StemCell Therapy

American Action Fund (AAF) for Blind Children and Adults

Baltimore, MD 410-659-9315 actionfund@actionfund.org

A service agency that specializes in providing to blind people help that is not readily available to them. The Tarzana office houses a postage-free national lending library of braille and Twin Vision(R) books for blind children. They also publish and distribute a braille weekly newspaper and calendars.

American Council of the Blind (ACB)

Arlington, VA 800-424-8666 info@acb.org

National consumer organization with local, state, and special interest affiliates; providing support, information, referral, and advocacy.

American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)

New York, NY 800-232-5463 afbinfo@afb.net

Provides comprehensive information on every aspect of blindness and visual impairment and a searchable database of nationwide services.

American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. (APH)

Louisville, KY 800-223-1839 info@aph.org Shopping site

Worlds largest company devoted solely to researching, developing, and manufacturing products for people who are blind and visually impaired. Founded in 1858, it is the oldest organization of its kind in the United States.

Babies Count

Alamogordo, NM

Babies Count is a national registry of young children aged birth to 36 months of age with visual impairments that works in conjunction with public and private agencies to collect standardized epidemiological and demographic data regarding children, their visual conditions, and the systems created to support them and their families.

Blinded Veterans Association (BVA)

Alexandria, VA 800-669-7079 bva@bva.org

An organization of blinded veterans helping blinded veterans. All legally blinded veterans are eligible for BVAs assistance whether they become blind during or after active duty military service.

Bookshare

Palo Alto, CA 650-352-0198 info@bookshare.org

An initiative of Benetech, a nonprofit organization, a person with print disabilities can read a newspaper the same day it hits the newsstand or a best-selling book online as soon as it is released.

Books Aloud

San Jose, CA 408-808-2613 info@booksaloud.net

The Books Aloud "Reading by Listening" Program provides a wide variety of recorded reading literature to eligible individuals of all ages. This is a FREE service.

Canadian National Institute for the Blind

Toronto, ON 1-800-563-2642

CNIB is a registered charity, passionately providing community-based support, knowledge and a national voice to ensure blind and partially sighted Canadians have the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully participate in life.

Dialogue Magazine

Salem, OR 800-860-4224 info@blindskills.com

Each quarterly issue of DIALOGUE Magazine, from the non-profit Blinds Skills, Inc., contains a wide range of subject matter and comes in four formats: cassette, 18-point print, braille and on computer e-mail.

Family Connect

familyconnect@afb.net

FamilyConnect is an online, multimedia community created by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and the National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments (NAPVI). This site gives parents of visually impaired children a place to support each other, share stories and concerns, and link to local resources.

Hadley School for the Blind

Winnetka, IL 800-323-4238 info@hadley.edu

Provides academic, personal enrichment, and compensatory, or rehabilitation education through free home study courses for parents, family members, professionals, and paraprofessionals.

Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults (HKNC)

Sands Point, NY 516-944-8900 hkncinfo@hknc.org

The Center is a national vocational and rehabilitation program exclusively serving youths and adults who are deaf-blind. Their mission is to enable each person who is deaf-blind to live and work in the community of their choice.

Learning Ally (formerly Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic)

Princeton, NJ 800-221-4792 custserv@LearningAlly.org

Founded in 1948 as Recording for the Blind, Learning Ally creates and maintains over 80,000 audio recordings of textbooks, reference, and professional materials that are not available on tape or disc from other sources. There is a registration fee for this service.

Lighthouse Guild

New York, NY 800-829-0500 info@lighthouseguild.org

A worldwide organization dedicated to preserving vision and to helping people of all ages overcome the challenges of vision loss. Provides vision rehabilitation services, and partners with organizations to ensure that all individuals suffering vision loss have access to the services they require.

Lions Club International

Oak Brook, IL 630-571-5466

By conducting vision screenings, equipping hospitals and clinics, distributing medicine and raising awareness of eye disease, Lions work toward their mission of providing vision for all. They have extended their commitment to sight conservation through countless local efforts and through their international SightFirst Program, which works to eradicate blindness.

Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind

New York, NY 212-242-0263 editor@matildaziegler.com

Editors at the Ziegler magazine scan four national newspapers a day and over 30 magazines a month selecting a broad selection of articles to be reprinted in the Ziegler. The magazine is free-of-charge to legally blind subscribers and is published in a variety of formats including: contracted braille, four track cassette, on-line and by e-mail.

National Braille Association

Rochester, NY 585-427-8260

National Braille Association (NBA) is the only national organization solely dedicated to the professional development of individuals who prepare and produce braille materials.

National Braille Press (NBP)

Boston, MA 888-965-8965 contact@nbp.org

The National Braille Press focuses on practical information to enable persons who are blind and visually impaired to be responsible and productive individuals. Categories include childrens braille literacy, computer access, and self-help books.

National Camps for Blind ChildrenChristian Record Services

Lincoln, NE 402-488-0981 info@christianrecord.org

An international organization serving blind and visually impaired individuals in approximately 80 countries worldwide that operates summer camps throughout North America for children and adults who are blind and visually impaired.

National Federation of the Blind (NFB)

Baltimore, MD 410-659-9314 pmaurer@nfb.org

National consumer organization, with local and state chapters and special-interest divisions that provide information, advocacy, and employment programs.

National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC)

Baltimore, MD 410-659-9314 parentoutreach@nfb.org

(part of National Federation of the Blind/click on Info about Vision Loss for Parents and Teachers)

Focuses on the needs of parents and families. Find resources to help children thrive at home, school, and in the community.

National Prison Braille Network

Supports and promotes braille production facilities in prisons across the U.S. and helps ensure that inmate transcribers are well prepared for successful careers as braille transcribers upon release.

Newsreel Magazine

Columbus, OH 888-723-8737

Newsreel Magazine by and for the Blind is a unique monthly interactive audio magazine produced in the voices of its blind or visually impaired subscribers.

Perkins School for the Blind

Watertown, MA 617-924-3434 info@perkins.org

Conducts training activities for programs and staff serving children who are multiply disabled with blindness or deafblind and provides support services for parents.

Seedlings Braille Books for Children

Livonia, MI 800-777-8552 info@seedlings.org

Seedlings Braille Books for Children provides high quality, low cost braille books for children at every level of development, from toddler board books to classic literature for older children.

U.S. Association of Blind Athletes

Colorado Springs, CO 719-866-3224

This Association enhances the lives of blind and visually impaired people by providing the opportunity for participation in sports and physical activity. Offers training camps and competitions in swimming, track and field, wrestling, gymnastics, goal ball, skiing, skating, power lifting, judo, and tandem cycling.

WonderBaby.org

Watertown, MA email hidden; JavaScript is required

WonderBaby.org, a project funded by Perkins School for the Blind, is dedicated to helping parents of young children with visual impairments as well as children with multiple disabilities. Here youll find a database of articles written by parents who want to share with others what theyve learned about playing with and teaching a blind child, as well as links to meaningful resources and ways to connect with other families.

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More Resources About Blindness and Visual Impairment

Drs. Sanduk Ruit and Geoff Tabin on 60 Minutes (CBS video)

The 60 Minutes segment Out of Darkness features two eye surgeons, Dr. Sanduk Ruit and Dr. Geoff Tabin, who are giving sight to people who have been blind for years due to cataracts. CBS correspondent Bill Whitaker travels to Burma (also known as Myanmar) to see the doctors in action in the operating room. With the doctors theyve trained in Nepal to perform the simple operation, Ruit and Tabin claim to have reversed blindness in more than 4 million people.

