Latest news with #visualimpairment
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
What EVERY Australian needs to know about the future of these 10-week-old puppies
A parent taking their child for a walk to the shops to buy an ice-cream sounds like a run of the mill family outing. But it's one that for many years escaped a visually impaired mother – until she became the recipient of a seeing eye dog. 'Having a seeing eye dog gave that mother the confidence to take her daughter out on her own to get an ice-cream - something she never would have done before,' Petbarn Foundation manager Janelle Miller told FEMAIL. 'I've seen over and over how beneficial a seeing eye dog is not only for helping someone navigate the world physically, but also mentally how much it impacts on that person's confidence and wellbeing.' It's the reason why the Petbarn Foundation have for 12 years straight run their annual Seeing Eye Dogs Vision Australia appeal. The fundraising target for 2025 is to raise $1.1million in donations, which will go towards training up 22 seeing eye dog pups. You can donate HERE. At $50,000 per pup, it's a huge investment. But it's indisputably worthwhile for the potentially lifechanging benefit it provides to a person who is visually impaired. Janelle proudly explains that the Pet Barn Foundation's efforts in supporting Seeing Eye Dogs Vision Australia had so far seen them fund the training of 179 dogs – and if they reach this year's goal, they will 'surpass our 200th dog'. 'That's 200 people, who's lives will be changed by these dogs,' she explained. Wearing their official training vests, the Seeing Eye Dogs puppies had already had a big day out riding a ferry before stopping by to say hello to Daily Mail Australia staffers Kim Rulach, head trainer from Seeing Eye Dogs Vision Australia, explained to FEMAIL that training the potential service dogs is no "walk in the park". The puppies are 'purpose bred' by the organisation - and are either labradors, golden retrievers, or a cross between the two. 'In our program, when the puppies are eight weeks old they'll go out to a volunteer puppy carer. The carer is responsible for socialising them and doing basic obedience training and teaching them nice house manners, and they'll have them for about a year.' 'Then, if they are selected for formal training, we bring the one year old dogs back to our centre, and we do a 20 week training program,' Kim said. All of the costs involved in this process – from vet bills to dog food is provided by the organisation. Without these essential funds, the organisation and program simply cannot exist – which is why Pet Barn Foundation continues to annually support this crucial initiative. 'All we need from our volunteers is the commitment of time,' Kim added. The intensive training program sees the dogs go through a series of major assessments, concluding with one final major test. 'They do a final walk test with the person who's been training them – and they're not allowed to make any mistakes on their route,' Kim said. 'They have to be able to do it on their own with minimal cues.' Kim says the bench mark is high – but necessarily so. 'What these dogs do is so important and it's putting someone's safety in danger if they're not up to scratch.' The high performing dogs that pass the test are then matched with a suited visually impaired person, empowering them to move independently in public without the need for a cane. But even those dogs that don't quite meet the high criteria necessary to become a seeing eye dog still go on to serve important roles within the community. 'We filter a lot of our dogs to other service agencies that don't have just their own breeding programs - they can help with things like PTSD or autism, or they can be medical alert dogs,' Kim explained. 'So we are able to give these dogs to other agencies so they can use them in their programs.' Even those that flunk out of puppy training all together end up with a charmed life as 'wonderful family pets'. Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs is also always searching for big-hearted community members to volunteer as puppy carers. As well as being given all the necessary financial support, the trainers are highly involved with the carers to ensure all aspects of the pup's training remain on track. However Kim notes that the toughest part of being a carer volunteer is the ability to 'give the dog back to us at the end of the process'. 'It's really emotional and our volunteers do get really attached to them,' she said. 'But the cause is what makes it worthwhile. Our volunteers know that by raising and training these pups, what they've done is help someone else gain their independence.' 'And usually our volunteer carers will eventually come back to train another puppy!'
