Archive for October, 2010
The Blind Buzz on Gardening
Posted by nystagmite in Uncategorized on October 30, 2010
For more on blind gardening topics, please see my web page,
Vince’s Parallax – Blind Gardening
Charity Christmas Cards to raise money for UK gardening charity Thrive.
Thrive home page
Thrive on Twitter
Thrive Newsletter
Going in blind | CLOSE UP News – Graham Burtenshaw lost his eyes in an accident `15 years ago. Now he’s won a Regional Gardener of the Year Award in New Zealand.
Video
How to Design a Garden for Color Blind People | North Coast Gardening
Introducing New Sensory Integration Nature Path at the Dunwoody Community Garden – Sustainable Pattie – a woodland path with various sensory experiences for children in Georgia. Page includes video.
Landscaping, gardening about more than visual outcome » Evansville Courier & Press – how to get a garden to appeal to the other senses.
PathPoint Mental Health Division Marks 30 Years – gardening and the Horses for Heroes initiative help blind and disabled man to take his place in the community.
Square Foot Gardening – techniques used by many blind people based on square-foot areas of land. Bizarrely, this site fronts with an inaccessible Flash control.
The Blind Buzz on Photography
Posted by nystagmite in Uncategorized on October 27, 2010
A Foray into Infrared Photography | Shutter Photo – how to see in the dark in film and digital photography. But please note the dangers to your eyes when using infra-red equipment incorrectly.
Camera for the Blind / Nadeem Haidary – designed at the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Pittsburgh, PA. I take it, but don’t know, that this is what we frustrated photographers call a concept device – i.e., you can’t buy it at your local photo shop. Features include the ability to take sound clips along with each picture, and the possibility of making tactile versions of pictures.
Fall Photography – Russ Photo Shop – a photographer with poor colour vision can still find autumnal colours amazing. Some hints on getting the best shots.
Flashes of Light in the Darkest Depths: The Faith and Life of Blind Photographer Pete Eckert – Christine A. Scheller – Huffington Post – how Pete Eckert dealt with encroaching blindness, and how he gets his images.
Going Blind – the Movie with trailer video
Miracle of Sight: New Art Exhibit Shows the World Through Eyes That Were Once Blind – special project for those who have had corneal transplants has produced this exhibit of photographs.
Revisiting – Nothing Peripheral: A Sight Impaired Artist – Steven Erra is sight-impaired and was one of those who helped create the Seeing With Photography Collective in New York. Here he talks about his worsening sight, and what he might have to get rid of as a result. His light paintings are likely to stay!
Nothing Peripheral RSS Feed
SF0 / comit / Seeing Beyond Sight Photo Challenge – presumably for normally-sighted people, the challenge is to hamper your eyes in some way (blindfold, shades, etc), take and then caption the most telling images you can.
Showing country kids what photography can do for the vision impaired | Blinkie Photography – Andrew Follows gets some interesting results from a workshop in a Melbourne school.
The Amazing Flo Fox | Street Reverb Magazine – celebrated New York blind photographer Flo Fox seems to be getting a new generation of fans.
Use Firefox Browser?? – Miscellaneous Discussion Topics – Your Discussions – The Canon DSLR Photography Club – Message Board – includes notes on the
Color Management Firefox Add-on
The Blind Buzz on Guide Dogs
Posted by nystagmite in Uncategorized on October 26, 2010
A Beginner’s Guide To Taking Care Of A Dog | Animal Topics
Dog or Cane, You decide – Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind » Feature Writer Romeo Edmead – some personal experiences from those who use both.
Dog’s Eye View – blog that includes personal accounts of guide dog training and photography.
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Guide Dog Anticipation – blog by someone becoming a guide dog owner.
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Guide Dog Grad Keeps Hemet, CA. Woman On The Go – The Dog Files – 86-year-old woman gets new guide dog.
The Dog Files RSS Feed
Guide Dog Training: Video Series | eHow Videos
These include:
Guide dog users’ safety fears over new mobility scheme – Cardiff news – CardiffOnline – WalesOnline – quiet golf-buggy vehicles could be a hazard to VI people.