[Left: Buy thebookSecond Suns: Two Trailblazing Doctors and Their Quest to Cure Blindness on Amazon and the publisher will donate to the Himalayan CataractProject]

Ruit and Tabin have formed the non-profit organization CureBlindness to provide more surgeries to more people in the developing world. If you donate $100 or more directly to the project, you will receive a free copy of the inspirational book Second Suns:Two Trailblazing Doctors and Their Quest to Cure Blindness, One Pair of Eyes at a Time.60 Minutes airs Sundays at 7pm on CBS.

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60 Minutes Eye Doctors Curing Blindness Giving Away Books - 2paragraphs.com

Prevent Blindness Wisconsin received a legacy gift of over $59,000 from local private donor, William Hoffman, the nonprofit and volunteer-based organization announced this week.

We are incredibly grateful for this gift which will support Prevent Blindness Wisconsins mission to improve the lives of children, adults, and families through early detection of eye conditions to prevent blindness and preserve sight, Tami Radwill, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin executive director said.

The gift will be used to strengthen the organizations endowment and support its visual screening program a free service that tests adults for vision impairments and refers patients to eye doctors.

Julie Cordero, Prevent Blindness Wisconsins development director, said the organization has not received a legacy gift of this amount for two or three years and that memorial donations are more common than legacy gifts.

Hoffman received the organizations free screening 25 years ago, which led him to seek early treatment for glaucoma and prevent severe vision loss. He made the legacy gift because he believed the organizations services saved his eyesight.

Prevent Blindness Wisconsin received a legacy gift of over $59,000 from local private donor, William Hoffman, the nonprofit and volunteer-based organization announced this week.

We are incredibly grateful for this gift which will support Prevent Blindness Wisconsins mission to improve the lives of children, adults, and families through early detection of eye conditions to prevent blindness and preserve sight, Tami Radwill, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin executive director said.

The gift will be used to strengthen the organizations endowment and support its visual screening program a free service that tests adults for vision impairments and refers patients to eye doctors.

Julie Cordero, Prevent Blindness Wisconsins development director, said the organization has not received a legacy gift of this amount for two or three years and that memorial donations are more common than legacy gifts.

Hoffman received the organizations free screening 25 years ago, which led him to seek early treatment for glaucoma and prevent severe vision loss. He made the legacy gift because he believed the organizations services saved his eyesight.

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Prevent Blindness Wisconsin receives legacy donation - BizTimes.com (Milwaukee)

Organisers of the Life After Blindness organisation at the launch event.

Community members with visual impairment have launched an organisation for the blind, named Life After Blindness.

Tembisa residents came out in numbers to Thafeni Park to be part of launch, on April 7.

Life After Blindness organisations founder, Mrs Mpho Matjie, said she started the organisation because there was no other organisation looking out for the needs of people with visual impairment.

Our aim is to empower people who are visually impaired by offering skills development programmes.

We will help be more independent and also offer moral support through peer counselling. Blind people should be able to do things by themselves and be independent, said Matjie.

She said people with visual impairment should be active community members, not locked up in their houses.

Matjie said at Life After Blindness, blind people will be taught, among other things, braille, bead work and computer skills.

When somebody loses their vision they feel like it is the end of the world and yet it is only the beginning.

Organisations like Life After Blindness are here to give them courage to move on with their lives and find new possibilities and excitement.

They shouldnt allow their disability to stop their dreams, said optometrist Ms Ntibeleng Masile.

Mr Nape Mashiane, from the SA Guide Dog Association (SAGDA), said Life After Blindness will have a positive impact on the community of Tembisa.

Mpho is visually impaired herself and for her to start the organisation will inspire people with the same condition, said Mashiane.

He said SAGDA will assist Life After Blindness by training members and running workshops.

Life After Blindness is situated at 871 Thami Mnyele Drive, in Mqantsa section.

Matjie said affiliation is free and interested people can call 011 042 3086 or 071 027 9319.

More here:
Now there is Life After Blindness - Tembisan

I particularly remember a conversation that I had with a college advisor about race during my senior year of high school. Specifically, it was an incident of overt racism that involved the conscious exclusion of a student of color from an event. My college advisor, a white woman, reacted in what appeared to be a blend of horror and shame. At one point during the conversation, in what I imagine to be an attempt to distance herself from the event, she pronounced her color blindness. I cant believe some people are like that. I personally dont see color, I treat everyone the same. Initially, I remember being appreciative of her unbiased racial outlook. After all, race is a social construct; its conception is therefore contingent upon our social selves.

Later that evening, however, I grew concerned with my reactionor lack thereof. Race is something that is so present in the U.S. but its discussion is something that elicits discomfort in everyone. Was her insistence on color blindness merely a refusal to engage with the overt racism of the incident?

I realized that her words, I personally dont see color [race], had struck me: What does it mean to be color blind in a society colored by racism?

I would like to clarify: race refers to skin color, whereas ethnicity is more aligned with culture. There exists a tendency to conflate race and ethnicity. Thus, when we talk about racism we are referring to the marginalization and oppression of various groups of people on the basis of skin color.

Color blindness is the racial ideology that posits the best way to end discrimination is by treating individuals as equally as possible, without regard to race.

This adoption of racial color blindness is not uncommon: topics involving race are often difficult to discuss. The notion of color blindness is, then, used as a device to disengage from conversations of race and racism entirely. This tendency is most prominent as it relates to campus discussions of race. The subtext of certain campus talks about race appears to be directed towards individuals who harbor negative sentiments about race. Those who insist on color blindness thus avoid these conversations, thinking, Why would I need to attend this campus talk? Im not racist. These events, however, are designed to generate productive conversations about race.

While many of these discussions are directed towards the predominately white Bowdoin population, people of color often disproportionately outnumber white people in attendance.

Racial color blindness encourages people to look past race entirely and it encourages avoidance of acknowledging race in interactions and discussions.

Conversations about race, however, are necessary for everyone.

In a color blind society, white people, who are unlikely to experience disadvantages due to race, can effectively ignore racism in American life, justify the current social order and feel more comfortable with their relatively privileged standing in society. Many people of color, however, who are regularly hindered by race, experience color blind ideologies quite differently. Color blindness constructs a society that denies negative racial experiences, undermines cultural heritage and invalidates unique perspectives.

The notion that someone in the U.S. can lead a completely color blind life is not plausible. The awareness of race is woven into our nations history and its implications thus cannot be completely erased.

It is for this reason that I encourage campus discussions about race, as they simultaneously bring us away from a colorblind society and bring us towards a more racially conscious society.

I realize that there is no such thing as color blindness in our society. We cannot simply stop talking about race because skin color undeniably affects the way people experience the world. We all must actively engage with discussions of race.

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Debunking the myth of color blindness in a racist society - The Bowdoin Orient

Blindness due to a bacterial infection that causes trachoma is a serious problem worldwide. The currently recommended number of rounds of mass drug administration may not be enough to ensure elimination of the disease.

Christina Faust 14 Apr 2017

Blindness caused by repeated infection with Chlamydia trachomatis

Trachoma is a disease of the eye and is the most important infectious cause of blindness worldwide. The bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis is responsible for the pathology- which includes eyelid scarring. After repeated exposure, the eyelid can become so scarred that it turns inwards and causes eyelashes to rub against the eyelid. This can scar the cornea and results in pain and light intolerance. If left untreated, infections can lead to vision impairment and even blindness.

