StemCell Therapy

left to right, instructor Jake Wendell and participant Kenta Otawa.

left to right, instructor Jake Wendell and participant Kenta Otawa.

Photo: Dan Gentile / SFGate

left to right, instructor Jake Wendell and participant Kenta Otawa.

left to right, instructor Jake Wendell and participant Kenta Otawa.

Blindness, amputations and paralysis can't stop these veterans from skiing Tahoe

Like most ski camps, the first thing you see when walking out onto the slopes of Achieve Tahoes headquarters at Alpine Meadows is a beginner wipeout and some encouraging teasing from instructors.

The difference between this and any other normal scene at the base of the mountain is in the gear: poles with stabilizing blades offer amputees stability, sit-down bi-skis help those with paralysis make their way down the mountain and orange blind skier vests serve as a reminder that with enough willpower, just about anything is possible.Since 1967, the non-profit Achieve Tahoe has empowered the disabled to learn how to ski. As the founding chapter of Disabled Sports USA (there are now 140 around the country), the group has pioneered the use of innovative equipment and instruction that lets almost anyone safely traverse the slopes, from the blind to amputees to those with cognitive disabilities like autism.Everyone likes to feel this level of achievement. People say stoke or passion -- what you get from being outdoors and feeling the wind in your hair, says executive director Haakon Lang-Ree, who started with Achieve Tahoe as a volunteer 27 years ago. The freedom of choosing your own path down the mountain, everyone likes that feeling, and this is a population that doesnt get too many chances to do that.

RELATED: 'You have a bunch of hungover 20-year-olds': Locals sound off on Tahoe tourists

The program works with roughly 700 individuals a year during the winter, plus half of that in summer, all heavily subsidized thanks to their non-profit status. Lessons take place at Alpine, Squaw Valley, Northstar and Sugar Bowl, with adaptive equipment included and free or discounted skis, poles and boots donated by rental shops.

Todays a special day at Alpine Meadows. In addition to Achieve Tahoes regular services, once a year they offer a program specifically aimed at wounded veterans. The Anthem Winter Ski Festival invites former members of the armed services to a three-day camp, typically free of charge (thanks to some generous donors).

During the first morning, the scene outside their headquarters looks a lot like any other resort. People lounge at picnic benches suiting up, newbies glide on the flat snow to gain their balance, and more than one never ever beginner takes a tumble to the ground. Excited skiers joke with each other as they take off on the lift and rise over the treeline. Theres a comradery in the air, and also a sense of determination. Whatever challenges the participants have faced, theres nothing stopping them from enjoying the mountain.

Since Achieve Tahoes inception, the non-profit has been at the forefront of implementing adaptive tech to remove barriers to enjoying both the fitness and social elements of skiing. In the 80s, one of their instructors developed one of the first sit-down ski systems. Although most of the gear addresses issues of stability, Achieve Tahoe is also on the cutting edge of mechanized technology. The company hosts the beta site for a University of Utah program developing a fully automated mono-ski thats controlled via joystick. Motors inside the skis can wedge or edge, essentially reading the slopes like a golf green. They allow someone with quadriplegia who may be in a power wheelchair to have the same mountain experience as anyone else.

It opens up a whole new niche for folks who didnt have any options, says Lang-Ree.

RELATED: A new breed of ski bum: Working for Silicon Valley, living in Tahoe

For some of the wounded veterans, the equipment isnt the key, but rather patient instruction. If it werent for Kenta Otawas orange vest that reads blind skier, hed look just like any other first timer testing his balance on the bunny hills. The young veteran who traveled from San Diego lost most of his vision due to the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan, but he comes across as optimistic and determined not to let his disability keep him from doing anything (even gliding down a mountain). Hes never skied before, but thanks to the help of one-on-one instruction from Jake Wendell, hes already feeling comfortable after only a half-hour.

Through auditory and kinesthetic learning, we describe the movements and the feelings, then we just ski, said Wendell, as veterans in the distance weave between orange cones on mono-skis. Eventually we talk about a guiding method with verbal cues for the turn shapes. Hell be able to make his own turns, and I just let him know when hes getting off-center.

Im having a blast, says Otawa from behind slick, wrap-around black shades. He sounds just like any other over-confident beginner Im ready to go black diamond!

Dan Gentile is a digital editor at SFGATE. Email: Dan.Gentile@sfgate.com | Twitter: @Dannosphere

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Blindness, amputations and paralysis can't stop these veterans from skiing Tahoe - SFGate

The 2020 Australian of the Year is Adelaide eye surgeon Dr James Muecke, who has been recognised for his work in helping to prevent blindness.

Dr Muecke began his medical career in Kenya, but has most recently turned his focus to type 2 diabetes - the leading cause of blindness in adults.

He plans to use his national platform to challenge Australians' perception of sugar and the impact it has on the development of type 2 diabetes.

2020 Australian of the Year Dr John Muecke.

AAP

Receiving the award, he made a joke that got a chuckle from the audience: "What a tremendous honour to be named Australian of the Year for 2020, such an auspicious year for eyesight."

The 56-year-old says with 80 per cent of blindness cases avoidable in the world, he sees the issue as one about human rights.

Dr Muecke founded Sight For All, an organisation dedicated to fighting all causes of blindness with projects in Aboriginal and mainstream Australian communities, Asia and Africa.

2020 Australian of the Year winner Dr James Muecke is hugged by his wife during the awards ceremony.

AAP

With diabetes becoming the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults in Australia, he will spend much of his time in the public spotlight this year talking up how to tackle what he describes as a "looming catastrophe".

Some of the solutions include a sugar tax, better food labelling and restrictions on advertising, especially during children's TV viewing times.

"People are going blind and losing vision, what we need to do is go right back to beginning and say what is causing this?"

He said as an eye surgeon he often saw patients at the end stage of their diabetes, when it's too late to save their sight.

Senior Australian of the Year winner Professor John Newnham, Local Hero winner Bernie Shakeshaft and Australian of the Year winner Dr James Muecke.

AAP

"What saddens me greatly is that, much of the time, such complications are avoidable, whether through lifestyle changes or more disciplined health checks," he said.

"My mission this year is to get back to the root cause of this disease and prevent what will otherwise be our nation's health catastrophe."

He wants to encourage "hard-hitting strategies" to build greater awareness of the detrimental role of sugar.

"And how it's as toxic and addictive as nicotine, and should be treated by consumers, businesses and governments as such."

The Chair of the National Australia Day Council, Danielle Roche, saidDr Muecke is to be commended for his achievements.

"Dr James Mueckes passionate and selfless commitment to preventing blindness here at home and around the world is literally changing lives," she said.

"He is a fierce advocate at the forefront of the fight against the rising epidemic of diabetes-induced blindness."

Tennis World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty from Queensland has been named as 2020 Young Australian of the Year.

Obstetrics specialist Professor John Newnham from Perth is Senior Australian of the Year.

The 67-year-old is recognised as one of the worlds leading authorities in the prevention of pre-term birth - the single greatest cause of death and disability in children up to five years of age.

Australias Local Hero award went to youth advocate Bernie Shakeshaft from Armidale, NSW.

Using the skills he developed growing up and as a jackaroo in the Northern Territory learning from the Aboriginal trackers, Bernie developed a program to help disadvantaged youth.

The BackTrack Youth Works Program uses animal-assisted learning, agricultural skills and a residential facility to help redirect youth.

The program has helped to decrease Armidales youth crime rate by more than 38 per cent.

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Eye surgeon James Muecke named Australian of the Year - SBS News

Posted January 27, 2020 15:24:40

The 2020 Australian of the Year, ophthalmologist James Muecke, plans to use his new title to increase awareness about the debilitating consequences of diabetes, but behind the scenes he has had to face his own health challenge.

The Adelaide eye doctor has spent about three decades working to prevent and treat blindness in some of the world's poorest countries.

