Heritage for the Blind

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A celebrity chef in Scotland recently put together a recipe book for the blind and visually impaired in Braille to coincide with the language creator’s birthday and National Braille Week in the United Kingdom.

Tony Singh’s getting a little help from the children of the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh. The cookbook comes in Braille and large print, and will be distributed nationwide. It includes 43 recipes, including instructions for haggis pakoras and bloody bay scallops.

“Cooking is about creating and enjoying delicious meals together and visual impairment should not act as a barrier to this fundamental, fun part of life,” said Singh, owner of a restaurant called Oloroso who appears on national cooking shows, to the BBC News.

Singh said that the cookbook was created to allow the blind and visually impaired to “both celebrate the art of cookery and use the recipes in a practical way to actually make delicious meals,” BBC reported.

Braille continues to be “as essential” as it has ever been, said Richard Hellewell, head of Royal Blind, which finances the Royal Blind School. “Braille enables incScottish Celebrity Chef Writes Cookbook In Braille

A celebrity chef in Scotland recently put together a recipe book for the blind and visually impaired in Braille to coincide with the language creator’s birthday and National Braille Week in the United Kingdom.

Tony Singh’s getting a little help from the children of the Royal Blind School in Edinburgh. The cookbook comes in Braille and large print, and will be distributed nationwide. It includes 43 recipes, including instructions for haggis pakoras and bloody bay scallops.

“Cooking is about creating and enjoying delicious meals together and visual impairment should not act as a barrier to this fundamental, fun part of life,” said Singh, owner of a restaurant called Oloroso who appears on national cooking shows, to the BBC News.

Singh said that the cookbook was created to allow the blind and visually impaired to “both celebrate the art of cookery and use the recipes in a practical way to actually make delicious meals,” BBC reported.

Braille continues to be “as essential” as it has ever been, said Richard Hellewell, head of Royal Blind, which finances the Royal Blind School. “Braille enables inclusion and opportunity, and allows us to dispel the myth that people with visual impairments cannot participate in the joys of everyday life, such as cooking,” he told BBC News.

All proceeds of the book will go to the group, which has helped the blind and visually impaired for more than 200 years.

A behemoth nonprofit organization that claims to help the homeless and impoverished recently took issue with the Heritage for the Blind‘s auto donation program. Needless to say, they’ve got a conflict of interest — their own auto donation program. No, that’s not hypocritical. Not at all.

So you probably understand the situation. They’re trying to corner the auto-donation market by throwing around their money, which, unlike for a lot of nonprofits, appears to be in great supply. The group had assets of over $275 million and contributions of $50 million and in-kind donations of $ last year. That doesn’t include the over $600 million in government grants. It’s hardly chump change.

So, why do they need to try to undermine other nonprofits to line their coffers with even more money? Who knows? It all seems a little bit unfair and greedy on their part. The Goliath appears to want to kill the David in this situation.

Surely, the dollars they’ve spent to point fingers at competitors could be better utilized on the people they claim to serve through their “ministry of service,” which employs more than 15,000 people nationwide. Sounds as if the top 1 percent of nonprofits is trying to cut the lower 99 percent of nonprofits out. How charitable of them. Just in time for the holiday season.

First of all, the group, which shall remain nameless, suggests that Heritage for the Blind is a sham organization that does little to help its intended beneficiaries. Please.

Heritage for the Blind has been around since the 1980s. If it’s not a legitimate charity, then why hasn’t the Internal Revenue Service closed its doors? That is the question. The simple answer is because Heritage for the Blind is a legitimate nonprofit. It’s hardly a scam.

Among the many services it offers, the nonprofit gorup provides free publication and distribution of Braille and large-print materials — from religious to consumer-related printed matter.

It also helps the blind and visually impaired find governmental benefits from over 1650 programs across 50 states and provides a medical alert services that assists in coping and responding to medical emergencies. This includes helping the blind and visually impaired find relevant healthcare professionals and get information on vision rehabilitation services, among other things.

