Editor’s note: After obtaining her first dog guide, Alexis realized she did so because her peers had dog guides. Alexis reminds others who are blind or low vision who are considering dog guides to think through whether a dog guide is a good fit for their current season of life. Dog Guide Peer Pressure: When … Continued
Living on an island in the Caribbean surrounded by beaches may sound like living an eternal vacation. And indeed, most of the time it is. But there are also some exceptions, such as being in the path of hurricanes. In 2017, Puerto Rico experienced the direct impact of Hurricane Maria, a category 5 hurricane that … Continued
Every day many young people are given the news that obtaining a driver’s license is not in their future due to blindness or low vision. Adults also face this challenge but with the possibility of losing their license. This news, no matter the age, not only has an emotional impact but also has an impact … Continued
Orientation & Mobility (O&M) training is essential so people who are blind or low vision can move through life independently at every age. O&M specialists are trained to help people “know where they are in space and get where they want to go safely,” says Kassandra Maloney, an O&M specialist and founder of Allied Independence, … Continued
Editor’s note: White Cane Safety Day, remembered annually on October 15th, is a day for recognizing the achievements of individuals who are blind or low vision and a day for celebrating the white cane, a tool enabling independence! Alexis Read shares her story of accepting the use of her white cane. White Cane Acceptance or … Continued
Editor’s note: Alexis Read shares her journey to finding a dog guide school that tailored training and tools to her specific abilities as a woman with low vision and additional disabilities. When Blindness Isn’t the Only Barrier in Dog Guide Training I was born with a visual impairment and other disabilities that affected me physically … Continued
Dog guides are exciting orientation and mobility (O&M) aids with some extra personality and love. Using a dog guide can give a person who is blind or low vision a level of independence they might not have experienced before, not to mention the dog can become a best friend. Getting a dog guide in college … Continued
It’s here again –summer! Many students are excitedly anticipating and planning for the possibilities that the next couple of months may hold. Freedom from the normal routine and deadlines. A break from learning and review…right? If you’re a recent high school graduate, you may want to consider working in a little (or a lot) of … Continued
Are you a teen who is blind or low vision and is interested in utilizing (“handling”) a guide dog? If so, what an exciting goal! As much as you may want to jump right into the application and matching process, you aren’t eligible to handle a guide dog until equipped with the skills to do … Continued
Suppose you’ve graduated your orientation and mobility lessons and you’ve successfully mastered a handful of routes. You can get from home to work and back, to Starbucks and back (because let’s face it, this route is perhaps the most vital), to the gym and back, and to the grocery store and back. You and the … Continued