"We're now seeing fantastic results. Children are surviving and they're actually keeping vision, which is immensely satisfying," Dr Muecke told 7.30.

"I loved the idea of doing very fine work with my hands and so microsurgery was always something that appealed to me as a doctor, and that then drove me down a pathway of ophthalmology.

"I loved the idea of surgery on the eye, such a delicate structure."

In a cruel twist, Dr Muecke has revealed he has been forced to stop doing the surgery he loves because of an inherited medical condition.

"Unfortunately I have a neurological disability which I've inherited from my father, which is impacting on my ability to use my right hand," he said.

"Fortunately it's not a life-threatening condition but it is a career-destroying condition.

"In the next year or two I'll have to bow out of my medical career sadly."

Having tackled some of the most confronting eye conditions, Dr Muecke is philosophical about his own medical challenge.

"I've met many people in my life who've had much tougher battles and their resilience is incredibly admirable," he said.

The condition has forced Dr Muecke to change his focus from surgery to advocacy.

He plans to use his Australian of the Year title to lobby hard for measures to tackle obesity, which can cause type 2 diabetes. The dietary-caused disease can cause blindness.

"Diabetes is now affecting one in 10 of our population," he said.

"Every year I'm seeing more and more patients who are losing vision as a result of this disease, a disease which is actually entirely preventable."

Dr Muecke is calling for a tax on sugar and said confronting advertising, similar to anti-smoking campaigns, was warranted.

"The government can help by reducing the time and space for sweet products, particularly during children's TV," he said.

"I think we need to have a clearer labelling system of sweet products, and for those products with high sugar content, taxing would be very important to help people choose lower sugar alternatives," he told 7.30.

Diabetes cost Neil Hansell his eyesight. He is now the face of Dr Muecke's campaign to highlight the debilitating consequences of the disease.

"Basically I went to bed one night, woke up the next morning and everything was black," Mr Hansell said.

"I would describe Dr Muecke as being very, very passionate at what he does, extremely loyal to all the people who come and see him.

"He's an inspiration really. I put him up there with Fred Hollows, he's that good."

It is an obvious comparison, but Dr Muecke said he was forging his own path.

"Well Fred [Hollows] was an absolute Aussie hero, he's a legendary character, he was an ophthalmologist like myself. Fred's passion was cataract blindness that is the leading cause of blindness in the world.

"My agenda is that there are quite literally hundreds of eye diseases, many of these are blinding and some are deadly," he told 7.30.

Dr Muecke's charity work goes back decades. In 2000 he co-founded Vision Myanmar and a few years later Sight for All, an organisation which uses Australian and New Zealand eye specialists to train overseas doctors.

"We've trained colleagues across many of the poorest countries in Asia, including Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, and ultimately our projects are now impacting on roughly a million people every year," he said.

Watch this story on 7.30 tonight.

Topics:doctors-and-medical-professionals,health,eyes,diseases-and-disorders,diabetes,australia,adelaide-5000,sa

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Australian of the Year James Muecke forced to give up surgery due to neurological condition - ABC News

Author Matthew Ferrari Associate Professor of Biology, Pennsylvania State University

The measles virus has been a part of human life for thousands of years. A recent study suggests that it appeared about 4,000 years ago, originating from a virus affecting livestock. That was also the time when cities were reaching population sizes above 250,000 enough to keep the virus spreading even though people who have had measles dont ever get it again.

As recently as the mid-20th century, before the development of a vaccine, nearly every person could expect to be infected with the measles virus in their lifetime. The introduction of a vaccine in the mid-1960s has dramatically cut the incidence of measles. Fewer than seven million cases were estimated in 2017. But those improvements have not been evenly spread. The incidence of measles is concentrated in low-income countries. And the risk of death or severe complications is disproportionately high in marginalised populations with poor access to health services.

The risk of mortality due to measles infection is 5-times higher in low- compared to high-income countries and can be greater than 10% when outbreaks overwhelm health systems. There were over 1,000 measles deaths in Madagascar in 2019 and there have been over 6,000 deaths so far in an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The long-term effects of these outbreaks on immunity to other diseases has yet to be seen, and may be substantial.

Measles is very easily transmitted from person to person in the droplets created when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can stay in the air for hours.

The disease often begins with a runny nose, runny eyes and a cough, followed by a rash. The virus infects cells throughout the body, but specifically kills cells of the immune system which the body uses to fight infection. This makes it harder to fight off common infections that cause pneumonia or diarrhoea. During and just after measles infection, individuals are more likely to get very ill or even die from secondary infections that would otherwise be relatively harmless.

Recent research has uncovered a new mechanism suggesting that this effect may persist for over a year. This new research suggests that measles infection not only weakens the immune system, but in some cases resets it. It can make people susceptible again to infections they were previously immune to. In rare cases, measles infection can lead to neurological complications that result in deafness or blindness.

Preventing measles

Vaccination prior to exposure remains the single most effective way to prevent measles disease. The vaccine is a weakened virus which triggers strong immunity to the full-strength virus without causing disease. A successful vaccination against measles in childhood should provide lifetime protection. Two doses are recommended for each child to ensure at least one is successful.

The more similar the structure of the vaccine is to the virus in its natural state, the stronger the protection of the vaccine. The measles vaccine is very similar and conveys strong protection. But this similarity is the vaccines greatest weakness as it must be kept in a very narrow temperature regime not too cold, not too warm to remain effective. The supply chains to get the vaccine from production to health clinics must have very specific refrigeration equipment throughout. This has been difficult in places where electrification is limited. These communities may only receive effective vaccines during large campaigns every few years, leaving some children unprotected.

The combination of rapid transmission and strong immunity after infection means that measles disease commonly occurs in dramatic outbreaks. Even in places where measles is present year-round, there tends to be large differences between the high and low seasons. It can flare up in periods of increased contact among people, for example due to school or economic cycles. A lot of people will be infected at the same time, and then be immune. After an outbreak, there arent many people who are still able to get infected until more children are born. If vaccination coverage is high enough, it can prevent transmission altogether and eliminate measles, as has been achieved in the Americas.

The impact of measles has changed dramatically over the last half century. What was once a near certain infection for all people has become a distinctly inequitable health risk. Wealthy countries can maintain high rates of vaccination and reduce the risk of exposure. Even within low-income countries where measles is both endemic and common, the risk falls disproportionately on populations that are difficult to reach with effective vaccination. They may be far from vaccination services or otherwise marginalised and unable to access vaccination. Political and military conflict frequently add to the problem.

An analysis prior to the Madagascar outbreak highlighted that declining vaccination coverage (perhaps due to the political crisis in 2009) and failure of supplementary immunisation activities to reach adolescents who had missed routine childhood doses may have increased the outbreak risk. The magnitude of the ongoing outbreak in the DRC reflects long-term, systemic challenges of achieving high vaccination coverage in a large, mainly rural population. The Ebola outbreak in the northeast has placed additional burdens on the routine health system and led to additional declines in vaccination coverage.

Measles infection can be easily managed with prompt health care and symptom management. But in the absence of care, mild symptoms can turn into life-threatening secondary infections or long-term effects such as deafness and blindness.

While measles may be a faint memory in some parts of the world, the impact in the worst-affected populations is a constant reminder of the need for vigilance.

Read more here:
Explainer: a history of the measles virus and why it's so tenacious - World - ReliefWeb

Individuals with disabilities are over-represented in the prison system. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) found that 32% of state and federal prisoners had a disability in 2011-2012, compared to 15% of the general population. This disparity is rooted in a school-to-prison pipeline that traps young people with disabilities in a cycle of disadvantage, misconduct, and punishment, leading eventually to incarceration in the adult correctional system. In this article, we use data from our states Common Follow-Up System (CFS) to illustrate the extent of the school-to-prison pipeline for young people with disabilities in North Carolina.

