[NFBF-L] dBS edia Report

Sun Mar 1 23:26:16 UTC 2020

DBS Media Report

When she became an adult and started living on her own, she had a lot of
anxiety about going to new places by herself, even with a white cane helping
her along. That's when Stern got her first guide dog. "I never thought it
was an option for me to have a guide dog. I thought you had to be totally
blind, and I do have a little vision," Stern said. "[Having a guide dog] has
changed my life." But the support animal space is now getting crowded, with
more animals being registered as "emotional support animals" and causing
issues for people like Stern who rely on their dogs heavily on a daily
basis.

Lansing State Journal: Employers Have Resources For Adapting The Workplace
<https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/money/careers/2020/02/24/employer
s-resources-adapting-workplace/111340878/> 

Discrimination takes many forms. Racism. Sexism. Even ageism. But one type
of discrimination we don't discuss as frequently is ableism, or
discrimination in favor of able-bodied people. Our implicit biases can make
it so we aren't even aware of our own ableism, and often people with
disabilities are left out of conversations and consideration because others
are simply afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing. According to the U.S.
Census Bureau, more than 56 million people in the U.S. are living with a
disability. Last month, I touched on why workplaces should prioritize
diversity and inclusion. One thing I mentioned and wanted to take time to
expand on further is inclusion as it relates to people with disabilities,
and how businesses can help people with disabilities work at their full
potential.

Daily Bruin: Editorial: CAE Renovations Improve Office Space But Not Larger
Accessibility Issues
<https://dailybruin.com/2020/02/23/editorial-cae-renovations-improve-office-
space-but-not-larger-accessibility-issues/> 

An accessible education can't be built overnight - or with $35,000. The UCLA
Center for Accessible Education will undergo renovations to create a new
community space for students with disabilities with funding from the
Undergraduate Students Association Council and the Office of the Vice
Chancellor for Student Affairs. The money is undoubtedly being put to good
use. Funding for renovations will go toward furniture, infrastructure and
supplies for students in an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant space
that didn't previously exist at UCLA. But this much-needed stride toward
supporting students with disabilities doesn't dismiss the action required
for other prevailing issues within the CAE.

Eye Health

Florida Today: Focus On Eyes: Celebrating America
<https://www.floridatoday.com/story/life/wellness/2020/02/25/focus-eyes-cele
brating-americas-first-black-ophthalmologist/4830516002/> 's First Black
Ophthalmologist

Dr. Rogers appointed Dr. David McDonogh as a staff physician at the New York
Eye and Ear Infirmary, where he was well respected by fellow eye, ear, nose
and throat specialists. Dr. McDonogh attended the infirmary for more than 11
years, making him the first African-American eye physician. When Dr. Rogers
passed away in 1850, Dr. McDonogh took Kearney as his middle name in
appreciation of his mentor. In honor of Dr. McDonogh's legacy, the National
Medical Fellowships awarded the Dr. David Kearney McDonogh Scholarship in
Ophthalmology/ENT to medical students in the State of New York from a Black,
Afro-Latino or Native American background who has an interest in a career in
ophthalmology or ear, nose and throat. In 2018 at the Columbia University
Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons graduation, David McDonogh was
posthumously awarded the MD degree he would have received more than 170
years ago had he not been African-American.

All About Vision: 7 Times When You Must See An Eye Doctor ASAP
<https://www.allaboutvision.com/eye-care/emergencies-injuries-infections/> 

Annual eye exams are always a good idea, but sometimes you need to pick up
the phone and schedule an urgent care visit to the eye doctor. Some eye
conditions can lead to further complications and vision loss. Some vision
diagnoses extend beyond your eyes and involve systemic disease. What are the
biggest warning signs? "Pain is always a driver for an urgent visit," says
Edward Melman, OD, Vision Source administrator in New Jersey. "That is one
of the main signs of infection or inflammation and should always be
evaluated as soon as possible, since the earlier an infection or
inflammatory condition is treated the better the chance for a good
recovery." 

Bay News 9: Tampa Group Helps Volunteers Teach Kayaking To The Blind
<https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2020/02/22/tampa-group-helps-volunte
ers-teach-kayaking-to-the-blind> 

Reyes, 19, is a member of Lighthouse for the Blind and Low-vision
organization in Tampa, and helps volunteers with proper training techniques.
"It's fun, I've been kayaking for years now," says Reyes. Reyes was born
with Retinopathy of Prematurity and has no sight. Attendees will learn
everything from teaching how to guide with their voice, to navigating with
the warmth of the sun. The program is done twice a month in St. Petersburg,
and hopes to give volunteers the tools they need, to help others in their
community.