Trachoma is spread either through direct contact with eye or nose discharge from infected people or through indirect contact, facilitated by flies that have contacted the eyes and noses of infected individuals.

Map of endemic countries endemic for trachoma

The bacterium is endemic in many countries across the globe, but in 1996 the WHO Alliance for Global Elimination of Trachoma (GET2020) set a goal to eradicate blindness caused by repeated infection by 2020. Elimination of trachoma depends on the SAFE strategy, which covers four types of interventions: surgery (S), antibiotics (A), facial cleanliness (F) and environmental improvement (E).

While all of these interventions are essential for elimination, mass drug administration (MDA) with azithromycin is the cornerstone of control. Drugs are administered at a community level in conjunction with national control programs. Dosage is determined by a dose pole and length of treatment in a given community is determined by the baseline prevalence in the district.

Currently, the WHO recommends annual treatment of all individuals within an affected community for at least 3 years if the prevalence of clinical signs (trachomatous inflammation-follicular) is between 10-30% or 5 years if the prevalence of clinical signs is >30% in individuals under 10 years of age. MDA programmes often target children, as they are easier to treat en masse.

Mass drug administration of azithromycin for trachoma control in Ethiopia

Fortunately, modelling results show that treatment of children only is an effective strategy to reduce, and even eliminate, trachoma at the population level. Although termed elimination, the goal of the control strategy is to reduce prevalence to less than 5% among 1-9 year olds, thereby reducing the force of infection. It is estimated that 100 repeated exposures are required before an individual becomes blind, so reducing transmission will greatly reduce probability of becoming blind.

Although 2020 is the target for elimination globally, 182 million people live in trachoma endemic regions. Only three countries have been confirmed to have eliminated trachoma by WHO, with another seven claiming elimination. With so few countries meeting elimination targets, how effective have MDA programmes been and is there a risk of stopping them too early?

Azithromycin is effective at clearing individual infections, but mounting evidence suggests there are barriers to its effectiveness at a population level. In areas that are considered to have moderate endemicity (~20%), three annual MDAs do not seem to be enough for local elimination. Three MDA rounds did not provide sustained elimination three years after treatment stopped in an area where baseline was 30% prevalence. In hyperendemic areas (>50% baseline),seven toten rounds of MDAs may be needed before conducting a follow-up survey.

These findings point to a reevaluation of the current recommendation for length of MDAs. Current policy for MDA treatment rounds doesnt seem sufficient, especially in high endemicity areas. In concert with MDA, addressing hygiene and environmental risk factors in communities is essential for trachoma control. In regions where the endemic equilibrium is high, it is likely even more important to employ multiple strategies for reducing transmission. Controlling trachoma requires improving facial hygiene, awareness of the disease and improved sanitation. In addition, insecticide control of flies can be more effective in reducing trachoma than simply providing latrines, emphasizing the role of vectors in the spread of this pathogen.

Moving forward, it will be important to monitor areas where MDA has ceased, to ensure that there is no resurgence of cases. In districts where MDA is ongoing, control programs can integrate with other MDAs to reduce costs and treatment fatigue in communities. In settings where trachoma was above 20%, even 30%, it will be essential to extend MDA programs and integrate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions into control programs.

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Is 3 to 5 years of treatment enough to eliminate preventable blindness? Mounting evidence for more integrated ... - BMC Blogs Network (blog)

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Color blindness is a visual impairment that restricts color vision. Thus, colors arent entirely clear for color blind software users. There isnt much in the way of color blindness software for Windows that can assist users. However, these are a few Windows programs that color blind users can modify VDU display colors with as required.

Visolve is one freeware program for Windows, Mac OS X and iPhone platforms that transforms VDU display colors to enhance color perception. This software enables users to open a Visolve Deflector window frame that captures a portion of the desktop behind it. Then you can apply color Red-Green, Blue-Yellow or Increase saturation color transformations to the region captured within the frame. In addition, it comes with a toolbar that enables you to make color adjustments while browsing with Internet Explorer. The software also adds that toolbar to the taskbar so you can apply color configurations to the full desktop. This page on the publishers website shows you how the software adjusts display colors.

WhatColor is freeware software for Windows 10, 8 and 7 that enables users to identify colors by selecting pixels. Click wcol482e.exeon this web page to save the softwares setup wizard. The program magnifies an area around your cursor from which you can select some pixels to identify. The program will then tell you what the color of the pixel selected is and provide an RGB value for it. As such, this can come in handy if color blind users need to refer to colors in a document; or if another document or page refers to specific colors that might otherwise not be clear.

Sensible Colors is just one of the eight tools included with MantaDB Utilities for Internet Explorer, which is a freeware package you can add to Windows from this page. This enables users to remove all background images from website pages and converts text color to black on white background to enhance clarity. As Sensible Colors removes background images, it can also speed up browsing.

Color Enhancer is not exactly Windows software, but its a Chrome extension you can add to that browser from this web page. The extension adds a color filter to Google Chrome with which you can adjust page colors as required. To configure the colors, press the Color Enhancer button on the browsers toolbar and select Set-up to open the filter shown in the snapshot directly below. Then you can select one of the rows and drag the bar slider to configure page colors.

Those are a few programs and tools that can assist color blind software users. They enable users to adjust VDU display colors as required to enhance software window and web page clarity.

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Color blindness software for Windows PCs - Windows Report

In the next installment of the Lyceum Lecture Series Fulfilling America's Promise: Racial Equity and Justice, Assistant Professor of Philosophy Ashley Atkins lectures on the issue of Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter, with an emphasis on color blindness and interpretive injustice.

Atkins has always been interested in issues of racial and social injustice, but it was after reading the work of a couple philosophers on the issue of Black Lives Matter and All Lives matter, that she began to study the issue deeper and form her own interpretations.

When I read about the issue of Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter, there always seem to be some kind of reference to color blindness. However, I looked at the issue a little bit differently. It wasnt until I read the work of philosophers like Judith Butler, that I began to study the issue differently and form my own interpretations on it, Atkins said.

Black Lives Matter is a movement that began in 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of African American teenager Trayvon Martin. Since then, the group has been widely recognized for their protests and demonstrations following the shooting deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Gardner. All Lives Matter began as a slogan in opposition to the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Atkins analyzes these two phrases and the negative criticisms that are associated with them. She cites the works Judith Butler and other philosophers to point out some issues with the phrase, All Lives Matter and Black Lives Matter.

For Butler, the problem with those who say all lives matter is to make a mistake of thinking that we can approach the question of which lives matter in a color-blind way. A more common view is that black lives matter marks an exclusion, but in an inclusive way. What it really means is that black lives matter, too, or All Lives Matter including black the black ones. The problem with this view is that objectors have an exclusionary interpretation, taking the phrase to mean something like only black lives matter, Atkins said.

She proceeds to talk about the issue of color blindness and whether it is at the root of the conflict over black lives matter and all lives matter. She argues that attempt to pin issues such as black lives matter having an exclusionary interpretation on things like color blindness or hope for a post racial society is unconvincing.

Atkins talks about the importance of justice and how the need to listen to others, specifically marginalized groups of people is how we began resolving the conflicts behind these racial justice issues. She proposes a suggestion by philosopher, Miranda Fricker on effective ways people can start listening to marginalized groups who also desire included in our social world.