Note that the BJS reports cognitive disabilities as the most prevalent type of disability among the prison population. While some individuals have disabilities that are immediately apparent, such as those requiring the use of wheelchair or a walking cane, many struggle with invisible disabilities that are non-apparent but nonetheless present challenges. Indeed, our own analysis finds that students with invisible disabilities such as behavioral / emotional disorders, intellectual disabilities, specific learning disabilities, and traumatic brain injury are significantly more likely to wind up in the adult correctional system in the years following high school than their peers without disabilities.

We begin our analysis by following a cohort of 83,126 students who exited public high school in North Carolina, either graduating or dropping out, during the 2000 school year.1 Nearly 6.4% of these individuals entered a state prison in North Carolina within 18 years after high schoolmore than half of them (3.5%) within seven years [Figure 1]. Students with disabilities were much more likely than their peers without disabilities to land in prison within 18 years (12.8% versus 5.6%, respectively). Most of these students with disabilities were reported by the state Department of Public Instruction as having a specific learning disability, an umbrella category that includes dyslexia and dysgraphia.2

This disparity in incarceration rates is preceded by a disparity in high school graduation rates. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that, during the 2017 school year, students with disabilities in North Carolina had a four-year high school graduation rate of only 70%, compared to 87% for all students. Our own analysis of students who exited high school during the 2000 school year finds that only 33% of those with disabilities graduated upon exit, compared to 61% of their peers without disabilities.3

Previous research using data from the U.S. Census Bureau found that 16- to 24-year-olds who dropped out of high school were six times more likely to be institutionalized than high school graduates. Our own analysis reflects these findings: high school dropouts in our cohort were around six times more likely to enter prison than their peers who graduated. For example, 17.5% of individuals with disabilities who dropped out of high school in 2000 entered prison within 18 years, compared to 3.0% of their peers with disabilities who graduated [Figure 2]. However, lower graduation rates among individuals with disabilities cannot fully explain their higher rates of incarceration. Only 1.8% of high school graduates without disabilities went to prison, compared to 3.0% of graduates with disabilities, and while high school dropouts were overall more likely to enter prison than graduates, dropouts with disabilities (at 17.5%) had a higher incarceration rate than dropouts without disabilities (11.6%).

Although individuals with disabilities as a group are over-represented in prison, incarceration rates vary widely by type of disability. We examine this variation in more detail by following a cohort of 990,270 students who exited high school during the 2000-2010 school years.4 This multi-year cohort provides us with a larger and more representative sample for measuring incarceration rates by type of disability.

Overall, individuals with disabilities who exited high school between 2000 and 2010 were more than twice as likely to enter prison within seven years after high school than their peers without disabilities [Figure 3]. Those with behavioral/emotional disorders were the most at risk, with nearly 20% entering prison within seven years. Individuals with intellectual disability, specific learning disabilities, or traumatic brain injury also had a significantly elevated risk of going to prison. On the other hand, those with autism or orthopedic impairment were significantly less likely to enter prison than their peers without disabilities. The likelihood of individuals with visual impairment/blindness, hearing impairment/deafness, or speech impairment going to prison was not significantly different from their peers.5

The school-to-prison pipeline for youth with disabilities is not only a human tragedy, it is also a workforce challenge. Our prior research demonstrated that former prisoners in North Carolina are much less likely to find employment after release than the broader population, depriving our economy of a potentially rich source of human capital. Our states educators, employers, and communities all have a stake in ensuring young people with disabilities are steered toward the pathway to opportunity and diverted away from the pipeline into prison.

Data sources cited in this article are derived from surveys and/or administrative records and are subject to sampling and/or non-sampling error. Any mistakes in data management, analysis, or presentation are the authors.

1This includes students who exited high school between July 1, 1999 and June 30, 2000. We use a single-year cohortbased on the earliest year of data availablein order to compare incarceration rates for a full 18 years after high school.

2Nearly 11% of all individuals in our cohort students exiting high school during the 2000 school year had a reported disability. The most prevalent disabilities were specific learning disabilities (52% of all students with disabilities), followed by intellectual disability (23%), behavioral / emotional disorders (10%), other health impairments (7%), speech impairment (5%), and a smaller number of students with hearing impairment / deafness,multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, autism, visual impairment / blindness, or traumatic brain injury (all 1% or less).

3For this analysis, we define graduates as individuals who exit high school as graduates in a given year, and we define dropouts as those who exit high school without graduating and do not re-enroll by October of the following year. The four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate reported by the National Center for Education Statistics is the share of a given cohort of 9th-graders who graduate within four years, with adjustments made for students who transfer into the cohort or transfer out of the cohort, emigrate to another country, or pass away.

4 This includes students who exited high school between July 1, 1999 and June 30, 2010.

5Individuals with other health impairments or multiple disabilities are not reported here.

Visit link:
From School to Prison: The Criminal Justice Outcomes of Youth with Disabilities in North Carolina - NC Dept of Commerce

On the wedding day, a small convoy of cars set off from Mr. Zindanis home to the brides, snaking through Kandahars streets as an excited 14-year-old drummer provided a soundtrack from the back of a three-wheeler.

Mr. Zindani seemed happy and excited, too. He said that what remained of his previous love, and the heartbreak of it, was now largely limited to poetic inspiration. He recited one of his latest verses:

I came to this alley to ask about my love

I wander in ruins; I hoped she hears my sigh.

He said that he was stuck with images of his life before he went blind; since the bombing he is unable to visualize new acquaintances.

Love with open eyes when you have fallen in love with someone you have seen is different with that of closed eyes, Mr. Zindani said. When you cant see the person, the thirst is not fulfilled the same.

At Simas house, the men were led to the veranda of an open-air mosque and the women into her home. The men sipped orange soda as the sun set while the womens voices, singing to a simple hand drum called a daf, echoed through the neighborhood. The ceremony ended in about an hour, with a prayer by a local imam who wished the newlyweds eternal love the kind between the Prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija.

As the bride made her way out of her parents home and into the car adorned in flowers, Mr. Zindanis friends danced in celebration in front of it. The young drummer played a simple rhythmic beat in the dim light of the moon.

When the convoy returned to Mr. Zindanis house with the bride, the women, still singing and playing their daf, took her inside to her throne where the party would continue into the night. Mr. Zindani stayed outside, in the dark alley, as his friends continued to dance.

One friend spun and spun and spun, until the young drummers hands tired and he signaled its end.

I wish I could see it, Mr. Zindani said. But my heart is happy.

Link:
His Mother Worked to Find Him Love Despite War, Blindness and Loss - The New York Times

Almost half of my family and many of my good friends cant stand Donald Trump. Others are so consumed with a deep-seeded hate that their ability to see reality is obscured.

For the past three years, Trump has been subjected to a non-stop, 24 hour/day smear campaign. He has been called: traitor, racist, fascist, homophobic, misogynistic, scumbag, sleazy, warmonger, worst president ever, and often accused of being mentally unstable. Some have called him a Nazi, and compared him to Hitler. A significant number of people dont like his tone, others dont like his character. The negative publicity includes the deliberate withholding and outright distortion of news that would favor Trump ... so its no wonder that many hate him.

The recent Impeachment vote by the House of Representatives was nothing more than a well-orchestrated attempt to smear President Trump. Democrats knew from the beginning that there was no evidence of a High Crime or Misdemeanor. They invented non-criminal charges in an unfair rush to impeach.

The Trump haters ignore this disgraceful congressional abuse of power because their hate overcomes what is an obvious attempt to smear.

Hate has succeeded in blinding many people from what could be the greatest political scandal in the history of our country. The Mueller investigation, coupled with the Inspector Generals investigation, clearly show that Donald Trump has been a victim of a deep-state, secret attempt to overthrow his presidency. If it can happen to Trump, it can happen to anyone.