Austin 360: How A Chance Meeting Inspired Blind Songwriter To Live Her Dream
<https://www.austin360.com/entertainmentlife/20200224/how-chance-meeting-ins
pired-blind-songwriter-to-live-her-dream> 

"He said he was going to hospice pretty soon and he was not going to be able
to complete his work," she said. "Since I was healthy, he said I had no
right not to start doing my creative passion. Oh, it changed my life."
Aundrea could have found excuses. She's 67, blind and hearing impaired and
recently battled breast cancer. Instead, she used the man as inspiration to
rewrite her bucket list - with singing, songwriting and stand-up comedy at
the top - and made a goal to check off each item.

Cheat Sheet:
<https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/this-is-us-tobys-struggle-with-jac
ks-disability-is-more-common-than-youd-think.html/> 'This Is Us': Toby's
Struggle With Jack's Disability Is More Common Than You'd Think

While This is Us expertly tugs and often breaks the heartstrings, it also
makes an effort to address serious real-world issues many members of its
audience are facing in their everyday lives. The special needs child in this
case is Jack, the very young son of Kate and Toby, with his particular
disability being that he's blind. This has presented problems for Toby, who
has struggled to connect with his son, until very recently, when of all
things, Star Wars toys proved both a breakthrough - and a potential hazard
at the same time.

The Pinelog: Visually Impaired Student Discusses Life As A DJ
<http://www.thepinelog.com/news/article_8d27e50a-58d0-11ea-9b32-8f46e3d925d1
.html> 

Will Walsh, a junior communications student from Richmond, has been a
professional DJ for the past four years, and he is visually impaired.
Walsh's love and interest for music goes back to when he was a child. "My
interest in music goes back to when I was a little baby in my room with the
old analog radio flipping channels," Walsh said. "I would be going all over
that spectrum, just exploring different stations."

Fox 9: Blind Minnesota Photographer:
<https://www.fox9.com/news/blind-minnesota-photographer-dont-let-anyone-tell
-you-you-cant-do-something> 'Don't Let Anyone Tell You You Can't Do
Something'

"Photography is very healing for me, very therapeutic. It's a stress
reliever for me. If I'm having a bad day or having a rough time, I can grab
my camera and immediately I'm in what they call my happy place." Since then,
he's taken tens of thousands of photographs, from landscapes to portraits
and everything in between - even though he is legally blind.

Eye Health

Yahoo Finance: Treatment For Blindness Successful In Largest Ever Study
<https://finance.yahoo.com/news/treatment-blindness-successful-largest-ever-
172113746.html> 

Funded by Vycor Medical, Inc. (VYCO) subsidiary NovaVision, Inc., and led by
Professor Arash Sahraie from the School of Psychology, the study is the
largest study of its kind to evaluate this new programme of treatment which
is aimed at those with sight loss following brain injury. In collaboration
with University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and NovaVision, Inc.,
researchers found that the NeuroEyeCoach programme for rehabilitation of
blindness after stroke, or other brain injury improved vision in over 80% of
patients. Published in the scientific journal Cortex, the study involved
almost 300 patients, the largest number of patients to participate in a
study like this.

Workforce Development

Yahoo Finance: Amazon Partners With Melwood To Create Jobs For People Of
Differing Abilities
<https://finance.yahoo.com/news/amazon-partners-melwood-create-jobs-16000046
3.html> 

"We are proud of Amazon for being a leader in workforce inclusion and
thrilled to be partnering with them to connect our high-quality workforce
pipeline to Amazon's evolving career opportunities," said Cari DeSantis,
President & CEO of Melwood. "It's a win-win for us both and a step in the
right direction towards a future where people of differing abilities are
fully included in society."

Forbes: Career And Technical Education Deserves A Resurgence. Let
<https://www.forbes.com/sites/petergreene/2020/02/26/career-and-technical-ed
ucation-deserves-a-resurgence-lets-not-mess-it-up/#48df81704c2c> 's Not Mess
It Up.

The Trump budget includes an increase of $900 million in spending on CTE. Of
that, $680 million would be directed through the Carl D. Perkins program,
the main conduit for moving federal money into high school and post-high
school CTE programs, the kinds of programs that produce workers to fill the
skilled labor jobs that keep a country functioning. The program is long
overdue for a boost; the last twenty years of education reform have
emphasized college preparedness over blue-collar work. This may be the rare
Trumpian budget item that survives Congress.