In addition, the group also offers its self-help Vision Loss Resource website that includes online tips, advice and information for those with vision loss. The online resource covers topics ranging from legal rights to eye disorders to how to find an eye doctor to practical living. Heritage for the Blind’s Auto Donation Program offers prospective donors an easy way to give back without having to open their pocketbooks and assists in taking older more polluting vehicles off the roads, improving the environment as well.

The charity understands the plight faced by the blind and visually impaired that affects everyone around them and aims to help them realize that they are not alone in their daily struggles. There are surrounded by concerned and compassionate people who want to help.

Keeping track of currency is one of the challenges blind people face because it’s more difficult for them to differentiate from denominations.

That is exactly why Heritage for the Blind offers money handling tips and techniques to help the blind gain some independence for this front.

First of all, it’s highly recommended that the blind use the adaptive wallet to keep their money organized. The main advantage is that it has a multitude of separate pockets in which the user can place various denominations for easier access.

In addition, the adaptive wallet has pockets particularly designed to keep change. That way the user will not only know what they’re giving out but also what they’re bringing in. It makes it more difficult for the blind or visually impaired to be taken advantage of.

The Heritage for the Blind also teaches those with vision loss how to easily distinguish between denominations through detecting differences in texture and size. With such skills, the blind or visually impaired will be able to know whether they have received the correct change.

There are also special folding techniques to use to detect denominations. For example, a $10.00 bill will be folded differently from the folding of a $5.00 bill. Once someone with vision loss is totally aware of the folding of every denomination in their wallet, they can independently use money without fear of being taken advantage of.

Without the ability to see clearly, the blind and visually impaired people need to more aware of their money’s security. This is why Heritage for the Blind encourages them to wear zippered pocket jackets and coats. They can hardly lose their money if it is placed in secured pockets. A fanny pack that can be concealed under outerwear is a good investment as well.

As for credit cards, it is advised that the blind or visually impaired be wary of using debit or credit cards.

One of the Heritage for the Blind’s main goals is to train those with vision loss in everyday skills that allow them to live more comfortable lives.

With nearly 30 million adults in the United States plagued by eye conditions that, if left untreated, could bring on vision loss, Prevent Blindness America is offering free eye health videos to raise awareness of the value of early detection and being informed about vision problems.

Many cases of blindness from age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy are preventable or treatable to some extent.

For more than 100 years, the group has worked to help protect vision nationwide. To take that goal one step further, it has launched its “Healthy Eyes Educational Series,” a free program of videos to educate about sight disorders, eye safety and preventative steps to have a lifetime of healthy vision.

To view the videos, go to the Prevent Blindness America website (preventblindness.org/ healthy-eyes-education-series). They cover a wide range of issues — from adult eye disorders to contact lens safety to eye anatomy to healthy living to home, sports and workplace safety to low vision to refractive errors, among other topics. There are even handouts to accompany the videos.

“Through the Healthy Eyes Educational Series, we provide those who are concerned with protecting vision with the essential tools they need to educate others on the importance of taking steps today to preserve sight in the future,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America, in a press release. “We invite everyone to visit our webpage or call us to find out more about this exciting new tool in the fight for vision and eye health!”

The incidence of diabetes is growing by leaps and bounds in the United States, and it is expected that blindness as a result of the disease is likely to skyrocket as well.

So, keeping your diabetes’ risk down may very well spare you blindness further down the line. One way to keep the disease at bay or away is through healthy eating. Certainly, nothing is as simple and convenient to eat as the good old sandwich.

However, depending on how you build it, you could end up with a high-caloric mess on your hands.

To make a healthy one, consider the following:

1. Pile on the fruits and/or vegetables. Crispy vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach can add a healthful diverse dimension.

2. Use a light spread. Low-calorie mayo or salad dressing or better yet mustard or hummus will add some spunk to your sandwich without adding on a lot of calories. Also remember a little will go a long way.