The haters are blind to Trumps positive impact on economic prosperity that has resulted in more jobs available than workers to fill them; the haters are blind to the threat of Socialism that has infected the Democratic Party; and, worst of all, the haters are blind to the many domestic threats that are right before their eyes: Threats to the Right of Due Process, the Right of Free Speech, and the Right to Bear Arms; Threats to pack the Supreme Court and Abolish the Electoral College; Support for Open Borders and Sanctuary Cities; Promises of full benefits and rights for Illegal Immigrants; and Monstrous tax and spend proposals that would destroy the American Dream.

The haters are so focused on defeating Trump, that they are blind to the freedom-destroying strategies that are the bait-and-switch deceptions of Socialism. Corrupt politicians offer voters the delicious temptation of wonderful benefits that others will pay for. These politicians love the effectiveness of hate. Especially when the haters ignore the fact that Trump is term-limited. They need to wake up and realize that Socialism has no term limits!

This 2020 Presidential election will determine the future of our free Republic. It is truly a choice between Freedom, and Government-dictated Socialism.

James T. Holland is a resident of Frederick County.

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Open Forum: Hate can cause blindness and corruption - The Winchester Star

Jan 20, 2020 7:00 AM

Author: Moran Eye Center

Theres a reason you squint in bright sunlight. Your eyes are begging for protection against the glare of ultraviolet (UV) rays. But in situations where the suns rays intensify as they reflect off of snow, water, or sand, that begging might turn into screaming if you forget your UV-blocking sunglasses or goggles, because yesyour eyes can get sunburned.

Known generally as snow blindness and technically as photokeratitis (photo for light and keratitis inflammation of the cornea), sunburned eyes can sneak up on you. As with sunburned skin, by the time you notice the symptoms of snow blindness, youve already been out in the sun too long.

Symptoms include:

Your eyes and eyelids may swell, and you could get a headache.

You may not even experience the symptoms until several hours after the burn occurs, according to John A. Moran Eye Center Ophthalmologist Jean Tabin, MD. Luckily, they are temporary and should subside in a day or two.

If you suffer snow blindness, the best thing to do is give your eyes a rest. Stay indoors and wear sunglasses to reduce the amount of light exposure. If you wear contacts, take them out. Use preservative-free artificial tears to keep your eyes moistthink of it like using aloe vera for sunburn on your skin. Whatever you do, dont rub your eyes. This will only worsen the irritation.

If symptoms are severe, it may be best to see an ophthalmologist. You dont want to risk long-term damage.

The best way to protect against snow blindness is to protect your eyes with sunglasses. It doesnt necessarily matter how dark they are, as long as they block 99 percent of the suns UV rays. Wear them, even on overcast days, as UV rays can penetrate clouds.

Bigger ones are better in the winter, notes Tabin. Wearing goggles or sunglasses that wrap around will give you the most protection.

More here:
What Is Snow Blindness & How Can You Prevent It? - University of Utah Health Care

KINGSTON, N.Y. If you ever thought cool shades were a mere fashion statement, think again. Wearing good sunglasses may help to prevent blindness as you age, an eye doctor told a group of seniors at a recent event in Kingston.

Aging is hard enough, but age-related blindness is enough to challenge anybody. On Wednesday, Jan. 15, the Health Alliance presentation to the Seniors Health and Wellness Breakfast Club at the Marys Avenue hospital campus focused on glaucoma and macular degeneration, two common eye diseases that afflict people as they age.

Dr. Sankara Mahesh, an ophthalmologist based at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, N.Y., spoke to the group of seniors, using slides and pictures to explain how these diseases develop and how to (possibly) prevent them.

Glaucoma, said Mahesh, is a leading cause of vision loss in the United States. There are 3 million people in the U.S. who suffer from it, he added.

Mahesh explained that glaucoma happens when the pressure inside the eye is inappropriate. That means its either too high, or (less frequently) too low. Eye pressure usually does not relate to a persons blood pressure, although a low diastolic blood pressure may indicate low eye pressure.

Eye pressure is so important because the eye is nourished by fluid that is constantly introduced to and drained from the eye. When for some reason the drain is blocked, eye pressure goes up. If theres not enough fluid, eye pressure goes down. Without the appropriate amount of nourishing fluid, silent, irreversible damage to the optic nerve begins.

Fifty percent of people who have [glaucoma] dont know it, said Mahesh. There are no early symptoms. It slowly affects peripheral vision. Damage is slow and subtle, and takes place over a number of years.

The bad news: The damage is irreversible. And glaucoma, noted Mahesh, does not go away. The good news: Early detection can prevent vision loss.

At age 40, people should get a comprehensive eye exam, said Mahesh, and then continue to have eye exams yearly. Anyone can get glaucoma, but risk factors include age, family history, eye trauma, and African, Asian or Hispanic heritage.

Using eye drops to lower eye pressure is the usual treatment, but there are surgical interventions, as well. Mahesh noted that there are a number of recent advances in minimally invasive surgery, and some new devices for treating glaucoma are coming soon.

Prevention includes regular exercise and a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Smoking and stress increase risk (meditation is recommended), as does diabetes and being overweight. Being underweight is also a risk factor.

Sunglasses are a preventive measure for macular degeneration, but the glasses must block UVA and UUB rays. Darker color doesnt mean it protects better, said Mahesh. And polarized sunglasses may help reduce glare, but they do nothing to protect from macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration is caused by damage to the macula, the part of the retina that is at the back of the inner eyeball.

Again, heredity is a risk factor for macular degeneration, a blindness that begins in the center of the visual field, but heredity is not a foregone conclusion. Having a sibling or parent with the condition doesnt mean you will develop it.

Smokers have two times the risk as non-smokers, and Caucasians are more likely to develop macular degeneration than other groups.

The cause is not exactly known, said Mahesh. It may be wear and tear or sunlight exposure. Drusen, the small, yellow lipids (fatty proteins) that grow under the retina, are suspected culprits.

There is no good way to treat the disease, other than by taking a combination of vitamins that may slow its progress. Ten percent of people with macular degeneration have the wet kind, which means that there is bleeding and swelling inside the eye. This type can be helped with eye injections.

Again, prevention and regular eye exams are key to maintaining good eye health, including a healthy diet, exercise and not smoking.

The Seniors Health and Wellness Breakfast Club, open to individuals age 65 and older, meets monthly at the Nuvance Health Alliance hospital on Marys Avenue from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. to eat, socialize and learn more about a variety of health issues.

See original here:
Start young to prevent age-related vision loss - The Daily Freeman

Brodie the German Shepherd Border Collie was left with a wonky face and partial blindness after being attacked after birth. ( SWNS )

One sweet rescuedogis enjoying his fairy-tail ending in afur-ever homeafter receiving hundreds of adoption requests.

The spirited German Shepherd Border Collie was left with a wonky face and partial blindness after being attacked after birthand was returned to the shelter when his initial owners couldnt handle his hyper personality.

Brodie the pup is officially living his best life after being adopted by Amanda Richter and Brad Ames. The couple said it was love at first sight when they saw photos of the wonky-faced dog online, and rescued him from Old MacDonald Kennels in Alberta, Canada in September last year.

Brave Brodie has grown up with severe cranial and facial injuries after being attacked by his mother at just 13 days old, news agency South West News Service (SWNS) reports. After the incident, part of the dogs jaw fused together as he grew, leaving one side of his face slanted with partial blindness in one eye.

Brad Ames and Amanda Richter with Brodie. (SWNS)

The adorable border collie spent just five months with his initial adoptees, and his first owners returned him because he had too hyper of a disposition.

Richter, meanwhile, said she was instantly drawn to Brodie and his resilience through his difficult start in life.

Brave Brodie has grown up with severe cranial and facial injuries after being attacked by his mother at just 13 days old. (SWNS)

I looked at his photos every day and even cried a few times. We felt drawn to him for some reason, the 30-year-old woman said. We met him, took him for a walk and hung out with him for a few hours and ended up bringing him home the same day because the rescue really felt we were a great fit.

