Mobility is a very challenging task for visually impaired people. It is defined as “the ability to travel safely, comfortably, gracefully, and independently” [1]. Visually impaired people must rely on other senses other than their sense of sight such as hearing and touch to guide them. Visual impairment and blindness afflict a significant portion of the world population. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the estimated number of visually impaired in the world are 285 million, 39 million are blind and about 90% of them are people who live in developing countries [2]. This tells us that majority of the blind people come from developing nations which means they cannot afford expensive devices to assist them. It is important to understand the needs and requirements of that community before attempting to create devices for them. Considering the continuing progress of medicine and science, it is surprising to note that blindness is expected to increase in the coming years. It is predicted that the number of blind people will double by 2030 [3]. This is partially because “the proportion of babies born to mothers at the extremes of the child-bearing years is increasing” and because “medical advances have made it possible for many premature infants, who in the past would have died, to …show more content…
Hollins, Understanding Blindness: An Integrative Approach, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989.
[2] S. P. Mariotti, "Global Data on Visual Impairments 2010," Geneva Switzerland, 2012.
[3] R. Leonard, Statistics on vision impairment: A resource manual., 2002.
[4] E. H. L. Leung and M. Hollins, Understanding Blindness: An Integrative Approach, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989.
[5] J. Brabyn, "A review of mobility aids and means of assessment," in Electronic Spatial Sensing for the Blind, Proc. of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Visual Spatial Protheses for the Blind, 1984, pp. 13-27.
[6] V. L´evesque, "Blindness, Technology and Haptics," Qu´ebec ,
One of the first actions needed in constructing a garden for the blind on the south lawn of Hume Hall is to construct a barrier on the northern end and eastern end surrounding the garden so as to block out any unwanted street noise. The wall would preferably be cement, with the sides facing Museum Road and North-South Drive unpainted so as to absorb as much sound as possible. However, the sides facing the garden should be painted so as to reflect the sounds of the garden back to its occupants. This wall may need to be as high as seven feet or larger, however high it needs to be in order to block as much external noise as possible.
Zoltan, B. Vision, Perception, & Cognition: A Manuel for the Evaluation and Treatment of the Neurologically Impaired Adult. Slack Incorporated: New Jersey, 1996. 109-111.
Individuals who are deaf or are hearing impaired are faced with many problems in today’s world. There are so many tasks and activities that are done today that deaf or hearing impaired people may have difficulty doing because of there handicap. There handicap used to stop them or inhibit them from doing something that they are interested in or there friends and neighbors would do. However in today there are new and different technologies, that help the deaf and hearing impaired in the activities in which they want to participate in which is hard for them to take part in because of there handicap. Technology is used to help with everyday tasks in the lives of deaf and hearing impaired individuals. With out this new technology which is being invented everyday, deaf and hearing impaired people may be considered to have a handicap which prevents them from certain activities, but this is not the case anymore, now these people just have different obstacles which through the use of technology they are learning to over come. They can do anything that regular normal range of hearing individuals can do, due to the new technology being invented everyday.
Neurological Institute / McGill University. (2004, July 23). The Blind Really Do Hear Better. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/07/040723093712.htm
People often take the ability to see, talk, hear, work, learn, and defend themselves for granted. Disabled individuals in the 19th century held lesser value in society than those without disabilities and lacked opportunities for education. Kelly’s blind and deaf Great Uncle Steven inspired us to concentrate on liberties gained for similar individuals. With the intent to choose a local topic, we focused on the stand at the Perkins School for the Blind.
Beginning with what it was, why it was needed, and how it affected both disabled and non-disabled people, the Disability Act was a big part of United States history.
Most visual impaired individuals come with the same complexities as normal people, but magnified because of what their disabilities. The birth defects automatically create stereotypes for some. Its seems to follow the visual impaired from birth. In the story, Understanding Raymond Carver by Authur M Saltzman, called the bli...
Did you know that disability spells ability? Disabled still have the right to achieve many goals throughout their life, no matter what they face. Disabled people should be treated with the same respect as anyone, because of what has happened in the past, what daily life barriers they face, and what may be shown or not they are humans just like us.
Students can take advantage of the Disabilities Support Services in order to make their schooling easier in face of a disability, from anxiety to being particularly poor at math. The DSS can help with learning, psychiatric, and medical disabilities. They provide services such as an interpreter for the deaf.
There are many types of assistive technology being used and created to aid people who are deaf and hard of hearing. This technology helps them live their lives more independently, and can help them be able to do things that would otherwise be difficult\impossible. Here are some examples and types of what kind of technology is being used.
When the occipital cortex of the brain, located posteriorly in the skull, is damaged, the brain’s ability to perceive and respond to visual stimuli is inevitably affected. Impairment of this primary visual cortex, also called the striate cortex, may leave and individual completely blind regardless of the health of the eyes themselves. However, there is a remarkable phenomenon in which blind people are able to continue to perceive visual stimuli without being aware that they are doing so. This phenomenon is called blindsight, and it is defined as the ability to respond to objects and images without consciously perceiving the visual stimuli. One experiment involving blindsight documents the ability of a blind man to successfully navigate through a hallway littered with obstacles without consciously
When we are born, we can see but we cannot put anything into words. When we’re older we visualize. Visualization is the way we interact with the world. Dillard discusses how some people who have corrected and restored their sight from blindness are delighted with their sight. They see things as they really are in a way that those who always see things cannot. Like an object is seen in shape and color rather than in its name and purposes. Those that have not seen never take the beauty of sight for granted. Both Annie Dillard and John Berger agree that we cannot see clearly. Berger thinks it is because of external influences while Dillard thinks because nature and ignorance won’t let us.
All universities have liberal art requirements. The propose disability studies is an in-depth look at the history, culture, and social standing of people with disabilities. “Disability Studies: Expanding the Parameters of Diversity” encourages people to view people with disabilities as a group that should be represented when studying liberal arts and other cultures. According to“Disability Studies: Expanding the Parameters of Diversity”, “The social, political, and cultural analyses embodied in disability studies form a prism through which one can gain a broader understanding of society and human experience, and the significance of human variation” (Linton et al. 8). People that have disabilities exist on this world,
What is the first thing you do when you wake up every morning? For me, and for most of my generation, check my phone, but that’s besides the point. Usually, yawn, stretch out, maybe whine about having to get out of bed so early then finally after some fight, jump out of bed. Then maybe head to the bathroom or get dressed for the day. Simple tasks that are done without even a thought and only take about what, maybe 10 min? Arriving at Michigan State I was already aware of what major and clubs I wanted to join, but not until now did I fully realize the impact it 's had on me. One of the clubs I am apart of is Adaptive Sports or also known as Wheelchair sports. Every Monday and Thursday for 2 and a half hours, I assist people who have physical
A child with a mental or physical disability may not be able to think, work, play, and function like other children of the same age. Someone working in the special needs career will be able to assist these children to function in their everyday lives and to meet goals to encourage them to thrive. In order for someone to work with special needs children, they need to understand the factors involved in a child’s improvement, have a heart for helping others, and be properly educated and trained.