BBC News
13-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Love of swimming rekindled by CamSight befriending service
A woman with a visual impairment who joined a befriending service has spoken about the boost it has given to her Zhang, 59, from Cambridge used local charity CamSight to get back into swimming with the help of Lucy, 25, a volunteer she was matched sight loss organisation aims to help blind and visually impaired people do the activities they swimming at the city's lido, Ms Zhang said: "All the people we meet using the facility have been friendly and it's made such a difference in this hot weather to get out and exercise somewhere I feel safe." Ms Zhang said Lucy's recent assistance at the Cambridge Lido helped her get back into swimming."The lido is fantastic for visually impaired swimmers and I feel safe, supported and free," she said."As the pool is 90m in length, I feel less anxious about doing full strokes and I'm not going to run out of room quickly to turn at the end."She added lido staff had been "so helpful and happy" for her to have her guide dog, Amber, sat poolside. The pair had also been to a yoga said: "I taught Jean some key poses for her to use at the next class when we go again. "The centre was incredibly accommodating and let Amber sit in the corridor while we had our class. I also helped Jean to outline the countries on some large maps in her study with a glue gun so she could learn geography of the world."I have learned so much about guide dogs and, of course, loved getting to know Jean too."Zoe Dunstan, a senior volunteer coordinator for CamSight, said: "When you match a befriending pair together, it's essential that you find out about lifestyles and interests. "Befriending is more than just conversations, though sometimes a good chat is all it takes to make a difference. "It's about enabling service users to reconnect with a hobby or activity they may have enjoyed before they became visually impaired and showing them how they can still try new ones." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Mail
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
YouTuber James Charles slammed for foul-mouthed rant about design aid for visually-impaired pedestrians
James Charles has been blasted for having a meltdown over truncated domes, which are specifically installed to help those with visual impairments. In a now-deleted video, the 26-year-old make-up artist and YouTube star launched into a foul-mouthed rant about the ground surface indicators where he repeatedly complained about having to roll his suitcase or grocery cart over them. 'Whatever f**king bump, s**t f**king stupid a** things they put outside grocery stores and airports,' James began. 'Like what is the purpose of them, can someone genuinely explain it to me if you were like a f**king civil engineer. 'Why on god's green earth have I just spent $200 on f**king groceries but I want to roll them over those f**king bumps and give my entire cart a seizure.' After impersonating his carton of eggs going over the bumps, a visibly frustrated James then quipped: 'Why? What the f**k. Literally, what the f**k.' He continued: 'When you go to the airport, why have I got to roll my luggage over that s**t and have everything jumping around inside? 'It's having a seizure. Stop. It doesn't make any sense to me. What is the point? What is the point of those f**king bumps other than making everyone's life miserable. 'Can somebody tell me?' Luckily for James, social media users wasted no time in attempting to educate him on truncated domes, which are ground surface indicators designed to help those who are blind or visually impaired. Also known as detectable warnings or tactile paving, these raised surfaces create a distinctive pattern that can be felt underfoot or with a cane, alerting pedestrians to changes in surface level or potential hazards such as street crossings. While James has since deleted his rant-fueled video, social media users have been left furious by his lack of knowledge and his 'privilege.' Taking to Reddit, one slammed: 'I didn't know I could hate him more, but here we go. I think it's great the city implemented those for the visually impaired. 'I will never understand his anger. When my city decided to put that in the subway, I thought it was a great safety idea that benefits everyone.' 'His Main Character Syndrome prevents him from recognizing that sometimes things that happen around him concern other people,' another commented. A third continued: 'He's frothing at the mouth, big mad because... the bumps jostle his cart around a little bit? Can you imagine having this kind of energy for such an "issue"? Cause f**k man, there's more things to spend your time on.' 'Did he really just think they were put there for fun?' asked a fourth. Agreeing, another said: 'This! Even if you didn't know the exact reason, they're obviously there for a f**king purpose. 'These people really forget they're not the only ones existing on earth.' A sixth added: 'There are a shocking number of people who are so privileged and self-centered that they literally don't realize disabled people go out in the world and might need different things than they do. 'I would say they don't realize that disabled people even exist, but I think on some level they must and just assume that they have to stay inside and away from the public?'
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
University of Brighton researchers to host inclusive swim session
Researchers from the University of Brighton are to hold an inclusive open water swimming session to focus on making blue spaces, such as seas, lakes and pools, more accessible to people with sight session will take place at Sea Lanes in Brighton on 11 June, starting at 10:30 for the event have been extended to all adults with visual impairments from across Sadie Rockliffe said: "Nature and wellness spaces are often designed with sight in mind – assuming visual appreciation as the main form of engagement. But many people, even sighted swimmers, close their eyes in the water." Outdoor swimming is increasingly recognised for its health and wellbeing benefits, many blue spaces remain inaccessible to people with visual impairments, the university said. It added that blue spaces are often designed with sightedness as the can overlook the importance of other senses – such as touch, sound, rhythm, and temperature – which are essential for many swimmers, with or without Rockliffe added: "My research explores how blue spaces can be experienced through touch, sound, rhythm, and movement, but also through the materials and supports that make interdependence (the dependence of two or more people or things on each other) possible. "It's not just about swimming – it's about creating space for people to explore and enjoy something many take for granted, in ways that feel welcoming, supported, and open to different ways of being."