Hes definitely hyper but he is so intelligent, she explained. His brain is perfectly fine and he learns tricks within 10 minutes usually which tells me he is a smart boy.

Brodie with the couple's other dog Rosie. (SWNS)

He just needed patience and someone to be consistent. He gets better every week.

He just needed patience and someone to be consistent. He gets better every week," his proud owner said. (SWNS)

As Brodie grows up, Richter and Ames, 23, have big dreams for their precious pooch. The proud ownershopeto train him as a therapy dog for people with special needswhile raising awareness for other disabled dogs.

Today, Brodie's owners hope to train him as a therapy dog for people with special needs, while raising awareness for other disabled dogs. (SWNS)

Though other medical complications may arise as he grows, Richter said shes simply thankful her dog is healthy and happy right now.

Its actually funny because when we go to the dog park everyone notices how he is the happiest pup there and just wants to play and run, she said. Dogs are resilient and he has no idea he looks different so he enjoys his life just the same as any other pup.

READ MORE ON FOXNEWS.COM

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Dog with 'wonky' face from early injury gets adopted: 'He just needed patience' - FOX 2 Detroit

Sucheta Kamath, Founder and CEO of ExQ, a new cloud based personalized training curriculum designed to empower educators to teach Executive Function skills, is thrilled to announce she has been selected as one of Leadership Atlanta's top leaders to speak at their upcoming event: Atlanta What's the Big Idea, on Tuesday, February 4, 2020.

ATLANTA, Jan. 24, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Sucheta Kamath, Founder and CEO of ExQ, a new cloud based personalized training curriculum designed to empower educators to teach Executive Function skills, is thrilled to announce she has been selected as one of Leadership Atlanta's top leaders to speak at their upcoming event: Atlanta What's the Big Idea, on Tuesday, February 4, 2020.

Alumnus of Leadership Atlanta Class 2015, Sucheta Kamath is also the founder of ExQ, an educator, a TEDx speaker, a podcast host, and an award-winning speech-language pathologist. As an EdTech entrepreneur, she's on a mission to empower all learners to cultivate self-awareness and hone their Executive Function skills to learn how to learn.

"I'm thrilled to have been selected as one of Atlanta's top leaders sharing ideas to change the future of our city," shares Sucheta. "I look forward to presenting my Big Idea with Atlanta: No more self-blindness! Tapping into the patterns of thinking, emotions and actions to harness your strengths and reshape your weaknesses."

Sucheta Kamath, Founder, ExQ, believes learning Executive Function know how is basic to education, just as learning to read and write is basic to education. Each is a skill that must be taught, learned, practiced and is foundational for advancing. In her Leadership Atlanta Big Ideas presentation she will share, "Innovation in education has more to do with building Executive Function into everyday curriculum and coaching every child intentionally, so that when self-blindness becomes self-awareness the educational experience opens up to infinite know how and lifelong learning."

Celebrating 48 years of developing leaders, Leadership Atlanta is the oldest sustained community leadership program in the nation. Together with an expansive network of distinguished alumni, Leadership Atlanta continues a proud tradition of connecting and inspiring leaders to strengthen Metro Atlanta's communities.

Leadership Atlanta is hosting this half-day event of transformation and inspiration on Tuesday, February 4th, 2020 at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. During the event, Leadership Atlanta Alumni will harness the creativity and mind power of eight Atlanta leaders and their ideas to fundamentally change our city and our future. Participants will have the opportunity to:

All active Leadership Atlanta and LEAD Atlanta alumni, their guests and VIP community partners are invited to join for this exclusive kickoff event. For more information visit: https://www.onebigideaatlanta.com.

About ExQ: Rooted in more than 20 years of cognitive neuroscience and Executive Function training expertise, ExQ is a cloud-based patented system designed to enhance the brain's Executive Function through personalized game-based training that focuses on teaching students to learn how to learn. Learn more about a leading woman in technology, ExQ Founder and CEO, Sucheta Kamath, and Executive Function training with ExQ for School, for College, for Work, and for Life at https://exqinfiniteknowhow.com.

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Sucheta Kamath, Founder and CEO of ExQ, announces she will speak at Leadership Atlanta's What's the Big Idea, Tuesday, February 4, 2020 in Atlanta, GA...

By JD Flynn/Catholic News Agency

President Donald Trump addressed the annual March for Life Friday, telling pro-life demonstrators that he is an advocate for the right to life of unborn children, and calling for a federal prohibition on late-term abortion.

The president spoke about his commitment to the unborn, his administrations record on abortion policy, while criticizing Democrats at the state and federal level for their positions on human life.

He is the first president to attend in person the March for Life, which began in 1974 and has become one of the largest annual political events in the country.

All of us here understand an eternal truth: Every child is a precious and sacred gift from God, Trump told the crowd, which spanned across a large section of the National Mall and which the president described as a tremendous turnout.

Were here for a very simple reason, to defend the right of every child born and unborn to fulfill their God-given potential, the president said.

As President of the United States, I am truly proud to stand with you, Trump said.

Together we must protect, cherish, and defend the dignity and the sanctity of every human life.

You embrace mothers with care and compassion, you are powered by prayer and motivated by pure, unselfish love, the president told the crowd.

Trump especially praised the college and high school students in attendance at the March for Life.

Young people are the heart of the March for Life, and its your generation that is making America the pro-family, pro-life nation. The life movement is led by strong women, amazing faith leaders, and brave students, who carry on the legacy of pioneers before us, who fought to raise the conscience of our nation and uphold the rights of our citizens, Trump said.

The presidents attendance at the March for Life was announced earlier this week. Last year, Vice President Mike Pence attended the march, and in 2018, Trump welcomed pro-life leaders to the White House Rose Garden on the same day as the March.

The presidents unexpected attendance at the March led to heightened security. Initial security announcements said that no strollers would be permitted at the event, leading to criticism from March attendees who had brought children to the event. Security organizers eventually relented on the stroller policy, saying the initial prohibition was the result of a miscommunication

Trump took the stage shortly after noon to chants of four more years from some, but not all, in the crowd. Some attendees held signs distributed by the presidents campaign team, some of which read Most Pro-Life President Ever.

Before he spoke, Trump greeted leaders on the stage while Lea Greenwoods God Bless the U.S.A played. Before he had taken the stage, songs from the Rolling Stones and Tina Turner played, as well as The Animals 1964 House of the Rising Sun.

The presidents attendance was welcomed enthusiastically by March organizers. As she introduced Trump, March for Life president Jeanne Mancini thanked the president for coming.

Describing the March for Life as a pro-life and pro-woman event, and the largest human rights demonstration in the entire world, Mancini told Trump that your presence here today makes a very powerful statement.

You are leader of the free world and you stand for life. Thank you for being here. Thank you for everything youve done for life. And thank you for everything you will be doing for life in the years ahead, Mancini said, seeming to make reference to the presidents upcoming election.

The welcome marked a stark contrast to a March 2016 statement from Mancini, who responded to remarks from Trump calling for the imprisonment of women who undergo abortions as completely out of touch with the pro-life movement and even more with women who have chosen such a sad thing as abortion.

Being pro-life means wanting what is best for the mother and the baby. Women who choose abortion often do so in desperation and then deeply regret such a decision. No pro-lifer would ever want to punish a woman who has chosen abortion, Mancini added in 2016.

But Trump has made efforts since his 2016 election to respond to the policy proposals of pro-lfe leaders, administration officials say.

On Friday, he touted some of those efforts, mentioning his expansion of the Mexico City policy that bars federal funding from supporting abortions in foreign countries, along with his 187 appointments to the federal bench, among them two justices of the Supreme Court. The president also mentioned new regulations on Title X policies that block abortion providers from some federal funds.

