you do.  I
>> admire you for that.  But those who have lived the life of vision and
>> then
>> having to depend on the cane are not so free to embrace it.
>>
>> I know when I began training with my white cane at the age of 228, I only
>> used it when I needed it...to find objects in unfamiliar territory and
>> when
>> I was alone.  Otherwise I used sighted guides as often as possible so I
>> couldn't use the cane.  I have met many others just like me who have done
>> the same thing and I still know several who are losing their vision as
>> adults and do not use it.  They prefer to blunder through wherever they
>> go
>> and sometimes getting hurt.  For me it is a necessity as I don't like
>> getting hurt...I cringe at pain!  (smile)
>>
>> So it is my opinion and I could be wrong that those who grew up blind are
>> more inclined to embracing the white cane than those who lose later in
>> life
>> especially as adults.  Another factor for me, too, in using a cane...since
>> I
>> also have hearing issues, it can be hard using the cane because I can't
>> use
>> my hearing to determine traffic flow and etc.
>>
>> Keep on being proud and a great example for us, Miranda!  You Rock!
>>
>> (smile)
>> Darlene
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Nfbf-l [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Miranda
>> Kilby
>> via Nfbf-l
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2014 1:05 PM
>> To: Alan Dicey; NFB of Florida Internet Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] Attitudes toward Blindness - Argentine student
>> invents
>> 'smart shoe'
>>
>> and I live the life I want. Greetings,
>> Thank you for sharing this article with the Federation. I find this
>> article
>> to be opinion based and not always true. I, carry my cane proudly wherever
>> I
>> may go. Therefore, the shoes would not be for me.. My cane not only
>> represents Diamme blind but also is an educational tool for those who may
>> or
>> may not know what it is and I am a young adult. I show not only my
>> friends,
>> family, and my future family that I, a blind person can do anything I
>> want
>> if I put my mind to it,
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>>> On Nov 19, 2014, at 2:47 AM, Alan Dicey via Nfbf-l <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Dear Friends,
>>> This concept of technical developments in this article is  not new, but
>>> a
>> few sentences in it disturbed me.
>>> And that is why I post this article.
>>> I know personally, the attitudes toward the Blind in South America are a
>> lot different from those in the States and Canada.
>>> See the article and you will see what I mean.
>>> With Best Regards,
>>> God Bless,
>>> Alan
>>> Plantation, Florida
>>> - -
>>> Argentine student invents 'smart shoe' to replace cane for the blind
>>> Argentine student invents 'smart shoe' to replace cane for the blind
>>> Published time: November 16, 2014 Edited time: November 16, 2014 An
>>> Argentine student has invented shoes with ultrasound sensors which allow
>> people with visual impairments to walk without a cane. The shoes vibrate
>> when the wearer approaches an object.
>>> The new shoes for blind people, dubbed 'Duspavoni,' were developed by
>>> Juan
>> Manuel Bustamante, a student at Industrial College #4, and presented at
>> the
>> National Science Fair in Buenos Aires on Friday. He says he worked on the
>> project for six months.
>>> "I wish Duspavoni, my creation, could get to revolutionize the lives of
>> people with sight problems, partial or total visual impairment," he told
>> Ruptly.
>>> The shoes have three ultrasound sensors placed inside the sole - in the
>> frontal, lateral, and back areas. The sensors emit ultrasound waves which
>> are reflected by surrounding objects and come back to the sensor. The
>> shoe
>> vibrates depending on the distance and position of the objects.
>>> "The closer the object is, the more the device vibrates," Bustamante
>>> said.
>> "If the object is ahead, the tip of the shoe vibrates. If it is on the
>> side,
>> the sole vibrates, and if it is behind, the heel vibrates."
>>> The device can detect different kinds of materials, people, and animals
>> within a 25-inch (63.5 centimeter) radius of the wearer. It is equipped
>> with
>> rechargeable batteries which can be charged by a USB cable connected to a
>> computer, or even by a mobile phone charger. The time needed for a total
>> charge is about five hours. The owner can then use the shoes for three or
>> four days.
>>> The inventor said the idea for Duspavoni came after a conversation with
>>> a
>> friend who was losing her vision. He created the shoes to replace the
>> traditional white cane with something more discreet, which may create
>> less
>> of a social stigma.
>>> "She told me young blind people do not like the cane because they feel
>>> it
>> stigmatizes them," Bustamente told EFE. "The shoes have been conceived
>> for
>> young blind people, between 10 and 25 years old, as they are most
>> refusing
>> to use the white cane."
>>>
>>> http://rt.com/news/206027-shoes-blind-ultrasound-cane/
>>>
>>> _______________________________________
>>>
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-- 
Yours in Christ,

Jorge

linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgeapaez

Two are better off than one, because together they can work more
effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him . . .
Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A
rope made of three cords is hard to break.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 (TEV)

A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump; a God-shaped life
isa flourishing tree.

Proverbs 11:28 (Msg)

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord. . . . They are like trees
planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of
drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing
delicious fruit.

Jeremiah 17:7 8 (NLT)

For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and
invisible, . . . everything got started in him and finds its purpose
in him.

Colossians 1:16 (Msg)

Unless you assume a God, the question of life s purpose is meaningless.

Bertrand Russell, atheist