# Blind
All time
Voices
Opinion: I've been accused of faking my visual impairment - this got worse during Covid
Gillian Stafford outlines what life has been like as a person battling blindness and the further challenges she’s faced during the pandemic.
# usher syndrome
'Should I wear a plaque saying I have a disability?': The reality of life with sight loss during a pandemic
Golf champion Carol Brill said daily tasks can be “very, very stressful” for people with sight and hearing loss.
Voices
Forget the Bird Box challenge: Try dealing with automated services when you are blind
It is frustrating that the challenges vision impaired people face are different from what is portrayed in Bird Box – because they are structural, writes Kevin Kelly.
# challenging perceptions
'People always say my dad is amazing. He's not, he's just blind'
A new play aims to challenge perceptions about people with disabilities.
# World Sight Day
'It puts holes in the retina': Thousands at risk of blindness due to diabetes-linked eye disease
“People absolutely take their eyesight for granted until there’s a problem,” Stephen Duffy said.
# High Court
'Outstanding achievement': High Court ruling paves the way for blind people to vote in secret
The High Court ruled yesterday in favour of a man who had argued for his right to vote in private.
# Cork
Blind woman 'heartbroken' after guide dog was taken away for being overweight
The Irish Guide Dogs said they hope to reunite the pair once the dog loses weight.
# description
A new feature from Facebook will change how millions experience it
The system, automatic alternative text, will help those who are blind or visually impaired know what is in a photo.
# Caught Out
Australian YouTube star caught out faking 'honesty' social experiments
Adrian Gee pretended to be a blind man who stopped people on the street and asked them for change.
# second sight
Breakthrough as 'bionic eye' restores sight in blind patients
A new clinical trial has given hope to people with sight loss.
# deafblind
As many as 17,000 people in Ireland could have this disability... but no one knows for sure
Activists say more accurate data is needed.
# good boy
A guide dog threw itself in front of a bus to save his blind owner
Don’t worry – the heroic pooch is on the mend.
# Hero
A guide dog threw itself in front of a bus to save its blind owner
But don’t worry! The dog is on the mend.
# Guide Dogs
Bray man Joe Bollard says his guide dog taught him to 'look forward and not back'
‘I trust my dog more than I would trust a human being to guide me.’
# art for all
Incredible exhibition helps blind people 'see' artistic masterpieces with their fingers
Visually impaired visitors can now experience the Mona Lisa in an entirely new way.
# smart navigation
This headset helps the blind navigate the city they're in
The device creates a 3D soundscape to aid its wearer, providing them with context to their surroundings.
# Donegal
Scared of flying? What about piloting a plane blind?
Jennifer Doherty flew a plane to raise awareness of the Donegal Centre for Independent Living.
Voices
Opinion: Losing my sight at 23 was traumatic, but my dog is with me every step of the way
What my sight loss has shown me is that we can’t control what happens to us – we can only control how we deal with it.
# World Sight Day
In pics: Our guide dogs changed our lives
“With York as my guide, I take in the sea air, listen to the seagulls and fetch my morning coffee.”
# compensation
Blind teenager awarded €3.2m in damages after court battle
The family of 13-year-old Noel McCarthy have spoken of their relief after a court battle lasting more than a decade.
# Dine in the dark
Could you manage to eat your dinner while wearing a blindfold?
An event doing just that will be held in Dublin, Limerick and Cork on World Sight Day, October 9.
# don't turn a blind eye
Calls for measures to be introduced to eliminate avoidable blindness by 2020
There are currently more than 220,000 people in Ireland who are blind or vision impaired.
# Week in Web
Weird Wide Web: Tweeting during penalties, giant rollable TVs and a shocking exercise tool
All of your essential tech and social media news for the week in one byte-sized portion.
# easy reading
This device reads out printed text to the blind in real-time
The FingerReader only requires the wearer to point at the text, and uses a small camera to scan the text before reading it aloud.
# Diabetes
'I went to look at myself in the mirror and I couldn’t see my face'
Joe McPhilips has told the story of how he went blind, in the hope of reminding people of the importance of correctly managing their diabetes.
# Reunited
Dog who went blind reacts to seeing family for first time after eye surgery
GOT to stop chopping onions at the computer.
# Challenge
Blind man walks 132 km in four days to raise funds for the Irish Wheelchair Association
Rahim Nazrali will have two guides to assist him during the trek.
# drawing a blank
Blind man attempts to draw things he's never seen
He’s probably better than some sighted people.
# PREVENTABLE
Irish people going blind waiting for cataract surgery
Ireland could save €76 million annually if earlier intervention was prioritised.
# Snizzly Snouts
This book promises to be a feast for the eyes, hands and ears
The book can be used by blind and visually-impaired children.
# Guide Dogs
Sligo garda raising funds for guide dog charity after mother's freak accident
Monica Wims lost her sight two years ago but her guide dog Guinness has given her back her independence.
# seeing by touch
Here's a museum that tells blind visitors: Please touch!
Blind and visually impaired visitors are encouraged to get up close to items during their special tours.
Voices
Column: Why are over two thirds of blind people in the world women?
It’s unimaginable to many in the developed world that a person could be last in line for medical care and education simply because of gender – but for millions of women this is the stark reality, writes Michael Marren.
# dirty streets
VIDEO: Don’t let your dog poo on streets, say wheelchair users
A new video shows the impact that dog poo can have on people of limited mobility.
# terry rosema
A partially blind photographer took these stunning images of storms
After Bechet’s disease impaired Terry Rosema’s sight, he left his career as graphic designer to take up storm chasing. Here’s his story and his images.
# spay that stray
Blind kitten called Lorcan shows the need for spaying feral cats
Last week was Feral Cat Awareness Week – here’s why people are being encouraged to ‘spay that stray’.
# Inspirational
Blind man walks 140km from Longford to Dublin to help wheelchair users
Rahim Nazarali has only five per cent eyesight but walked along the Royal Canal to raise money for the Irish Wheelchair Association.
# Week in Web
Weird Wide Web: Predicting earthquakes, dog translation and breaking bricks
All of your essential tech and social media news for the week in one byte-sized portion.
# what a racket
Which noises sound good to a blind person?
The things that sound best when you can’t see.
# bat signal
Blind people have the potential to use their 'inner bat' to locate objects
Researchers are now looking at developing training programmes and assistive devices for blind people using the data.
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