Fricker recommends that we try to make sense of what speakers are saying, given what we, given what we would take them to be saying, in a setting which they do not face the prejudice of being members of a socially venerable group, Atkins said.

She concludes by reiterating the issue with the phrase All Lives Matter and how she interprets the meaning of the phrase.

We are struggling with questions of value. We need to pay attention not to whether, criminal, illegal, threatening and black lives among others are lives, we need to pay attention to whether their lives are regarded by us as having diminished value, Atkins said.

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The Lyceum Lecture Series emphasizes color blindness and interpretive injustice - Western Herald

"We are excited to name the Foundation Fighting Blindness as an official charity in our 2017 corporate giving program," said Andrew Reiser, CEO of Strategic Funding. "With a close family friend who is affected by retinal disease, I have seen first-hand the amazing work that the FFB has done for her.The entire Strategic Funding team is excited to be sponsoring such a worthy cause."

Since its inception in 1971, the Foundation Fighting Blindness has raised more than $700 million for retinal disease research. With these funds, it has funded 134 research studies, identified over 250 retinal degeneration causing genes, and has supported clinical trials that, in some cases, have resulted in significant vision improvement for trial participants.

ABOUT STRATEGIC FUNDINGFounded in 2006 and headquartered in NYC, Strategic Funding has been recognized by customers and the industry as one of the most reliable and respected names in small business financing. With flexible financing options, we provide small businesses with the working capital they need to take advantage of opportunities and grow. To learn more, visit http://www.sfscapital.com

ABOUT FOUNDATION FIGHTING BLINDNESSSince the Foundation Fighting Blindness was established in 1971 it has raised more than $700 million for research on preventing, treating and curing blindness caused by inherited retinal diseases. In excess of 10 million Americans, and millions more worldwide, experience vision loss due to retinal degenerations. Through its support of focused and innovative science, and by teaming with industry, the Foundation drives the research that has and will continue to provide treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, Usher syndrome and other inherited retinal diseases. Our goal is to advance the most promising retinal disease research in the world and across the spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases. You can help. Every donation moves us closer to a cure.

CONTACT: Bernadette Abel Strategic Funding Source babel@sfscapital.com (646) 722-1484

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/strategic-funding-names-the-foundation-fighting-blindness-as-official-2017-charity-300438060.html

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Strategic Funding Names The Foundation Fighting Blindness As Official 2017 Charity - PR Newswire (press release)

Dr. William C. Campbell discussed the drug Ivermectin, which helps combat the River blindness epidemic. The 2015 winner of a Nobel Prize in the category of Physiology or Medicine spoke at the event presented by the Health Studies Institute in coordination with the global studies and health care policy programs on April 7.

By James Shepherd

Nobel Prize winner William C. Campbell visited Rider University to speak about the therapy he discovered that combats infections caused by roundworms. Specifically, he discussed the drug Ivermectin and how it combats Onchocerciasis, or, as it its more commonly known, River blindness. Campbell won a Nobel Prize in 2015 in the Physiology or Medicine category.

The root cause of River blindness is the bite of the Black Fly. When it bites the person the infected larvae penetrate the bite wound and get under the skin before growing into adult worms, Campbell said. After the larvae mature, they begin to breed on their own. It is their progeny which migrate through the skin, some of which eventually end up in the eye.

A telltale sign of infection is what Campbell refers to as a tennis ball full of spaghetti. Small nodules appear on the skin of the infected, within which lie the baby worms which eventually migrate through the skin to various points in the body.

The therapy was eventually discovered through the efforts of research on a single mouse that had been exposed to the worms and larvae. All of our microbial drugs have been discovered empirically, Campbell said. So in this case it was different because we tested substances in this new mouse [test], and the essence of the assay was that we gave a mouse an unknown amount of an unknown substance that might not be there.

The drug that had originally been found had been titled Avermectin but was later improved by chemists. But it is in my experience that our chemistry friends seem to believe that no matter how good something is, the chemists will make it better. Avermectin was improved by chemists by hydrogenating it, therefore improving its potency and resulted in the name change to Ivermectin.

Campbell brought the drug to the attention of the board of the Merck Institute for Therapeutic Research to use the drug on human subjects instead of animals. Early community testing took place in West Africa and all results pointed towards a success of the drug, which in its final form killed the larvae in the skin.

When it came to the debate of how to distribute the drug, the Merck Institute decided to give the drug away for free to those who needed it for as long as they needed it in a program they called the MDP (Mectizan Donation Program.)

The drug is administered yearly in pill form.

Since 2010, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Guatemala River blindness has been eliminated. Campbell believes that by 2025, River Blindness will be eliminated in Brazil and Venezuela.

Campbell was gifted a crystal vase by Rider University as a token of gratitude.

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Scientist makes strides to treat River blindness - The Rider News

An Aberdeen man whose wife was diagnosed with a condition that caused problems with her vision is raising money for a charity that helps blind people.

Martyn Orchard will take on the London Marathon to raise funds for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

The 36-year-old decided to join Team RNIB for the event as a result of his wife Karen having health problems with her eyesight.

In 2010 she was diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension a neurological condition which meant the pressure around her brain was too high.

The increased pressure caused swelling of the optic disc and Karen began to lose her peripheral sight and had double vision.

She had to have numerous lumbar punctures and medication.

The 32-year-old also had a lumbar peritoneal shunt fitted which constantly drains cerebrospinal fluid into her stomach to keep the pressure low.

She was also diagnosed with panuveitis a serious inflammation of the uvea that affects all parts of the eye causing reduced vision and blindness.

Martyn said: Im delighted to be raising money for RNIB.

My wife is fortunate that she still has her eyesight intact, by and large, but not everybody is so lucky.

RNIB do some fantastic work so I wanted to try and give something back.

To prepare for the marathon Martyn has been running locally, as well as taking part in parkruns, and he recently completed the Garioch Half Marathon as part of his training programme.

Martyn, of Bridge of Don, added: The Virgin Money London Marathon is such an iconic event; Ive watched it on TV for many years but have always wanted to take part.

I took up running two years ago and ran the Edinburgh Marathon in May 2016, but the London Marathon will be extra special.

Ive heard so much about the atmosphere on race day and I cant wait to get on that start line.

Martyn hopes to cross the finish line in under five hours and aims to raise at least 3,000 for RNIB.

To help Martyn reach his fundraising target, please donate by visiting his Virgin Money Giving page at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/martyn-orchard

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Husband to take on London Marathon in support of blindness charity after partner almost lost vision - Aberdeen Evening Express

PUBLISHED: 16:34 11 April 2017 | UPDATED: 17:26 11 April 2017

Bianca Wild

Sir Hugh Duberly, Addenbrookes consultant paediatric ophthalmologist Louise Allen and Fight Against Blindness' chief executive Clive Fisher.

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Fight Against Blindness aim is to help children and their families affected by sight loss cope with the difficulties of their condition and to fund research into curing eye disease.

Chief executive Clive Fisher, who founded the charity in 2008, told the Crow: We started at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge and the work we fund is primarily based there, but programmes that are successful are rolled out and we how have programmes at Southampton General, Bristol Eye Hospital, and one based within the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

This is an exciting time for the charity, as we are on the cusp of big things.

The launch of their new Childrens Sight-Line appeal at Anglia Ruskin Universitys Cambridge campus was hosted by the charitys Patron Sir Hugh Duberly who has just stepped down from his post of 14-years as the Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire and Mr Fisher hopes it will raise 30,000 to develop a pioneering method of assessing visual function in children with eye and brain conditions.

