The new iPhone Accessibility features make the iPhone extremely friendly for people with low vision. You can zoom, voice over, or even change from black on white text to white on black. With the voice over turned on, a simple touch of a button will tell you exactly what that button will do. The best way to explain it is to show you the video. I think this may be the best new application for legally blind users.

To read more about the iPhone, simply click below, but watch the video first! You will be amazed at all the different ways this phone can be suited to your specific needs.

Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Men’s Economy Talking Watch

Buying a talking watch used to be simple. We quickly bought the first one we found back in 1988! Today, however, there are choices to be made before you make a final decision.

1. Set a budget. Will you choose the finest talking watch available, or a budget watch?

2. Style and color – Talking watches are available in gold, silver, black and I have even seen a pink one! You can have a fancy watch or a sport watch.

3. Buttons and alarms – Do you want a timer included? Do you need a talking calendar in your watch? Analog or digital? Do you need a one button watch for simplicity or the four button watch with more options? Would you prefer a talking watch with braille?

4. Sound – Do you want a male voice to tell you the time? A female voice? Sometimes little audio clips are available so that you can hear exactly what your watch will sound like. Remember you will hear this voice hundreds and hundreds of times during the lifetime of the watch — choose carefully.

Guide Dogs for the Blind is a school for dogs and people. This is the second program I am reviewing as my husband and I consider a guide dog for him in the future. We do have a golden retriever, our second golden since Whitey lost his vision, but she is aging fast, and we may be ready for another dog. If we do get a third golden, it might be wise to get a dog who is trained to help the legally blind this time. Our goldens have been wonderful companions, but certainly with more intense training, they would have been even more helpful.

Guide Dogs for the Blind has no cost charged to the new owner. The dog, training, air travel, and room and board are all included. This school is located on the west coast, and since Whitey would be in school for 3 weeks, the distance might be prohibitive, but I am impressed with their website and their facility.

It was interesting too to learn that over 10,000 people across the United States use a guide dog. They do make the point that a guide dog is not a well trained pet, but a working animal. That makes sense to me. The dogs go through thousands of hours of training.

This is also where I learned that there are actually 12 schools accredited by the International Federation of Guide Dog Schools in the United States and still more in other countries. The difference in the schools appears to be in philosophy and training methods, as well as support after the training is complete.

As I look at the different schools, I am looking at cost, location, follow up help, and the general attitude toward the dogs and the people. It is amazing how much you can discover by reading a website — looking for those friendly, loving and caring phrases. I know that none of the web reviews will be the same as a true visit, but I am learning with these reviews,and perhaps we will make a more knowledgeable decision. I pray so.

You can donate to Guide Dogs for the Blind and donations are tax deductible. As with other programs I have reviewed, the Guide Dogs for the Blind program does not receive government aid.

Every dog who helps a blind owner is not necessarily a Seeing Eye dog. The Seeing Eye is a registered trademark for the now famous dog program started in 1929.

Dogs trained in other programs are called guide dogs. Guide Dogs for the Blind is another well known school for dogs and people.

The Seeing Eye program breeds its own dogs – German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers. When they are 8 weeks old, the dogs are placed in the homes of trained volunteers who provide basic training, socialization and lots and lots of love and attention. The dog then goes through another four month course at The Seeing Eye before it is placed with a blind owner.

The dog and the new owner go through 27 days of training together. You can easily see that this is an involved process, and is not as simple as most people think. The Seeing Eye program is not a government program, but is funded by private donations. The cost to the blind person is only $150 which covers the dog, the training, air fare and room and board for the training session. This fee has remained the same since 1934. The $150 can even be broken down into payments, if necessary. You can donate to the Seeing Eye Program online.

Tomorrow I will tell you a little about the Guide Dogs for the Blind program — but before I leave, a quick reminder, if you will –

If you see someone with a Seeing Eye Dog in a restaurant, hospital, shopping mall — do not be surprised or alarmed. The law in all 50 states allows these dogs to accompany their owners. Do not grab the dog, the owner or the dog’s harness. The dog is working. You can ask the owner for permission to pet the dog if you like. The biggest problem for dog owners is interference from the public. Please be aware of this problem and act accordingly.

More tomorrow –

When our children were very young, and Whitey still had vision, he required them to wake up and shout “Enthusiasm”. Our little five year old daughter would sleepily answer, “Fusiasm, Daddy, Fusiasm”.

Now we are grandparents, and this week, our grandson gave us the giggles as he told us he always shouts “Enthusiasm” when he wakes up. And of course he very loudly demonstrated exactly how he does it!