Daily Mail
06-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Woman, 21, forced to 'glue eyelids open' just so she can see due to rare condition - but doctors say there's no cure
A woman who thought she had bad hayfever was diagnosed with a rare condition that means she sometimes has to use glue and tape just to keep her eyes open. Tia-Leigh Streamer, 21, from Dorset was baffled when she woke up in May 2023 with a drooping eyelid. Initially assuming it was seasonal allergies, it wasn't until months later that she was revealed to suffer with a disorder - blepharospasm - which causes muscles around the eyelids develop an involuntary spasm and cause the lids to twitch, flutter or blink uncontrollably. Doctors at Royal Bournemouth hospital trialled Botox injections in her eyelids in March last year, and since then she hasn't been able to open her eyes without the jabs. When the Botox wears off, the only way she can see is by taping and gluing her eyelids or holding her eyes open with her hands. Even when the jabs are effective, sunlight, car headlights and computer screens can trigger Tia-Leigh's eyes to close. In severe cases sufferers may be unable to open their eyes due to excessive eyelid spasm. Doctors do not have a cure but are continuing to trial different volumes of Botox in her eyelids. 'I have the same level of sight as a visually impaired person but I've got nothing wrong with my eyesight,' Tia-Leigh, who was an aspiring trainee accountant, explained. 'I know it's neurological but they don't know what causes it which makes it worse for me, because if they could say it's caused from this, I think it would make me feel slightly less in the dark. 'To be told I've got this for the rest of my life and not know why is a hard thing to deal with.' She admitted she's 'not been coping very well' and was prescribed antidepressants half-way through the ordeal. 'I didn't get along with them,' she continued. 'I tried therapy, I've tried hypnotherapy but nothing was helping. 'The longer it's gone on I've gotten used to it but there are still days where I get really down about it. Especially as the Botox runs out.' Tia-Leigh added that the longer she grapples with the condition, the more her body will get used to the injections and 'it won't work anymore'. 'I have them done every eight to 10 weeks at the moment. It was 12 weeks. But I only get about three to five weeks where it actually takes any effect,' she remarked. 'The rest of the time I have to physically hold my eyelids open to be able to see anything. 'When I glue or tape them open I can't blink at all. The doctors have said the longer I do that for then I've got more chance of actually damaging my eyes and then possibly losing my sight, which I don't want to do.' Tia-Leigh has even had bruises on her eyelids from the tape before. 'It's hard,' she admitted. 'Because I've either got no sight or one hand essentially.' Tia-Leigh was training to become an accountant, but has had to stop working because of her condition - ruining the plans she had for her life. 'As soon as I got ill I was basically told that this was something that I could never do because of the computer screens,' she explained. 'It was awful to be honest, I had everything planned out. I was training to do that and I was saving to move out and get married and have children and it was all taken away from me. What is blepharospasm? According to the National Eye Institute, blepharospasm (also called benign essential blepharospasm) is 'blinking or other eyelid movements, like twitching, that you can't control'. 'Eyelid twitching usually goes away on its own. But people with benign essential blepharospasm can develop severe and chronic (long-term) eyelid twitching,' the site explained. Symptoms usually start with 'small eyelid twitches that happen every once in a while'. This can increase overtime and often cause the eyes to close completely. In some cases, people also get twitches in other parts of their face. It added: 'Blepharospasm happens when the part of the brain that controls your eyelid muscles stops working correctly. 'Sometimes blepharospasm runs in families, and women ages 40 to 60 are more likely to develop it. But in most cases, doctors aren't sure what causes it.' Treatment options include Botox injections and in some cases a surgery called a myectomy - where muscle nerve tissue is removed from the eyelid - can be recommended to alleviate symptoms. The NEI recommends seeing an eye doctor if: Source: NEI 'It's the stress of it as well that makes it worse. Anytime I'm really stressed it will make my eyes closed and accounting, I found it really stressful.' For her, the biggest struggle is loss of freedom and independence. She can't go out by herself if her eyes are closed, unless someone can drop her off. Tia-Leigh avoids solo outings because she gets 'too anxious not being able to see it'. 'I'm basically inside most of the time,' she said. 'It stops me doing things I enjoy. I used to do a lot of crocheting but you need to have two hands to do that so I can't do that even when I'm at home. 'I can't go down and make my dinner because I've got one hand so I'm restricted to what I can and can't make.' Furthermore, she gas to ask her family to make her meals, and sometimes cut her food up for her. 'It's like I'm going back to being a child again because I can't use a knife and fork and see what I'm doing,' the 20-year-old added. Tia-Leigh got married in December 2024 and had to time her Botox injections to ensure she could see on her wedding day. 'I wanted to make sure that I had the Botox two weeks before my wedding because it takes my eyes about a week to open after I've had it done,' she explained. 'It was a scary day and I think that's one of the reasons that prompted us to get married so quickly. 'I wanted to make sure I was going to be able to get married and be able to have my eyes open to see what's going on.' Another future concern is having a baby in the future. 'I often have nightmares about it to be honest because even when I have Botox done, at night-time my eyes don't open,' she continued. 'Night-time is the worst, they just won't open at all. I have nightmares about a baby next to me and it's crying and I can't wake my husband up and I can't get around to help because of my eyes. 'I do know now there are things that can be put in place to help because obviously people who are blind all the time still have children.' The current solution relies on a trial and error year plan from her doctor. 'He's going to change the volume of the Botox in the top and bottom lid of my eyes,' Tia-Leigh said. 'He might change slightly where he puts the injections and he's going to be monitoring it and seeing how long it lasts. 'It's about hoping he'll be able to find a better balance so we can have some longer effects out of the Botox.' She has been documenting her experiences on TikTok, where Tia-Leigh has more than 3,700 followers.