Funds raised by the appeal will enable the technique to be implemented in iPad technology, which is easily portable for use in wards and community settings throughout Cambs and then nationally and internationally.

FAB is also the only charity to fund paediatric cognitive behavioural therapy and gene testing for children with sight loss, something Mr Fisher who worked in science and engineering before his retirement is extremely passionate about.

It is so important to me, and the reason is really straight forward because children are the future and the funding needs to go to the right place, he said.

CBT will help children suffering sight loss around the home, help the go to school and to hospital appointments, which can be extremely difficult.

Our main limitation is funding.

Consultant paediatric ophthalmologist Louise Allen gave a presentation on the launch evening to an invited audience, showing that clinical trials of the revolutionary but large and static prototype has already shown its superior performance over currently available methods.

Mr Fisher said the result will be an effective and accurate visual acuity and field loss test to measure childrens visual pathway, which is vital in giving early recognition of diseases such as retinal dystrophy and brain tumours to start therapies to prevent further sight loss.

To find out more about Fight Against Blindness and the Childrens Sight-Line appeal, or for more information on how to donate, go to http://www.fabrp.co.uk.

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Childhood blindness charity based in Thriplow launches new fundraising appeal for pioneering treatment programme ... - Royston Crow

Chance Hoenerchoener@morningsun.net

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. Many people cant imagine what life would be like without sight or hearing, but Ellen Foshag isnt letting the loss of either slow her down.

Foshag has lived with her husband in Pittsburg for the last 34 years, and has been diagnosed with Usher Syndrome Type II, which is characterized by progressive loss of vision and hearing. But she is fighting back. Currently, Foshage is taking part in intensive training at the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults in New York.

She began classes at HKNC March 7, and will be there for a total of eight weeks for assessments, followed by a training session. But Foshag hopes to be there longer.

My being here is federally-funded, and then the money is funneled through the states, she said. If I am approved by the state to continue training, I could be here nine months or longer.

She hopes to know more about how long shell be staying after a meeting with state officials April 18.

For her time at HKNC so far, Foshag said it is fast-paced.

It feels like being in college all over again, Foshag said. I take classes, have homework and a room on campus.

HKNC is a one-of-a-kind facility for folks living with deaf-blindness. All classes and training are done one-on-one with individual instructors and focus on orientation and mobility, communication, technology and even organizing money and writing checks.

Im leaning to identify and categorize different money, write checks and do things I could before when I had better vision, Foshag said. We work on cooking skills, how to identify clothing and how to clean.

Her training also includes assessments with audiologists, eye specialists and independent living experts. She is also taking part in vocational training to find her job strengths so she can work once she is finished.

A lot of us are learning we can be very high-functioning in our daily lives as long as we have the correct teacher, Foshag said. Kansas does not have many in-state services for the deaf-blind.

Foshag tried home study courses in the past, but said they were unsuccessful, which is why it is so important for her to stay on at HKNC.

Now I have actual teachers, she said. Someone to show me and coach me on how to do things better.

Foshag retired seven years ago, after a career in social work and nurseing. She and her husband have remained active. They are members of Sunflower Kiwanis and enjoy walking at the Robert W. Plaster Center at Pittsburg State University.

But Foshag said being at HKNC has helped her with more than just reclaiming her daily life.

If you are deaf-blind, there are very few people like you I have not met anyone dealing with dual-sensory loss in Pittsburg, she said. You come to the Helen Keller Center and you are not odd anymore because everyone is like you.

And while youre training you think if they can do it, so can I.

Chance Hoener is a staff writer for the Morning Sun. He can be emailed at choener@morningsun.net or follow him on Twitter @ReporterChance.

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Taking control Ellen Foshag currently improving her life with deaf-blindness at the Helen Keller Center - Pittsburg Morning Sun

The Cleveland International Film Festival completed its annual FilmSlam program today with a documentary about Gordon Gund. And as WKSUs Kabir Bhatia reports, students from area schools even got to ask Gund questions about his life with retinitis pigmentosa.

Gordon and Lulie Gund at FlimSlam

The documentary The Illumination touches on Gunds blindness, his ownership of the Cleveland Cavaliers and his philanthropy, but its main focus is his foundations efforts to cure blindness in a Belgian boy.

One of the showings was part of FilmSlam, in which high school students from around Northeast Ohio are invited to view movies and then participate in a Q&A with filmmakers. Cameron Olin is a junior at Medina High School and says what resonated for her was the relationship between Gund and his wife, Lulie.

They were walking down the stairs and his wife put his hand on the rocks so he could feel what it felt like, because he couldn't see it. Their love is what really hit me.

The Gunds said they were pleased that students asked not just about the Cavs, but mostly about how they dealt with the blindness, which hit Gordon in the late 1960s.

"We're all going to face adversity; in one form or another, everybody does. And it's how you deal with it and how you think about it that really matters. And if this has been helpful in that way, all the better."

Since the experimental treatment began in 2008, Gund says about 100 people have had their sight restored through his foundation. His entire Film-Slam question-and-answer session is available here.

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Students Quiz Gordon Gund About Blindness During the Cleveland International Film Festival - WKSU News

A scandal of historic and monumental proportions began with a tweet just over one month ago.

"Terrible, President Trump wrote on March 4. Just found out that Obama had (ph) 'wires tapped' in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!"

That tweet sent the mainstream, alt-left, hate-Trump media into an all- out frenzy. For the next several days, instead of investigating the president's serious claim, they mocked, ridiculed and bashed the president.

Here are some examples of propaganda masquerading as journalism:

Our conspiracy theory president is at it again, CNNs Brian Stelter said the day of the tweet. And whenever something like this happens, I wonder what are the president's sources of information? Where is he getting these ideas?

The next day, over at ABC, Martha Raddatz pretended to interview White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

The president of the United States is accusing the former president of wiretapping him, said Raddatz, who you will remember cried on election night when Hillary Clinton lost.

I think that this is again something that if this happened, Martha -- , Sanders began.

If, if, if, if! Raddatz snapped.

It went on and on.

CNNs Anderson Cooper threw objectivity aside and determined the president was a liar.

We know the president of the United States has no facts, no facts to back up his startling allegation that the former president of the United States, President Obama, wiretapped him at Trump Tower during the campaign, Cooper said on March 16.

It's amazing to watch the White House continue to argue that the Earth is flat, Coopers colleague, Jake Tapper, said.

When the fact-challenged, destroy-Trump media finally got bored scolding President Trump over his tweet, they went right back to the same old, tired conspiracy. The one that claims Trump colluded with the Russians to win the election, a baseless assertion the mainstream media has hung onto for months without one single shred of evidence.

This Russian connection just keeps building, and every time it builds and expands, you have to wonder if Trump himself isn't worried about what's swirling around under the covers, said MSNBCs Chris Matthews.

Cooper and his pals agreed. The evil Russians and the evil Team Trump worked together to steal the election!

Then, on March 22, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes announced that he had credible evidence that President Trump and members of his transition team had been caught up in "incidental surveillance," after which their names were unmasked. Nunes also revealed this intelligence had nothing to do with Russia and was shared among high-level Obama administration officials, apparently for political purposes.

The media swung into action to investigate the serious claim and accurately reported these shocking new revelations. Oh, wait! No they didnt. They decided to destroy Nunes.

Who decided that Devin Nunes was qualified to be the House Intel chair? Because from everybody that I've spoken to who have worked with him, Republicans, Democrats, they say he is not up to that task, said MSNBCs Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman who now earns a bigger paycheck as a member of the alt-left media.