Yes, he had had some coaching from Poppy along the way, but we had no idea he was actually doing it. And I know his dad, our son, laughed and laughed the first time he did that! It is a joyful thing to see little traditions like that one passed on to the next generation.

The thing that fascinates me is that Whitey’s enthusiasm for life never faded with his vision. When I ask him about it, he refers back to good coaches and childhood athletic programs. All I know is that he has maintained that positive attitude and I am so thankful! Can you imagine living with a blind partner who complains all the time? Whew!

One of Whitey’s favorite writings is

Attitude

by Chuck Swindoll.

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude… I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

And so it is with you… we are in charge of our attitudes.

This is a continuation of details of my legally blind husband directing a golf tournament. At the present moment he is working on the Optimist Club tournament and yesterday I described how he keeps track of all the telephone calls required.

The tournament will be played at Pinetuck Golf Club near Rock Hill, SC at the end of March. The date was set and the golf course arrangements were made months ago. From this point on, Whitey and members of the Rock Hill Optimist Club will continue to recruit players, sponsors and gifts. The members will make the sponsor signs and have those ready to post on tournament day.

Before the meeting next week, Whitey and I will create a typed list of all sponsors, gifts and players. This will allow the club to review progress and to ensure that members do not call on people that have already been contacted.

On tournament day, Whitey will welcome the players and go over the rules before the shotgun start. A picnic lunch will be served this year in lieu of the barbeque after the tournament and during the auction. Most items will be up for silent auction and the silent auction clipboards will be on tables around the pro shop when the players arrive.

Whitey will play in the tournament, and they will all have a wonderful day. They always do! After the tournament, the remaining items are auctioned.

My job for the next few weeks is to read, type or drive as needed. I do not direct golf tournaments! But we all are looking forward to a successful fundraiser for the Rock Hill Optimist Club.

PS The Optimist Club of Rock Hill has its own Squidoo lens! Stop by and say hello!

Photo courtesy of Erskine College — Thank you, Erskine!

Whitey, my legally blind husband and former golf professional, often directs golf tournaments for local charities. Right now he is working on the local Optimist Club Golf Tournament, a tournament he has directed for 6 years or more. So how does a legally blind fellow direct a golf tournament?

First, it is important to know that Whitey has a huge list of golfers, friends and acquaintances that he who are serious golfers. A list for Whitey is a stack of 4 x 6 index cards. Whitey writes on the cards with a
20 20 pen which is a very bold point pen. The 20/20 pens do not have the terrible odor associated with normal marking pens. Each 4 x 6 card contains a name, a phone number and some very special “Whitey code”. WCB — means he left a message and they will call back. Of course they will! A check mark and date indicates that he talked to them about the tournament. YES means that the golfer has agreed to put a team in the tournament.

The next project is to find sponsors for each hole. Local businesses make a $50 donation and the club posts a sign on each hole. Again, Whitey has a stack of cards, his list. This includes businesses that have contributed in the past or new businesses that we have heard about through the year. Name of Business, name of contact and a phone number all written with the trusty 2020 pens. And of course, the coding at the bottom of the card indicates the responses.

As his vision has deteriorated, many times throughout the day he brings cards for me to read. This is frustrating for him, I know, and we simply need to research a better system. But for now, it works.

He also finds businesses to donate gifts for the auction after the golf tournament. Tomorrow for instance, one of the Optimist members is taking him on a “pick up gifts” run. They will call on businesses who have agreed to donate a gift for the auction. These gifts are also found via Whitey’s now famous telephone cards.

Of course, we often have businesses who need to receive an invoice or proof of Optimist Club sponsorship, and I email those addresses to the club treasurer and he sends out the bills.

To be continued tomorrow…..

PS The photo was made during a golf trip to Scotland last year. But that’s another story. We just needed a bit of humor in this dry post of details.

For baby boomers and seniors, the balance between caring for our elderly and smothering their independence is a very very delicate one. It reminds me of mothering little children – as they learn to walk, the first day at school, the first ride around the block on a bicycle, the first night out in the car. How agonizing that was for me as a parent! Every single step! Parental pride, of course, with each step. But agonizingly difficult! We want our children to grow up and we don’t want to let them go — all at the same time!

The very same tension exists with our elderly and disabled. How much control is too much? Where do we draw the line? Is tending the garden too physically difficult for mom? Is it time to make her stop and maybe build her a little garden on the deck?

With my legally blind husband, I have faced these issues almost daily. How much coddling is protection and how much interferes with his independence? Do I really want him to be that dependent on me? Gradually I have let go. Very gradually. But it is necessary. He must be allowed to live his life without a day full of nagging from me — even when I am afraid for him.