[Video] Guide Dog Work At Work – guide dog working in a Walmart store, and obedience.
Guide Dogs for People with Vision Loss: Perception and Reality | VisionAWARE – answers some of the misconceptions many people have about guide dogs.
How guide dogs are trained – by Betty Carew – Helium
Leading questions: Richard Leaman, Guide Dogs | Society | The Guardian – new head of Guide Dogs in the UK talks about the organisations’ new directions.
Parallel & Perpendicular – What’s that got to do with a Guide Dog – Guide Dog Anticipation – about listening to where the traffic is before you cross a road.
Pedigree Dogs v “The Labradoodle” | Pedigree Dogs – need to breed with good stock and not regard this breed as necessarily an answer to allergy problems. You may also like to read
The story of Labradoodles could there have been some success if it was handled differently? | Healthy Hair Secrets
Policies for guide dogs in church (allergies)? | answers cool – ideas for managing this potential conflict.
Premier matchmaking: Teaching interdependence between dog and blind human – St. Petersburg Times – how guide dogs have changed the lives of several blind people in the SE United States.
Research finds man’s best friend really is their dog — Guide dog puppy blog
Seeing Eye Guide Dogs – How Do They Get So Smart? – this article explodes some popular myths about the way guide dogs work.
Stakeholder Engagement Survey Autumn 2010 – UK Guide Dogs charity wants your feedback.
The Ultimate Guide to Dog Health | Health Tips – when do you need to take the dog to the vet?
Training A Labrador Guide Dog | Fido’s Features
Training Day 01 – Arrival – Dog’s Eye View – first of a series of articles about training with a guide dog.
The Blind Buzz on Photography
Posted by nystagmite in Uncategorized on October 20, 2010
Thought for the day from Twitter – definition of photographer: person who tries to make "blind" people see the beauty found on this planet. Thanks, janko333.
[Video] Blind Shooting – 1 Minute with Willy Ep12. Photography Tips – this is really for fully sighted photographers, but is maybe useful for some of my readers too.
Bridging the Us and Them gap | DNA : Daily News & Analysis; Mumbai | Find Articles at BNET – the recent children’s blind photography workshop in Mumbai provided by the Beyond Sight Foundation. Also visit
Click of a different kind | TopNews Arab Emirates – blind children took part in photography seminar, guided by Partho Bhowmick of Beyond Sight Foundation.
Flickr Group: Blind Photographers
Flicker Group: Visually Impaired Photographers in the UK
If bridges look like this, you could be going blind | Mail Online – John Wylie, now registered blind, has come up with cards that illustrate the effects of several eye conditions.
Observations: A return to photography, after a bout with being almost blind… – Micro Four Thirds User Forum – the author developed cataracts and then had them treated. The effects on photography are described.
The Ultimate Smartphone Camera Battle – now that phones have such impressive cameras, it may be more important to check out their salient features.
The Blind Buzz on Photography
Posted by nystagmite in Uncategorized on October 13, 2010
Blind photographer: ‘The photographs I want to see the most are the ones of my son’ – Cıvan Ilici is called here, "Turkey’s first blind photographer”. Surely not? Also, plans for a museum of blindness and an exhibition of blind people’s photographs in Turkey.
More about Cıvan Ilici (Google translation from Turkish).
Blind With Camera event exposes 1,300 people to life without sight – UnLtd India -An event called Antarchakshu (The Eye Within), the project gave people a brief experience of sightlessness.
Open shutter into the unseen world – to mark World Sight Day (October 13th), the newspaper carried this article about the Beyond Sight Foundation in India.
Photography workshops for country kids | Blinkie Photography – Andrew Follows will run workshops that will encourage students to use their other senses to take photographs when they can’t see.
The Gift of Seeing – POR VIDA By Archie Modequillo | The Freeman – this is really about becoming more observant.
The Last Leaf Gardener – the author of this blog is not only a gardener, but also a photo artist and sometime tandem cyclist.
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The Blind Buzz on Gardening
Posted by nystagmite in Uncategorized on October 13, 2010
A Sensory Tour of the Garden – Little Garden Helpers – encouraging children to use their senses.