Trump said that his administration is concerned about protecting religious liberty, and is taking care of doctors, teachers, nurses, and groups like the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the WH, the president said, to applause from the crowd.

Trump has faced fierce criticism from the U.S. bishops conference and other faith leaders for his immigration and social welfare policies, and did not make mention of those issues during his speech. Nor did he mention his recent drone strike against Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, which has also drawn criticism from faith leaders who have raised concerns about the possibility that the U.S. could enter another war in the Middle East.

The president also did not mention directly his reelection, but he did tell the crowd that Democrats have embraced the most radical and extreme positions taken and seen in this country for years and decades, and you can even say, for centuries. Nearly every top Democrat in Congress now supports taxpayer-funded abortions all the way up until the moment of birth.

Trump mentioned the 2019 passage of New York states Reproductive Health Act, which ushered in a wave of legislation in several states aimed at expanding legal protection for abortion. He also mentioned Virginias Governor Ralph Northam, who in 2019 made public comments that seemed to support allowing a child who survived a botched abortion to die without medical treatment.

The president did not mention Louisiana state Rep. Katrina Jackson, a pro-life Democrat scheduled to speak at the March for Life shortly after Trump. Jackson sponsored a Louisiana law requiring doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within a 30-mile radius. That law, now under judicial review at the Supreme Court, is expected to pose a challenge to the binding precedent of Roe v. Wade.

Trump is currently subject to impeachment proceedings in the U.S. Senate, which he did not mention directly in his speech. He did, however, aim to connect his political challenges to his pro-life advocacy.

Sadly the far left is actively working to erase our God-given rights, shut down faith-based charities, ban religious believers from the public square, and silence Americans who believe in the sanctity of life, Trump told the crowd.

They are coming after me, because I am fighting for you, and we are fighting for those who have no voice, and we will win, because we know how to win.

We all know how to win. Youve been winning for a long time. Youve been winning for a long time, Trump told the crowd.

As he closed his remarks, the president told the crowd his attendance was a very special moment.

It is so great to represent you. I love you allGod bless America.

As Trump left the stage, the Rolling Stones 1969 classic You Cant Always Get What You Want played over the speakers.

Christine Rousselle contributed to this report.

Featured image by Peter Zelasko/CNA

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God, Sex and the Meaning of Life: Come explore the beauty and power of the Theology of the Body - denvercatholic.org

My vision

Author Ben Shaberman talks to OT about how families affected by blindness helped to inspire his new novel, Retina Boy

24 Jan 2020 by Ben Shaberman

I have been with the Foundation Fighting Blindness in the US for about 15 years. My role is to report on research for retinal diseases, such as retinitis pigmentosa, Stargardt disease and age-related macular degeneration. I write articles, give talks and work with families and people who are affected by these diseases. While my role is to give hope to those who are affected, I have always been inspired by the families, especially the young kids, who are born with these conditions.

These children who are born with virtually no vision are often happy, successful, productive kids. Even though my organisation and myself are supportive of identifying treatments and cures, I wanted to do something that honoured and made a hero of these kids who are born blind so I decided to write a book.

The plot starts out with a newborn baby who has very little retinal tissue. The researchers are mystified because they have never seen a condition like it. Early on in the story a classmate calls him Retina Boy and the name sticks.

I would say Retina Boy is somewhat of a superhero, but not in the classic sense of having amazing super powers. It was important to me to make an everyday kid a hero. His friend, Marcy, cant walk so she uses a wheelchair. They make a perfect pair because she can be his eyes and he can be her legs.

I have always been really inspired by the families, especially the young kids, who are born with these conditions

Because I have been with the foundation for so long, studying the science and interviewing families, I gathered a lot of background information that way. I also talked with a couple of developmental biologists about the idea of a child being born without retinas and how feasible that was. I decided to mention that Retina Boy has some retinal tissue because in developmental biology the retina is an early part of the eye structure.

Ben Shaberman

Original post:
It was important to me to make an everyday kid a hero - AOP

This press release was orginally distributed by SBWire

Pune, India -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/23/2020 -- Transparency Market Research (TMR) has published a new report titled, "Ophthalmic Surgical Devices and Therapeutics Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20182026". According to the report, the ophthalmic surgical devices and therapeutics market is expected to reach at US$ 43,794.4 Mn by the end of 2018. The market is anticipated to reach US$ 68,898.4 Mn by 2026 and expand at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2018 to 2026. Rise in number of geriatric patients, increase in awareness regarding eye disorders, and high unmet medical needs are expected to augment the global market from 2018 to 2026. The ophthalmic surgical devices and therapeutics market is projected to expand owing to an increase in the prevalence of eye-related disorders among the population, demand for better treatments, and developing healthcare infrastructure in various countries across the globe.

ophthalmic surgical sevices therapeutics marketIncreasing geriatric population and rising awareness regarding eye diseases

According to data published by the United Nations Department of Economics and Social Affairs, the geriatric population is expected to double by the end of 2050 and is projected to reach nearly 2.1 billion. This increasing geriatric population is prone to significant risk of eye-related disorders, including blindness. Public awareness regarding common eye conditions is increasing in developing countries, leading to early diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases. Furthermore, there are a large number of organizations dedicated to fight blindness, restore vision, and create awareness regarding eye health. National Eye Institute, National Association for Visually Handicapped, National Federation of the Blind, and Prevent Blindness are some eye health organizations concerned with prevention of eye diseases.

For More Details, Request A PDF Brochure Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=60669

Increase in incidence rates of eye related disorders

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 285 million visually impaired people globally, approximately 90% of them reside in low to middle income countries. Furthermore, approximately 95 million people suffer from cataract, and 20 million suffer from various eye conditions, including glaucoma, muscular degeneration, infections, and childhood-related conditions. Significant rise in incidence of eye-related diseases, especially in developed countries, is anticipated to drive the ophthalmic surgical devices and therapeutics market between 2018 and 2026. Patients undergoing open angle glaucoma and age related macular degeneration (AMD) in the U.S., were 2.7 million and 2.1 million, respectively. This number is projected to increase to 3.3 million and 2.5 million, respectively, by 2020. Increasing patient pool in developing countries as well as developed countries is estimated to propel healthcare spending for eye treatments in these countries and drive the ophthalmic surgical devices and therapeutics market.

High unmet needs for refractive corrections

According to an article published by the British Journal of Visual Impairment, refractive errors are the leading cause of visual impairment and at the same time, most treatable cause of visual impairment in children. Furthermore, according to this article, more than 90% of people with refractive errors reside in low-income and poor countries and cost is a major obstacle to accessing glasses and meeting the need for correction. Studies indicate that rates of willingness to pay for glasses are low, and cost and affordability is a primary reason for not using glasses in China, India, countries in Africa, and several developing countries across the globe.

Therapeutics segment dominates the global market due to its choice as first line of treatment for ocular diseases

In terms of product type, therapeutics is a highly attractive segment of the global ophthalmic surgical devices and therapeutics market, followed by surgical devices and vision care segments. This is attributable to the preference for drugs as the first line of treatment for any eye-related diseases. Expansion of the segment is primarily attributed to the increased prevalence of glaucoma and ocular infections among the population. According an article published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the global prevalence of glaucoma for population aged 40 to 80 years is 3.54%. The prevalence of primary open-angle glaucoma is considerably high in Africa, i.e., 4.2%, and the prevalence of primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) is significantly high in Asia, i.e., 1.09%.