Yes, Susan, after your comment about your 80 year old dad buying himself a bicycle for transportation, I have been pondering this issue. How delightful that your dad thought about the bicycle! I just love that! And can see him now, pedaling down the street! If you have ever visited Key West, Florida, you know all those 80 and 90 year olds ride their bicycles everywhere, often with a poodle in the bicycle basket. They seem to be having a fabulous time!

Yes, we must perform the common sense safety precautions, as we did with our children, but then, we have to let go. And it’s no easier with our parents or disabled spouses than it was with our children. But let go we must. And we will.

I asked family members, my children and my sisters, to tell you about Whitey – in their words. Sister Betty wrote this today. I was concerned when I read it because it focuses on me. But I had agreed to post her note as is — and thank you, Betty! I appreciate your ever constant support!

Any marriage requires teamwork. When one partner is disabled, it just takes a bit more balancing things around. I don’t fold clean clothes any more and Whitey does not cook. I don’t empty trash either, and Whitey does not pay bills. In other words, we have created our own kind of balance around here. I have to admit we never ran our household or parented our kids like anybody else anyway! (And both kids turned out to be delightful and responsible adults, and we are thankful for that.)

Photo of Betty and I at Unity Conference in 1995! Time sure flies when you are having fun!

Betty’s Post:
I’ve seen it all! Once- sometimes twice- a year, I spend several days with Joan and Whitey. Each time, I return home inspired – not only by Whitey, but by Joan as well, and yes, the extended family, too. I’ve watched Whitey leave in the predawn hours for his walk, get his snacks or drinks, laugh, do household chores, dance, enjoy his children and grands, give hugs, extend a thoughtful gesture to a friend, carry on a caring conversation, challenge someone with a trivia question, and laugh more! And I watched Joan as she prepares his dinner plate, reads him golf scores, responds to his concerns about his matching clothes, laughs at his jokes, tells news from the mail, types business matters, and does all errand or trip driving. Their teamwork is amazing! I’ve seen them disagree, share, surprise, complain, compliment, celebrate, console, care, and kiss. One day, I watched as they “guided” an uninvited wild bird out the door! Being in their home is never dull…being there is an experience! What a pair! Love you, dear sister and brother-in-law!

PS from Joan — Thank you, Betty! You should have been here yesterday. Hogan, our golden retriever, presented us with a very dead and mangled squirrel – she brought that thing right into the house. Now you really should see a blind guy and a squeamish grandma removing a dead squirrel from the den without touching it………….yuck! It took both of us. Whitey grabbed a towel and I grabbed a trash bag. Whitey covered the squirrel with the towel and I directed him on picking it up and putting it into the trash bag I was holding! Why on earth didn’t I just pick up the squirrel myself? It simply would have taken hours for me to gather the nerve to do that — easier just to help him do it! Gross!

When Whitey was declared legally blind in 1988, we immediately began searching out ways to cope and organize our home. His attitude has always been “it could be something worse.” His positive approach to his disability has been an inspiration to us all. He has always had fun and laughed often — and he has continued in that same spirit.

Here are a few quick tips for you:

1. The knobs and drawer pulls on your kitchen cabinets should be significantly darker or lighter than the cabinets themselves. Repaint the hardware until your legally blind family member can easily make that distinction.

2. Discard all socks and start over. Buy one color of socks and buy about 7 pair of that one color. Do not purchase other colors of socks. You want your family member to be as self-sufficient as possible. Same color socks will help — no matching required.

3. Buy printed or striped tops and solid pants or skirts. Coordinate all clothing so that no matter which item is chosen, it will match any other top or bottom. This is very simple with men. We buy navy and khaki pants. My husband has golf shirts of all colors. And all will match the navy and khaki, so he is able to dress himself and always looks coordinated.

4. Purchase “bubbles” to use on the remote control, microwave and telephone. These clear plastic bubbles are very inexpensive and are available from merchants who specialize in items to assist the handicapped. The bubbles are self-sticking. Simply add bubbles to areas your patient deems convenient.

5. You will also want to paint stairways in bright colors, especially the edges of stair steps. A strip of reflective tape might be helpful also. As with any of these ideas, you will need to adjust them to your patient’s particular visual acuity.

6. It is best not to rearrange furniture. However, if moving furniture becomes necessary, be sure your legally blind family member knows exactly what has been moved.

7. When serving food, inform the patient of the location of the food by use of a clock face. For example, “Your chicken is at 2:00 and your beans are at 5:00.” After a few weeks, you will automatically do this quickly and quietly.

I hope these 7 tips will be helpful. You will discover new ways of adjusting as you live with this situation. Never hesitate to ask questions or to seek support.

Note: I originally wrote this article for ezinearticles.com. I have made a few changes to make it appropriate for this blog. Thank you.