3. When in doubt, add lean protein such as chicken, fish, turkey or canned tuna or salmon. Cold cuts could be the death of you through increased risk of heart disease, obesity as well as diabetes.

4. Pick breads high in fiber. They’ll fill you up and make you feel that way longer.

5. Keep it simple, stupid. Avoid the monster sandwich.

If you keep a few healthy eating tips in mind, you can avoid packing on the pounds that increases your risk of diabetes and diabetes-caused blindness as a result.

Samantha Mayberry, a 13-year-old who lives near Louisville, Kentucky, has great insight into her situation. She doesn’t let 10 years of being legally blind get in the way of setting her sights high.

She’s had retinitis pigmentosa since the age of three, causing her to view the world differently than most. It’s dark and blurry. She needs bright light to navigate, which can cause a “lot of inconveniences,” she told WLKY-TV.

She uses enlarged textbooks but eventually she’ll probably be completely blind, a prospect that worries her mother, Lori, as well as herself.

“It’s the thought that my child may be dependent for the rest of her life. That’s scary,” the elder Mayberry observed.

But the courageous teen isn’t throwing a pity party for herself just yet. She’s taking action. As chairwoman of the Foundation Fighting Blindness’ 3rd Annual Louisville Vision Walk, the younger Mayberry has made it her mission to raise funds to find a cure for the very degenerative eye disease that afflicts her.

“It could help a lot of people in the world. It’s important to me. I know a lot of people who have vision problems and we all just want a cure,” she said.

The United Kingdom-based FixTheWeb program gives the blind and visually impaired an online venue to air their accessibility problems.

But over 60 percent of website owners who are approached by FixTheWeb over their site’s issues ignore the situation altogether when the group approaches them. A mere 10 percent actually address their site’s problems.

How the FixTheWeb project works is that disabled Internet surfers encountering accessibility challenges document them on fixtheweb.com. A group of volunteers (600 in all) processes the complaint by contacting the website being complained about.

As of recently, over 700 websites have been reported, FixTheWeb manager Gail Bradbrock told a conference on web accessibility that occurred in London, England recently.

Thus far, only 50 websites reported have rectifed. Roughly 40 percent of contacts made got no response at all, and 20 percent got a response but no promise of remedying the problem. Only 30 percent of those contacted acknowledged their sites’ accessibility issues but said they couldn’t address them yet

Bradbrook is hopeful that the FixTheWeb service’s existence will pave the way for greater awareness and compliance. A recent message of support from actor Stephen Fry resulted in the highest increase in activity to date.

Though based in the United Kingdom, the organization hopes to partner with other groups to go international.
FixTheWeb is currently close to setting up a partnership with eAccess+, a network of e-accessibility experts in Europe.

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) recently struck an agreement with Penn State University over a complaint it filed with the U.S. Department of Education over the accessibility of the school’s information technology systems to blind students, faculty and staff.

The university assured the NFB that it would continue efforts to make the school’s computer network equally accessible to all who use it.

This covers access to course management systems, websites, classroom technology, library resources, banking services and more.

“Universities must commit to making sure all of the technology that they use is accessible to blind students, or else the blind will be left behind in education and denied opportunity,” said NFB President Dr. Marc Maurer in a press release.

He also expressed hope that Penn State would serve as an example for colleges and universities everywhere.

“We are pleased that Penn State, one of the largest and most recognized public universities in the country, has agreed to take additional steps to create an environment of equality in which blind students can pursue their educational and career aspirations without unnecessary barriers,”he added.

University Spokesman Lisa Powers said the agreement forged Oct. 11th will help “put in place the additional technologies, procedures and ongoing policies that will help use continue meeting our strong commitment to access,” she said.

The university has had a longstanding policy of reasonably accommodating blind or visually impaired people requesting help.”We can always do more,” Powers said.  “In addition to any continued adjustments to our policies, we also are working with our outside vendors to see if their products and procedures can be adjusted to meet the needs of our students.”