Blind Gardener of the Year – Insight Radio – Robbie from the Thrive gardening organisation appears on the Friday Morning Mix. Several audio extracts are available on this page.
blind-gardening | Google Groups – doesn’t look very active, though
Blindness no handicap | Stuff.co.nz – Graham Burtenshaw, a blind Picton man, has been named Gardener of the Year for the Marlborough region by the New Zealand Gardener magazine.
Gardening Tips for People with Impaired Vision – Garden Forever.
Gardening Tips If You are Blind or Have Low Vision | VisionAWARE
Getting Ready For Autumn In The Garden And Greenhouse – The Growing Edge
The Growing Edge RSS Feed
How to Grow Vegetables in a Potting Soil Bag | eHow.com
Sensory Garden: Engaging All Five Sense in your Garden Design | Gardening
The Last Leaf Gardener – the author of this blog is not only a gardener, but also a photo artist and sometime tandem cyclist.
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The Blind Buzz on Tandem Cycling
Posted by nystagmite in Uncategorized on October 11, 2010
There’s a distinct sense of mission creep in this entry, which seems to be growing all the time to include triathlons, 3-wheelers, and….. what was the third thing now? Maybe trandems.
Big Ride, Old Men – The Action Geek – A Techie Adventure – the author’s blind father-in-law shares a tandem ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End, raising charity funds in the process. Hey, not so much of the old, sonny.
Blind Guy Coming Through | RunningFree.com – Resource Center – guide for Canadian triathlete Ryan Van Praet tells his story and reveals how he operates.
Blind marathon hero’s new goal – Dave Healey, known as Blind Dave, having completed a 7-marathons -in-7-days challenge, now plans to walk and cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End in 11 days in August 2011 in aid of Macmillan Cancer.
Challenges overcome – U.S. Navy vet David Bigoney, blind since a shooting incident n 1996, has taken part in many triathlons.
Disabled cyclist completes a 714-mile ride | News – Max Burt, severely disabled after a road accident, has completed a bike ride from Aberdeen to London.
Exsight Tandems – group of sighted and blind cyclists, and some with other disabilities. Based Wollongong, Australia.
Grottammare, Tandem Cycle Tour for the Blind – article in Italian.
Google Translation into English
He’s a character: Mark Griffin doesn’t have to see to believe – Konkol’s Korner – legally blind, he has taken part in Ironman and other events.
How do I Find Extra Long Shift Cables for a Recumbent Bike? | eHow.com
Ironman World Championship Lottery Opens Today – dated 1st Oct, closes Feb 2011. Also visit
IronWHAT?!!? for some gritty details of this triathlon.
Recumbent Bicycle Site – biking news and pics, reviews, exercise bicycles, tricycles
San Ramon Mom to Train For Paralympics – Gena Harper has already been a downhill skier, and is now getting into cycling.
Sarah Storey: From Paralympic swimmer to Commonwealth Games cyclist | Sport | guardian.co.uk – Sarah is competing against non-disabled athletes at the Commonwealth Games.
Self-Respect & Paralympic Cycling « good spin – Paralympics have become established world-wide.
Tandem Cycling at Lighthouse for the Blind Deaf-Blind Retreat | TUBULOCITY – an account of the experience.
Tandem partner wanted – Willesden Cycling Club – in West London, UK.
The Adventure Guys – The News Tribune Blogs, Tacoma, WA
The Last Leaf Gardener – the author of this blog is not only a gardener, but also a photo artist and sometime tandem cyclist.
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Trek Travel Introduces New 2011 Cycling Vacations – don’t know whether any blind / visually impaired people have experienced these tours, but thought readers would like to know about them.
VA blind centers help wounded servicemen take back their lives – part of this is tandem cycling and remembering where all the watering holes are!
The Blind Buzz on Photography
Posted by nystagmite in Uncategorized on October 8, 2010
Blind Eye Photography – blog by "Blondezee" (Nora K. Devene).
Blog RSS Feed. She also has a photo site where photos can be viewed or purchased – Photos by Nora K. Devane
Blind Photographer Needs A Stylish Photography Logo =) | 99designs – see the brief on this site for requirements Note- only 6 days to go..
