Blindness in Modern Day America: Advancements in technology and medicine
Photo from:
https://boundless.utoronto.ca/impact/cure-blindness/
By Jill Marie Ogden
100 years ago, or more being blind or having a severe visual impairment meant a life-long dependence on family, being a social outcast or even being institutionalized for most people. Society has come a long way in integrating the blind community since then. The integration is largely to do with the advancements in medical treatment and available technology.
Whether it be degenerative conditions caused by aging, physical trauma or genetic disease the medical field is addressing these problems in new and innovative ways. Surgical procedures, implants, gene replacement therapies, drug therapy and even a bionic eye have helped to reduce or eliminate vision impairments. For example, last year the FDA approved a gene replacement therapy that has shown promise in stopping the progression and even reversing the damage caused by Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis Dystrophy (LCAD). This therapy consists of injecting a virus into the eye that is a carrier of the correct genetic code in order to replace the broken code in gene RPE65. The current technological revolution that we are experience is most certainly the cause of these promising advancements, but for most blind people the progressive benefits don’t stop with the medical field.
New technology has been able to put tools directly in the hands of all of us that have drastically changed our lives, but this could not be truer for the disability community in general. Most people own a smart phone these days, but this technology puts game changing tools into the hands of the blind. Screen reader programs that read text on a screen, such as voice over on an iPhone, magnification applications, color and light identifiers, OCR recognition applications, that use the camera on the phone to read printed materials and so much more. Many household devices are controlled by WIFI or Bluetooth enabling a person to operate them with a smart phone app. This also benefits the blind community. For example, A thermostat that was once unusable to a blind person is now easily accessed through the app and the screen reader program can audibly read the information on the screen. Another useful tool is the open ear bone conduction headphones. A person who is blind relies heavily on hearing for tasks like navigation and assessing surroundings. Since there is also other audible information to take in such as directions on a phone covering one’s ears with headphones is not ideal. The open ear headphones allow the ear to remain unblocked while still relaying the necessary information.
As technology continues to advance the possibility to level the playing ground to effectively erase physical disabilities is on the horizon.
Tip: If you want to help out, “Be My Eyes” is a smart phone app that connects blind users with sighted volunteers via video chat to complete tasks. Contact Be My Eyes for more information about becoming a volunteer.