Nunes, who stepped aside in the committees investigation Thursday amid a barrage of bogus claims from the media and fellow House members, put his reputation on the line to try to get to the truth.

While the alt-left, destroy-Trump-propaganda-media was busy smearing anyone and everyone who didn't echo their biased agenda, real journalists from Fox News, Circa News and Bloomberg were actually doing their jobs. And they reported that it was President Obamas national security adviser, Susan Rice, who called for the unmasking of members of the Trump transition team.

Rice didn't even deny it. But the CNN wants us to think these developments are all just a big distraction. They're back to the Russia conspiracy.

You think that this is a diversion from this Russia story? Don Lemon asked earlier this week. Because so far, we've seen no evidence that she's done anything improper, and it seems like an effort to tar and feather her to try to make a lie the truth, the original tweet by the president.

Listen, Susan Rice is being tarred, feathered and burned alive for doing her job in a good way, Van Jones replied.

Unmasking Americans just because they are her political opponents was not her job. Over at MSNBC, Chris Matthews, who once gushed that Obama sent a thrill up my leg, accused Republicans of being racist and sexist for targeting Susan Rice.

If they don't like the facts, they just claim racism and sexism. But President Trump is not letting the media define this narrative.

"It's such an important story for our country and the world. It's one of the big stories of our time," Trump said of the Obama administrations apparent use of national intelligence agencies for political opposition research.

ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and all of their friends in the print media especially The New York Times and Washington Post need to realize their partisanship and hatred for the president has clouded their judgment in what is now one of the biggest scandals in American history.

Admit your bias. Do your job. And apologize to America for taking so long.

Adapted from Sean Hannity's monologue on "Hannity," April 4, 2017

Sean Hannity currently serves as host of FOX News Channel's (FNC) Hannity (weekdays 10-11PM/ET). He joined the network in 1996 and is based in New York. Click here for more information on Sean Hannity.

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Sean Hannity: Media's blindness to Obama spy scandal shameful - Fox News

The global epidemic in type 2 diabetes mellitus is of unprecedented proportions. In absolute numbers, it probably exceeds any previous epidemic in the history of mankind. There are now more than 400 million people with diabetes in the world, and the number is projected to exceed 600 million by 2030.

In 2000, there were only 150 million people in the world with diabetes. In China alone, there are now more diabetic patients than were in the world when diabetic eye screening and preventive care for diabetic eye disease started in the 1980s.

During 20 years with type 2 diabetes, roughly 66% of patients develop retinopathy and about 33% develop sight-threatening retinopathy, where treatment is needed to prevent vision loss. Thus, we may expect that one-third of the more than 400 million people currently with diabetes will develop diabetic macular oedema or proliferative diabetic retinopathy within the next 20 years.

Taking action

Systematic screening for eye disease in diabetic patients started in northern Europe in the 1980s, with dramatic lowering of diabetic blindness, for example, in Iceland. In the UK, systematic screening over the past 2 decades has demoted diabetes from being the most frequent cause of blindness in the working-age population.

A global effort to prevent an epidemic of diabetic blindness must be based on the proven success of systematic eye screening and preventive treatment. This is a huge task.

Presently, systematic screening for diabetic eye disease is regularly undertaken in a few northern European countries and sporadically by some eye clinics and regions elsewhere.

Most diabetic patients around the world do not have access to diabetic eye screening. The cost is considerable. Each screening visit in European settings costs 30 to 50. If this number is multiplied by 400 million, we are soon talking about real money.

Technologic developments can help economise this process. Risk stratification can help focus resources toward those at greatest risk and reduce the overall costs of screening programs by 50%.

Automatic analysis of fundus photographs is progressing rapidly and novel automatic approaches are on the horizon, including measuring diabetic retinopathy severity with oximetry analysis of fundus photographs.

Telemedicine can help extend the reach of diabetic eye screening, and improving technology in fundus photography and rapidly lowering cost of such instrumentation all make global diabetic eye screening more affordable.

While global diabetic eye screening is a considerable task, the cost of doing nothing is much greater.

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Global diabetes epidemic must not become epidemic of blindness - ModernMedicine

What is colorblindness?

Most of us share a common color vision sensory experience. Some people, however, have a color vision deficiency, which means their perception of colors is different from what most of us see. The most severe forms of these deficiencies are referred to as color blindness. People with color blindness arent aware of differences among colors that are obvious to the rest of us. People who dont have the more severe types of color blindness may not even be aware of their condition unless theyre tested in a clinic orlaboratory.

Inherited color blindness is caused by abnormal photopigments. These color-detecting molecules are located in cone-shaped cells within the retina, called cone cells. In humans, several genes are needed for the body to make photopigments, and defects in these genes can lead to colorblindness.

There are three main kinds of color blindness, based on photopigment defects in the three different kinds of cones that respond to blue, green, and red light. Red-green color blindness is the most common, followed by blue-yellow color blindness. A complete absence of color vision total color blindness israre.

Sometimes color blindness can be caused by physical or chemical damage to the eye, the optic nerve, or parts of the brain that process color information. Color vision can also decline with age, most often because of cataract - a clouding and yellowing of the eyeslens.

As many as 8 percent of men and 0.5 percent of women with Northern European ancestry have the common form of red-green colorblindness.

Men are much more likely to be colorblind than women because the genes responsible for the most common, inherited color blindness are on the X chromosome. Males only have one X chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes. In females, a functional gene on only one of the X chromosomes is enough to compensate for the loss on the other. This kind of inheritance pattern is called X-linked, and primarily affects males. Inherited color blindness can be present at birth, begin in childhood, or not appear until the adultyears.

Genes are bundled together on structures called chromosomes. One copy of each chromosome is passed by a parent at conception through egg and sperm cells. The X and Y chromosomes, known as sex chromosomes, determine whether a person is born female (XX) or male (XY) and also carry other traits not related togender.

In X-linked inheritance, the mother carries the mutated gene on one of her X chromosomes and will pass on the mutated gene to 50 percent of her children. Because females have two X chromosomes, the effect of a mutation on one X chromosome is offset by the normal gene on the other X chromosome. In this case the mother will not have the disease, but she can pass on the mutated gene and so is called a carrier. If a mother is a carrier of an X-linked disease (and the father is not affected), there isa:

In autosomal recessive inheritance, it takes two copies of the mutant gene to give rise to the disease. An individual who has one copy of a recessive gene mutation is known as a carrier. When two carriers have a child, there isa:

In autosomal dominant inheritance, it takes just one copy of the mutant gene to bring about the disease. When an affected parent with one dominant gene mutation has a child, there is a 1 in 2 chance that a child will inherit thedisease.

What color is a strawberry? Most of us would say red, but do we all see the same red? Color vision depends on our eyes and brain working together to perceive different properties oflight.

We see the natural and artificial light that illuminates our world as white, although it is actually a mixture of colors that, perceived on their own, would span the visual spectrum from deep blue to deep red. You can see this when rain separates sunlight into a rainbow or a glass prism separates white light into a multi-color band. The color of light is determined by its wavelength. Longer wavelength corresponds to red light and shorter wavelength corresponds to bluelight.

Strawberries and other objects reflect some wavelengths of light and absorb others. The reflected light we perceive as color. So, a strawberry is red because its surface is only reflecting the long wavelengths we see as red and absorbing the others. An object appears white when it reflects all wavelengths and black when it absorbs allwavelengths.