Blind Photography At The Zoo « Losing Vision Gaining Insight – Belinda Brasley finds that taking photos at the zoo isn’t as easy as it looks.
Camera-less Photography: Arresting developments – Features, Art – The Independent – if you forget your camera, don’t despair – there are other ways of making photographic images, as the current exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum proves.
Jessica Jones: Blind Ambition | Kaili Boyd – the story of an art teacher with a passion for photography who lost her sight very rapidly through an unusually aggressive form of diabetic retinopathy. Then she discovered the Seeing with Photography Collective.
Joseph Guay turns photography inwards at Jackson Fine Art | BURNAWAY – Joseph Guay has installed videos within still pictures, the videos taken by the subject of the picture. One participant who made a video of their own life is a blind person, Vashaun Jones,
Lens is a key to the world – Andrew Follows recently spoke to the Strathbogie Shire Council Lifestyle Expo about photography as a kind of substitute for his eyes. (registration required for full story).
macro for the blind | Blinkie Photography – Andrew Folows uses a macro lens to take detailed photographs of things he wouldn’t normally see at all.
Macular Degeneration – Roberta Murray – what makes a good photograph? technical prowess or the human qualities of images? The author’s sight has been declining since she was in here 20s.
Please Complete Our New Survey « The Phoblographer – your chance to say what you want more or less of on this site.
The Blind Photographer by Benjamin Mayer-Foulkes. About Evgen Bavcar.
The Blind Buzz: Paratriathlon Introduction Day, Sat., 16th October 2010, Loughborough
Posted by nystagmite in Uncategorized on October 6, 2010
Paratriathlon Introduction Day
16.10.2010 Loughborough University
British Triathlon is offering a fantastic opportunity to come and learn about this fast growing and eciting sport, whether you are new to disability sport or you are an experienced athlete in another sport already.
The Paratriathlon Introduction day aims to fast track you into getting involved with the sport in whatever capacity you wish. All attendees will recieve the following:
- A chance to learn about Paratriathlon
- Get to meet and train with the national Paratriathlon Performance Squad
- Recieve a classification from of British Triathlons qualified classifiers, this means you will be given a competition class for entering future Paratriathlon events
- Receive a pack to take away full of useful and informative information including a full Paratriathlon guide and training plan for starting Paratriathlon
All attendees will also recieve a 50% discount into the 2011 Corus British Paratriathlon Championships
The Paratriathlon Introduction Day takes place on Saturday
16th October at Loughborough University between 10am and 4pm.
For more information or to book a place, contact Jonathon Riall,
johnathonriall@britishtriathlon.org
http://www.efds.co.uk
Also visit:
British Triathlon Paratriathlon Pages
The Blind Buzz on Photography
Posted by nystagmite in Uncategorized on October 2, 2010
3rd indi blogger event in bangalore #indiblr | Raghav’s Blog – blind photographer will take part in the competition at the event (sun, Oct 4th) to win a printer.
[DOC] Art Beyond Sight Email Alert includes information about the exhibit Touching Art Touching You: Blind Art at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery, Brighton, England.
Blind Photographers Teach Us New Ways of Seeing | Black Star Rising – the exhibit, “Exposed to the Light” at Jaffa’s Please Touch Museum, Israel.
[Video] Blind photography: Making impossible possible – Join Samara Currimbhoy as she explores the world of the visual medium – photography, films, advertisements, animation, special effects. The first part features Partho Bhowmick, now well known for the Blind With Camera Project. From about 2 years ago, but worth catching up with if you missed it.
Blindness doesn’t stop director from moviemaking | news-press.com | The News-Press – Joe Monks also creates comics and writes short stories.
How the blind view art – Dr. Simon Hayhoe has won a Fullbright Scholarship to study blind people’s conceptualisation of art at the Metropolitan Museum, New York.
Is it possible to be colour-blind (color-blind) and still be a good photographer? – Photography – Stack Exchange – discussion.
Photo Insights – Belinda Brasley, Low Vision Photographer Blog
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What I see – see(more) photography blog – Laura Landry explains how she sees, and illustrates her points with photographs.
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