North America dominates the global market owing to significant technological advancements in the region

North America dominates the global ophthalmic surgical devices and therapeutics market due to a large patient pool, high cost of specialty branded drugs, high cost of ocular surgeries, and increase in the geriatric population in the region. The region is estimated to maintain its dominance during the forecast period. According a U.S eye disease statistics, published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology, cataract, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy are the most common causes of visual impairment among the population in the U.S. Additionally, approximately 7.32 million people in the U.S. are expected to suffer from primary open-angle glaucoma by 2050. Moreover, rising healthcare expenditure and increasing investments are key factors that are anticipated to boost the ophthalmic surgical devices and therapeutics market in the next few years. The ophthalmic surgical devices and therapeutics market in Asia Pacific is projected to expand at a notable CAGR due to increasing awareness regarding eye diseases in developing countries and government initiatives introduced in the region.

Investments by key players is driving the global ophthalmic surgical devices and therapeutics market.

Key players dominating the ophthalmic surgical devices and therapeutics market include Allergan Plc., Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Novartis AG, Bausch Health Companies Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, HOYA Corporation, and Bayer AG.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/ophthalmic-surgical-devices-an/release-1272447.htm

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Growth of Ophthalmic Surgical Devices and Therapeutics (Eye Care) Market Projected to Amplify During ' 2018 - 2026' - Press Release - Digital Journal

Thats the salary youd get after three years of training.

But what else do you have to have in your locker to get the green light to become a driver?

Well, theres quite a few rules and regulations stipulated by Northern that mean not just anyone can jump into the cab.

The firm has a list of minimum personal requirements that you need to become a driver.

"You don't need any train driving experience to apply, said the advert.

However, we look for people who can concentrate for extended periods, with an eye for detail and a have real sense of focus about them, even in the face of rotating shift patterns.

"If you're a great decision maker who can think on your feet and approach a situation logically and in a structured way, then you're the kind of person who can keep a Northern train running on time.

And here are the minimum requirements needed - including sight and commuting

In order to become a train driver with Northern:

You must not have defective colour vision

You must be willing to work irregular and unsociable shift patterns

You must live within a 45 minute commutable distance from the location you are applying for

You must be aged between 20 and 62 years

Northern began operating the Northern franchise on 1 April 2016 and inherited units from the previous operator Northern Rail.

Its trains call at 528 stations about a quarter of all stations in the country and of these stations 476 are operated by Northern.

But the firm has also been hit by worsening punctuality, perceived poor customer service, frequent industrial action by staff and delays in introducing new rolling stock.

The future of the Northern franchise is being reviewed by the Department for Transport, with some Government officals saying it will be stripped of the service.

See original here:
Unsociable shifts and no colour blindness: Minimum requirements for 53000 Nothern train driver job - The Star

Former Republican Congressman Chris Collins lied and cheated during his term in office all the way into a 26-month prison sentence.

He was charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, and lying to the FBI. The evidence prior to his guilty plea was overwhelming, yet that did not prevent Collins from constantly lying that he was innocent, nor did it deter the Republican Party from re-nominating him and extolling him as a paragon of virtue and most importantly, an ardent and unwavering supporter of his majesty, and liar-in-chief, Donald Trump.

Because in the final analysis that is what the Republican Party is now all about, blindness devotion to Donald Trump, the most prolific liar and con man to ever come upon the American political scene. We will soon see the candidates to replace convict Collins on the Republican ballot tripping over themselves to out Trumpian one another in order to earn the nomination of the now cult of Trump.

Truthfulness be damned, for the nomination will go to the candidate who is most willing to abandon decency, honor, integrity and adherence to the Constitution in order to gain the blessing of the golden idol now sitting upon the throne of the presidency.

I can only pray that the voters of the 27th Congressional District will finally wake up and realize that they deserve better, that the economy can flourish without deserting all the values that have set the United States apart from the other nations of the world and that the Republican party has cheated them before and will cheat them again.

Richard Kirisits

Kenmore

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Letter: Voters in the 27th District deserve better treatment - Buffalo News

A mother-of-two from Yeovil faces the heartbreaking prospect of losing her sight within a year if she is unable to raise enough money to undergo pioneering treatment.

Jemma Jackson says the thought of no longer being able to see Oscar, 14, and Alfie, 6, has left her with a "pain like I've never known and a fear I could never have imagined".

The 32-year-old single mum has lived with type one diabetes since the age of three, but in recent years, she has developed proliferative retinopathy, a disease that can cause rapid and progressive blindness if left untreated.

The only treatment available on the NHS has been unsuccessful, leaving her needing to raise at least 5,000 to enable her to receive injections privately.

It involves injecting a chemical into the eyeball, stopping the growth of blood vessels inside the retina, with the hope of preventing sight from deteriorating any further.

Jemma said: "Any parent can relate and understand how painful the prospect of not being able to see your childrens faces ever again would be.

"Its a pain like Ive never known and a fear I could never have imagined.

"I struggle but I am able to carry on a normal-ish life with the vision I do have left.

"If I were to lose anymore, or all of my vision, I honestly dont know what I would do. The thought makes me feel sick to my stomach.

"I know I am lucky in many other ways, I should and would be blind already if it was not for the treatments Ive already had, but I am so scared at what my future might hold.

"I just really want to keep my vision for as long as possible, so I can see my kids grow up, and then my eyes can finally give up.

"Until then, I desperately want to keep fighting."

Anyone who wishes to donate to the cost of Jemma's treatment can do so via GoFundMe .

To keep up to date with our latest news, follow us on Facebook and Twitter .

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Mum fears never seeing kids' faces again due to condition causing blindness - Somerset Live

More than mere information, the gift of knowledge refashions the heart to love and serve God, and his people. (CNS illustration/Tyler Orsburn)

By Mike Nelson Catholic News Service Posted January 24, 2020

What is knowledge? More specifically, what is knowledge in relation to our Catholic faith?

Several years ago, I came upon St. Bonaventures Prayer for the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. A 13th-century cardinal and follower of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Bonaventure is also a patron saint of our parish, Mission San Buenaventura in Ventura, California, where my wife directs music and liturgy and I play piano.

Reading this prayer inspired me to set St. Bonaventures prayer to music, in which I combined two gifts to make part of a verse: Grant us courage, grant us knowledge, so we may know and protect what is good.

The actual words of St. Bonaventures prayer suggest I was, hopefully, on the right track: May he impart to us the gift of knowledge, which will enable us to discern your teaching and distinguish good from evil.

Knowledge can be a tricky quality (or gift, if you will) to assess. Many of us have heard that it doesnt take an active Catholic to know what the Catholic Church teaches. Inactive Catholics, non-Catholics and even atheists can be just as knowledgeable about Catholic teaching as those who practice their faith in some cases, more so.

The key, of course, is taking to heart what we know and acting on it. Or, as bishops instruct diaconate candidates during the rite of ordination: Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.

That, in the context of our Catholic faith, should give us a clue as to what knowledge actually means. Knowledge simply for knowledges sake, St. James suggested rather pointedly, means nothing without action inspired by that knowledge: What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? (Jas 2:14).

As an adult, I attended confirmation preparation classes at another parish (it was a pre-RCIA preparation process), designed to teach us facts about the faith I would profess at the Easter Vigil. We even took a midterm to test our knowledge.

Fortunately, I was already of the mind to become Catholic, not because of its teaching but because I was seeking a community of faith that sought to know and follow Jesus Christ. The words I once heard during a parish retreat, We are the body of Christ, we are a community of believers, and the ministries that serve church and community in Jesus name, are why I became and remain a Catholic.

This was long before I knew anything about St. Bonaventure or any of the saints, or anything about the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or very much about Scripture. But I learned very quickly about the person of Jesus, and how he was more interested in how people lived their lives than in how much they knew.

(Related: Discerning a path with the gift of knowledge.)

The Pharisees knew all too well how Jesus felt about learned people. When he healed the man born blind, the Pharisees were outraged that Jesus had performed his healing work on the Sabbath, in violation of the law.

And, believing that blindness was a result of sin, they were outraged further when Jesus suggested that blindness was more than a physical affliction.

If you were blind, Jesus told the Pharisees, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, We see, so your sin remains (Jn 9:41).