Vision begins when light enters the eye and the cornea and lens focus it onto the retina, a thin layer of tissue at the back of the eye that contains millions of light-sensitive cells called photoreceptors. Some photoreceptors are shaped like rods and some are shaped like cones. In each eye there are many more rods than cones approximately 120 million rods compared to only 6 million cones. Rods and cones both contain photopigment molecules that undergo a chemical change when they absorb light. This chemical change acts like an on-switch, triggering electrical signals that are then passed from the retina to the visual parts of thebrain.

Rods and cones are different in how they respond to light. Rods are more responsive to dim light, which makes them useful for night vision. Cones are more responsive to bright light, such as in the daytime when light isplentiful.

Another important difference is that all rods contain only one photopigment, while cones contain one of three different photopigments. This makes cones sensitive to long (red), medium (green), or short (blue) wavelengths of light. The presence of three types of photopigments, each sensitive to a different part of the visual spectrum, is what gives us our rich colorvision.

Humans are unusual among mammals for our trichromatic vision named for the three different types of photopigments we have. Most mammals, including dogs, have just two photopigment types. Other creatures, such as butterflies, have more than three. They may be able to see colors we can onlyimagine.

Most of us have a full set of the three different cone photopigments and so we share a very similar color vision experience, but because the human eye and brain together translate light into color, each of us sees colors differently. The differences may be slight. Your blue may be more blue than someone elses, or in the case of color blindness, your red and green may be someone elsesbrown.

The most common types of color blindness are inherited. They are the result of defects in the genes that contain the instructions for making the photopigments found in cones. Some defects alter the photopigments sensitivity to color, for example, it might be slightly more sensitive to deeper red and less sensitive to green. Other defects can result in the total loss of a photopigment. Depending on the type of defect and the cone that is affected problems can arise with red, green, or blue colorvision.

The most common types of hereditary color blindness are due to the loss or limited function of red cone (known as protan) or green cone (deutran) photopigments. This kind of color blindness is commonly referred to as red-green colorblindness.

Blue-yellow color blindness is rarer than red-green color blindness. Blue-cone (tritan) photopigments are either missing or have limitedfunction.

People with complete color blindness (monochromacy) dont experience color at all and the clearness of their vision (visual acuity) may also beaffected.

There are two types ofmonochromacy:

Eye care professionals use a variety of tests to diagnose color blindness. These tests can quickly diagnose specific types of colorblindness.

The Ishihara Color Test is the most common test for red-green color blindness. The test consists of a series of colored circles, called Ishihara plates, each of which contains a collection of dots in different colors and sizes. Within the circle are dots that form a shape clearly visible to those with normal color vision, but invisible or difficult to see for those with red-green colorblindness.

The newer Cambridge Color Test uses a visual array similar to the Ishihara plates, except displayed on a computer monitor. The goal is to identify a C shape that is different in color from the background. The C is presented randomly in one of four orientations. When test-takers see the C, they are asked to press one of four keys that correspond to theorientation.

The anomaloscope uses a test in which two different light sources have to be matched in color. Looking through the eyepiece, the viewer sees a circle. The upper half is a yellow light that can be adjusted in brightness. The lower half is a combination of red and green lights that can be mixed in variable proportions. The viewer uses one knob to adjust the brightness of the top half, and another to adjust the color of the lower half. The goal is to make the upper and lower halves the same brightness andcolor.

The HRR Pseudoisochromatic Color Test is another red-green color blindness test that uses color plates to test for colorblindness.

The Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test uses a set of blocks or pegs that are roughly the same color but in different hues (shades of the color). The goal is to arrange them in a line in order of hue. This test measures the ability to discriminate subtle color changes. It is used by industries that depend on the accurate color perception of its employees, such as graphic design, photography, and food qualityinspection.

The Farnsworth Lantern Test is used by the U.S. military to determine the severity of color blindness. Those with mild forms pass the test and are allowed to serve in the armedforces.

There is no cure for color blindness. However, people with red-green color blindness may be able to use a special set of lenses to help them perceive colors more accurately. These lenses can only be used outdoors under bright lighting conditions. Visual aids have also been developed to help people cope with color blindness. There are iPhone and iPad apps, for example, that help people with color blindness discriminate among colors. Some of these apps allow users to snap a photo and tap it anywhere on the image to see the color of that area. More sophisticated apps allow users to find out both color and shades of color. These kinds of apps can be helpful in selecting ripe fruits such as bananas, or finding complementary colors when picking outclothing.

Color blindness can make it difficult to read color-coded information such as bar graphs and pie charts. This can be particularly troubling for children who arent yet diagnosed with color blindness, since educational materials are often color-coded. Children with red-green color blindness may also have difficulty reading a green chalkboard when yellow chalk is used. Art classes, which require selecting appropriate colors of paint or crayons, may bechallenging.

Color blindness can go undetected for some time since children will often try to hide their disorder. Its important to have children tested, particularly boys, if there is a family history of color blindness. Many school systems offer vision screening tests that include color blindness testing. Once a child is diagnosed, he or she can learn to ask for help with tasks that require colorrecognition.

Simple everyday tasks like cooking meat to the desired color or selecting ripe produce can be a challenge for adults. Children might find food without bright color as less appetizing. Traffic lights pose challenges, since they have to be read by the position of the light. Since most lights are vertical, with green on bottom and red on top, if a light is positioned horizontally, a color blind person has to do a quick mental rotation to read it. Reading maps or buying clothes that match colors can also be difficult. However, these are relatively minor inconveniences and most people with color blindness learn toadapt.

NEI-supported researchers have used gene therapy to cure color blindness in adult monkeys. While red-green color blindness affects about 8 percent of Northern European-descended men, it affects all adult male squirrel monkeys because males of the species carry either the gene that makes red photopigment or the gene that makes green photopigment, but never both. The researchers injected the red photopigment gene into the retinas of male monkeys born without it. The gene was targeted to green cones and allowed those cells to respond to red light. The monkeys were able to see with full three-color (trichromatic) vision. This shows that even though the monkeys red cones had been absent from birth, the brain circuitry for detecting red was still in placeoffering hope that a similar approach could help people whove been colorblind sincebirth.

In another study, NEI-supported researchers were able to restore some color perception in an animal model of rod monochromacy (in which all three cone types are missing), using a gene therapy approach in younger animals. The therapy combined gene delivery with the addition of neurotrophic factors molecules that are known to help nerve cells grow. Further studies will be testing whether the therapy could be safe and effective inhumans.

An ongoing NEI clinical trial is testing whether treatment with a growth factor alone could be enough to improve or restore visual function of cone cells in people. This has the potential to help people with color blindness, as well as diseases that are the result of the loss of cones or conefunction.

Researchers supported by NEI are also studying how cones develop in the retina and how they are maintained and preserved throughout the lifespan. This research could lead to therapies for color-blindness that occurs during childhood or later in life due to the gradual loss ofcones.

The rest is here:
Facts About Color Blindness | National Eye Institute

Drawing faces or caricatures of friends and family, Jennifer Rothschild remembers always loving art.

BR photo by Steve Cooke Jennifer Rothschild discussed when she lost her sight as a teenager with partipants in this years Baptists on Mission conference at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. She stressed that even through tough times, It is Well With My Soul, referring to an old hymn. See BRnow.org/Photo-Gallery.