British subway workers were instructed not to help visually impaired patrons trying to navigate a one-way escalator during rush hour while London’s Victoria Tube Station undergoes undergoes renovation, according to a confidential document leaked to BBC News.

At prime hours in the evening, the two escalators only operate upwards in order to clear out the subway platforms quickly and safely. The leaked memo had instructed staff not to help the blind or visually impaired for four hours during the afternoon/evening rush from Monday to Friday.

Visually impaired passengers are being referred to alternative stations where they could be accommodated better, the London Underground explained in their defense of the memo’s instructions.

The Royal London Society for Blind People (RLSB), understandably, is not too terribly thrilled. The group is raising questions about the legality of the London Underground’s policy at the Victoria Tube Station.

Sue Sharp, the RLSB’s director of services and public affairs told BBC News: “Failure to honour their obligations (to blind and partially-sighted people) as they carry out repairs and refurbishments would be both illegal and a serious dereliction of their duty.”

The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union concluded that the city’s subway authority conveys the wrong message with the Paralympic Games scheduled to convene in the city soon.

Over the past few decades, an increasing number of charitable organizations have created car donation programs to raise funds to subsidize services they provide for society’s less fortunate. In 2000, nearly three-quarters of a million U.S. taxpayers claimed a vehicle donation deduction on their tax returns to help nonprofits.

This has, in turn, led to a rise in the number of unscrupulous for-profit scam artists posing as charities to cash in on the altruism of well-intentioned idealists who just want to give back the best by donating their used cars.

In 2010, then-New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo launched an industrywide investigation into car donation programs after discovering that at least one may have been engaged in fraudulent practices deceiving donors and skimming funds from those in need. The then-attorney general singled out a car donation charity known as Feed the Hungry in a lawsuit seeking to close the nonprofit’s doors because its owner allegedly solicited car donations that were supposed to benefit the nonprofit but kept the proceeds for himself.

“Nicholas Cascone and his Feed the Hungry organization promised to use donated vehicles to help the homeless but only ended up taking generous New Yorkers for a ride,” said Cuomo in a 2010 press statement. “We remain concerned that similar practices may prevail in other organizations and will diligently work to root out any other sham charities. As we continue working to clean up this industry, we encourage generous New Yorkers to stay informed and to keep donating to worthy charities.”

The growth of unscrupulous car donation programs in the early 2000s and beyond led to the tightening of Internal Revenue Service rules regarding car donations, specifically the way they were valued for tax deductions.
Starting in 2005, donors could only deduct how much charities received for sales of some cars as a result. Currently, they can write off the lesser of the donate car’s fair-market value or what the charity gets for it at auction, if the car is worth $500 or more.

So, if a charitable organization actually garners $2,000 for a car whose fair market value at the time of contribution is $5,000, the donor can only claim the lesser of the two — or a $2,000 car value. For a car worth less than $500, the donor can claim the lesser of $500 and the vehicle’s fair market value at the time of the contribution. The actual deduction amount they can take off their taxes depends on their tax bracket. For the 28 percent tax bracket, a car valued at $2,000 would translate into a $560 deduction.

Be rest assured that Heritage for the Blind is a legitimate tax-exempt 501(c) charitable organization that devotes all proceeds (minus overhead costs) that it garners for car donations to help the blind and visually impaired. You can check with the Internal Revenue Service, which publishes a list of tax-exempt organizations in its Publication 78, which is posted on the Internet at www.irs.gov/charities/article/0,,id=96136,00.html.

Furthermore, realize that the process of donating a car is not quite as easy as writing a check to your favorite charity and putting it in the mail.

There are major considerations you must take into account concerning car donation programs that may surprise you. First, most charities sell donated cars at auto auctions for wholesale prices, which are usually lower than what donors could get for their vehicles for by selling them on their own. And second, car donation programs also incur with car-processing costs that reduce the total going for program services.

To donate your car, contact Heritage for the Blind. Your donation will help the blind and visually impaired.