The blind man, now healed, understood as well as anyone that knowledge of Jesus, and his message to heal and serve those most in need, leads to hope for all, and calls us into action to meet those needs.

For if knowledge impacts only the mind and not the heart, what is its purpose? As St. Paul told the people of Ephesus, May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call (Eph 1:18).

St. Thomas Aquinas a doctor of the church like his contemporary, St. Bonaventure suggested in Summa Theologica that all gifts of the Holy Spirit are very much connected to the cardinal virtues rooted in ancient Greece and later proclaimed by church leaders in the Middle Ages.

The gift of knowledge, St. Aquinas said, corresponds to the virtue of hope, which better helps us to understand the meaning of God.

God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth: that is, of Christ Jesus, declares the catechism (No. 74). Christ must be proclaimed to all nations and individuals, so that this revelation may reach to the ends of the earth.

It is important, too, to realize that, as St. Bonaventure (inspired by Isaiah, St. Paul and others) proclaimed, there is a relationship between knowledge and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit.

If you receive my words and treasure my commands, turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call for intelligence, and to understanding raise your voice; if you seek her like silver, and like hidden treasures search her out, then will you understand the fear of the Lord; the knowledge of God you will find. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding (Prv 2:1-6).

***

Catholic journalist Mike Nelson writes from Southern California.

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True knowledge renews the heart - CatholicPhilly.com

ABU DHABI, 23rd January, 2020 (WAM) -- The Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination, ZHO, launched the initiative, "Bridges of Hope to Support People of Determination", in cooperation with the Emirates Red Crescent, ERC, for the Syrian refugee families of People of Determination at the Mrajeeb Camp in Jordan, as part of the ZHOs efforts to support People of Determination in foreign countries by collaborating with the ERC'S initiatives and projects.

The initiative aims to provide 148 families of Syrian "refugees with determination" guidance to mitigate psychological pressures and stress and provide families with background information, practical training sessions, and psychological and social counselling.

Abdullah Abdulaali Al Humaidan, Secretary-General of ZHO, who accompanied the ZHOs team, stated that the organisation had launched the initiative under the guidance of the wise leadership, as well as the supervision and concern of H.H. Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Al Humaidan extended his appreciation to the ERC, headed by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, and to all the employees there for their genuine and fruitful cooperation with the ZHO. He also thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and its minister, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as well as the UAE Embassy in Jordan for supporting this initiative and collaborating with the ZHO. He finally thanked the parents at the Mrajeeb Camp for joining the initiative, as well as the ZHOs employees.

Ahmed Ali Al Balushi, UAE Ambassador to Jordan, received Al Humaidan and the accompanying delegation as part of the delegations visit to the Kingdom of Jordan to implement the initiative and praised the delegations efforts and the wonderful humanitarian initiative for the People of Determination.

Moza Ahmad Al Salami, Director of ZHOs Al Ain Autism Centre and the head of the team, said, "This initiative was launched in collaboration with the ERC after signing a cooperation agreement with the ZHO. The team includes Moza Ahmad Al Salami, initiatives coordinator and supervisor; Ghadeer Al Oteibi, senior social worker; Anoud Al Hajri, psychologist; Sheikha Salem Al Kabi, specialised teacher, and Ahmad Al Zoghbi, specialised teacher."

She added that 148 families were part of the initiative, including those suffering from cases of Autism Spectrum Disorder, intellectual disabilities, physical impairment, deafness, and blindness and Down syndrome.

Moza Al Salami revealed that a team of staff members had created a sensory room called the "Bridges of Hope Initiative Room to Support People of Determination", where the staff was trained by a specialist in special educational needs from the camp on how to best utilise the room to serve families and people of determination.

Al Salami pointed out that the initiative is aimed at providing participants with skills to help them lead independent lives, acquire appropriate habits, and protect themselves.

This is in addition to helping children develop different intellectual skills and language capabilities and teaching them to rely on themselves, acquire appropriate eating habits, and inculcate major and minor life skills and kinetic synergy capabilities.

WAM/Rasha Abubaker

Original post:
People of Determination at Syrian refugee Mrajeeb Camp in Jordan provided with psychological support - Jordan - ReliefWeb

By James Hall, Commercial Director, Striata UK

While most people understand the importance of making the physical world as accessible to as many people as possible, including those with disabilities, digital accessibility is less well-regarded but equally important. And while a lot of ground has been covered with regard to the websites, attention is now slowly turning to email.

Much time is spent designing, developing and testing emails to ensure they render correctly on different screen sizes and in the most commonly used email clients, to provide a good email experience. Not enough attention is paid, however, to ensuring people who have disabilities are able to consume these emails.

To put that into perspective, according to the World Health Organisation, at least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment, which ranges from needing glasses to total blindness. Thats more than the total user base of Gmail (1.5 billion) and logically would make up a significant portion of the 4 billion email users, worldwide. Why should there be any less effort spent on them to ensure an email renders well on the assistive device they use.

But what does email accessibility look like and how can you ensure that your emails are as accessible as possible?

What is email accessibility?

Email accessibility is the practice of making an email easy to read for as wide an audience as possible, including those with visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities. Email accessibility is an important part of User Experience (UX) and applying accessibility principles will result in the best possible experience for all users.

There are a number of assistive technologies that help people with disabilities access the web and email. These include screen readers (used by people with visual impairment, mobility limitations and learning disabilities), which read the content of a screen aloud using text-to-speech, and screen magnifiers (used by people with low or partial vision) which enlarge a portion of the screen so that the content is readable.

Content

Most email writers already know the importance of ensuring that the content has a logical flow, and the message is easy to understand. This becomes more important when one considers how email will be read by a visually impaired person or anyone with cognitive disabilities such as dyslexia.

So, for example, subject lines should be short and to the point in order to perform best when read aloud through a screen reader. Language should be similarly clear and concise. Rather use simple words and language making it easier to understand for both those with cognitive difficulties, as well easier to understand when read through a screen reader.

For the same reason paragraphs should be short and well structured, and long lists and tables should be avoided.

Designing for accessibility

Layout and design accounts for a large part of how accessible an email will be, from color, font size and font choices, to the way images are treated. As with design for different screen sizes, there are guidelines for designing emails that are suitable for screen readers and magnifiers.

Making judicious use of whitespace around paragraphs, bulleted copy and images is not only good for accessibility, it makes skim-reading easier too. Another important factor when designing for accessibility is color, especially for users that are color blind. Blue is a good color to use, because it is not affected by red and green color blindness.

There should also be adequate contrast between the text and background color of your call to action buttons, and links should be prominent and easy to click.

HTML Developers

Understanding how an email is read using a screen reader and how it appears using a magnifier is something all HTML coders should know.

Some basic guidelines include using heading styles in logical sequence (making it easier for someone using a screen reader to navigate by sections), limiting the animation to 3 seconds in animated gifs, avoiding tables, and cutting back on the use of multiple spaces in your code as a screen reader will read these out loud as blank.

Testers

Whilst an email is often tested across all major device types, screen sizes, and email clients, its worth making the extra effort when it comes to accessibility.

Fortunately, there are tools that make this easier. For example, some email testing platforms such as Litmus and Email on Acid now offer accessibility testing features as part of their service.

Even with the use of these tools, however, one should still test email with images off to see how readable it is for people who dont see the images (for whatever reason). Check the flow of information and whether the essence of the message is conveyed, even if no images are present. Additionally, skim-read the email in a few seconds as this is how most people read online.

Worthwhile effort

While ensuring that your emails are fully accessible does take effort, there can be no denying that its worth the investment.

Most of the work required to ensure that blind people and those with visual impairment can access your emails is in line with email best practice.

The overall email experience, therefore, wont just be improved for customers with disabilities but for everyone.

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Email accessibility is crucial: here's how to get it right - Global Banking And Finance Review