Rothschild gave her testimony during the March 17-18 Baptists on Mission conference at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. She also led a breakout session called When Life Isnt Fair. The theme for the event was Reconciled based on 2 Corinthians 5:18. She was 15 when she got her first diary and proceeded to write down everything, what I wore, what boy talked to me at school that day, she said. In the margins, she would draw caricatures. Because of her talent for art, her class chose her to make a banner for field day. It was while drawing the schools mascot on a white bed sheet that she noticed there were problems with the sheet. It looked like a marker had damaged the white sheet. Rothschild tried wiping the spots away, but her friend said the sheet was perfectly white. A few days later, Rothschild was at an eye doctor followed by a visit to an eye hospital where she was diagnosed with a progressive eye disease and declared legally blind. Some things began to make sense, she said, like her math grades she couldnt see the board. To be honest, there were a lot more things that didnt make sense. After hearing a prognosis of total blindness, Rothschild said she felt a soul silence. Words like blindness or cancer, you just dont expect it to ever be your word, she said. The silence that fell in the conference room seemed to follow us home, she said as she reminisced about her dads knuckles gripped to the steering wheel. My dad was my pastor, she said. He was the one who led me to Christ. He was the one who baptized me. My dad knew everything, and my dad was silent. I can only imagine what he was praying that day. In that 40-minute drive home, she realized her dreams of becoming an artist were dashed. Upon returning home, Rothschild sat down at an old, upright piano and began to play. While she had lessons when she was younger, piano was not something she practiced or kept up, but that day she played in a way that I hadnt played before. By ear, she played It is Well. It was almost as if God, in all of His mercy, allowed a door to be closed at that eye hospital and allowed another door to be opened right there as I played that piano. It was because of Christ that He made it well with my soul, she said. I mean, the truth is, sisters and brothers, it is not always well with our circumstances, and on that day, and even on this day, it was not well with my circumstances. Rothschilds parents moved her to a smaller Christian school from the large public school she was attending in Miami. She went on to a Christian college about 90 miles from her family. Facing dark sometimes may be bigger than our faith, she said, referencing Isaiah 45:3 where treasures are found in darkness. Sometimes we dont experience the treasures because we are not willing to step into the dark. Sometimes we dont hear His voice because we have not stepped out of our comfort zone to a place where we can hear Him more clearly. Rothschild, now 53, and her husband have two boys, born about 10 years apart. They are expecting their first grandchild. Ive learned that I can be blind with the Lord, but theres no way I can be blind without Him, she said. Im learning that with blindness grief and gratefulness can share the same heartbeat. No matter how heavy your burden is, the glory is going to be heavier. What is seen is temporary; what is unseen is eternal so let us fix our eyes on Jesus. Rothschild began her breakout session quoting A.W. Tozer: What comes into our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us. She asked people to think, What do I think about God? Is God just not fair? Or is God just, not fair? When in doubt she urged people to think about Psalm 18:30, which describes Gods perfect ways. The reality is, they dont always feel perfect for us, she said. Referring to the workers in Matthew 20, the landowner had offered to pay people for their work but some had worked way less than the workers who had been sweating all day in the fields. [The] wage offered was the same to all the workers regardless of how much or how little they worked, she said. Sometimes its because we associate equality and fairness with God being just. Im really convinced that you and I are probably more grateful that God isnt fair as we define fairness. Rothschild emphasized the acronym FAIR.

When we fix our eyes on Jesus, then we have the perspective that we need, she said. When we consider Him then we dont lose heart.

Lots of us in the church are hesitant to be honest when things just arent working out in our hearts or in our minds, she said. We dont like to admit our struggles often, because we think it makes God look bad or perhaps because of our faith we shouldnt have these feelings or questions. But I believe, to really live authentically and to show forth the strength and glory of God, we admit our pain because its in our weaknesses where His strength is magnified. Rothschild said its possible to be authentic before God and others in a way that brings God glory rather than attention to you for the wrong reasons. When we are mature in Christ and were living by His grace, we learn that balance, she said.

Describing herself as a lone-ranger Christian, Rothschild said she leans towards emphasizing the words I can in Philippians 4:13 rather than Gods strength. When I do that, I dont invite Gods presence into my situation, she said, but when we do invite Gods presence, it allows for more intimacy with Him. Only in His presence is there clarity and light, she said.

Sometimes you cant find rest in your situation, but we can always find rest in the Lord, Rothschild said. The older I get, I really think theres one of two postures we take in life. Were either going to wrestle, or were going to rest. Theres really very little neutral. It is through resting in the Lord that we begin to experience perhaps all of the blessings and lessons that He intended to tuck into that really difficult thing in our life for us to learn from and grow from, she said. A few years ago, Rothschild admitted she really had a crash, where the weight of her blindness felt overwhelming. I wasnt admitting my pain, she said. I wasnt inviting God into my situation. I was wrestling with every aspect of it. She read the Bible but she couldnt hear God. Reading C.S. Lewis, her favorite author, led her back to the Bible. I just needed somebody with skin on to say Ive been there and hes a million times smarter than me so man, there was a point there where I thought if he can rest in this, then so can I, she said. [God] withholds no good thing from us, Rothschild stressed. Hes given us Himself, and if you dont have an answer, if you dont have satisfaction in your situation, youve been already given Christ, and Hes far more satisfying than any answer. Visit jenniferrothschild.com.

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Artist: Blindness reveals mercy of God - Brnow

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By Marc Levy Monday, April 3, 2017

The 2017 ReelAbilities Film Festival comes to Cambridge and Somerville to wrap up the year: Notes on Blindness screens at 7 p.m. Monday at the Brattle, and Rachel Is at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Main Library. The festival ends with Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing, an HBO documentary made with The Boston Globe, in a 7 p.m. Thursday showing that includes a talk with two subjects of the film and Globe reporter Eric Moskowitz.

The 10-film festival has been inclusive in its definition of disability, and films seen since the kickoff Wednesday have explored autism, blindness, Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy and psychiatric conditions. Each documentary challenges our audience to think differently about people with disabilities in a time when conversations about diversity are crucial, said Mara Bresnahan, director of the festival.

The three documentaries on the way:

Notes on Blindness follows writer and theologian John Hull as his sight deteriorates to the point of total blindness in 1983, with him speaking into a cassette recorder to make sense of the upheaval it causes and his journey into a world beyond sight. Directors James Spinney and Peter Middleton who will do a Q&A via Skype after the screening enliven the story by having actors lip-sync to the recordings, adding a sense of intimacy. Tickets are $12 for the 7 p.m. Monday screening at The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Harvard Square.

Rachel Is explores the relationship between Jane and Rachel, her developmentally disabled daughter, as each seeks independence from the other. Afterward, director Charlotte Glynn will be on hand for a discussion with Susan Senator, author of Autism Adulthood: Strategies and Insights for a Fulfilling Life. The 6:30 p.m. Tuesday screening at the Main Library, 449 Broadway, Mid-Cambridge, is free, but registration is encouraged by clicking here and using the button to buy tickets.

Marathon: The Patriots Day Bombing uses never-before-seen footage to show the emotional and physical recovery of people whose lives were changed at the Boston Marathon bombing a newlywed couple, a mother and daughter, and two brothers. Bombing survivors and film subjects Patrick Downes and Jessica Kensky will be on hand to talk with the audience, with the Globes Moskowitz moderating. The film shows at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, with $10 tickets released at the box office an hour before.

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ReelAbilities brings three of its final films, including docs on blindness, race bombing - Cambridge Day (registration)