Divine Word College of LaoagGRADUATE SCHOOL

Laoag City

ARTICLES ABOUT BLINDNESSas a requirement in

SPED 212- PSYCHOLOGY AND GUIDANCE OF

EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

Submitted by:

JOEL P. SALADINOMAED Student

Submitted to:

DR. JOVENITA ARAGONSPED 212 Professoor

Date Submitted: July 25, 2015

The Blind Man Who Taught Himself to SeeBy Michael Finkel  Mar 2011

Daniel Kish has been sightless since he was a year old. Yet he can mountain bike. And navigate the wilderness alone. And recognize a building as far away as 1,000 feet. How? The same way bats can see in the dark.

Credit: Steve Pyke

The first thing Daniel Kish does, when I pull up to his tidy gray bungalow in Long Beach, California, is make fun of my driving. "You're going to leave it that far from the curb?" he asks. He's standing on his stoop, a good 10 paces from my car. I glance behind me as I walk up to him. I am, indeed, parked about a foot and a half from the curb.

The second thing Kish does, in his living room a few minutes later, is remove his prosthetic eyeballs. He does this casually, like a person taking off a smudged pair of glasses. The prosthetics are thin convex shells, made of acrylic plastic, with light brown irises. A couple of times a day they need to be cleaned. "They get gummy," he explains. Behind them is mostly scar tissue. He wipes them gently with a white cloth and places them back in.

Kish was born with an aggressive form of cancer called retinoblastoma, which attacks the retinas. To save his life, both of his eyes were removed by the time he was 13 months old. Since his infancy – Kish is now 44 – he has been adapting to his blindness in such remarkable ways that some people have wondered if he's playing a grand practical joke. But Kish, I can confirm, is completely blind.

He knew my car was poorly parked because he produced a brief, sharp click with his tongue. The sound waves he created traveled at a speed of more than 1,000 feet per second, bounced off every object around him, and returned to his ears at the same rate, though vastly decreased in volume.

But not silent. Kish has trained himself to hear these slight echoes and to interpret their meaning. Standing on his front stoop, he could visualize, with an extraordinary degree of precision, the two pine trees on his front lawn, the curb at the edge of his street, and finally, a bit too far from that curb, my rental car. Kish has given a name to what he does – he calls it "FlashSonar" – but it's more commonly known by its scientific term, echolocation.

Bats, of course, use echolocation. Beluga whales too. Dolphins. And Daniel Kish. He is so accomplished at echolocation that he's able to pedal his mountain bike through streets heavy with traffic and on precipitous dirt trails. He climbs trees. He camps out, by himself, deep in the wilderness. He's lived for weeks at a time in a tiny cabin a two-mile hike from the nearest road. He travels around the globe. He's a skilled cook, an avid swimmer, a fluid dance partner. Essentially, though in a way that is unfamiliar to nearly any other human being, Kish can see.

This is not enough for him. Kish is seeking – despite a lack of support from every mainstream blind organization in America – nothing less than a profound reordering of the way the world views blind people, and the way blind people view the world. He's tired of being told that the blind are best served by staying close to home, sticking only to memorized routes, and depending on the unreliable benevolence of the sighted to do anything beyond the most routine of tasks.

Kish preaches complete and unfettered independence, even if the result produces the occasional bloody gash or broken bone. (He once fractured the heel of his left foot after leaping from a rock and has broken a couple of teeth.) He's regarded by some in the blind community with deep veneration. Others, like a commenter on the National Federation of the Blind's listserv, consider him "disgraceful" for promoting behavior such as tongue clicking that could be seen as off-putting and abnormal.

Kish and a handful of coworkers run a nonprofit organization called World Access for the Blind, headquartered in Kish's home. World Access offers training on how to gracefully interact with one's environment, using echolocation as a primary tool. So far, in the decade it has existed, the organization has introduced more than 500 students to echolocation. Kish is not the first blind person to use echolocation, but he's the only one to meticulously document it, to break it down into its component parts, and to figure out how to teach it. His dream is to help all sight-impaired people see the world as clearly as he does.

Read more: http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/the-blind-man-who-taught-himself-to-see-20120504#ixzz3gV2YghlL Follow us: @mensjournal on Twitter | MensJournal on Facebook

Lesser-known things about being blindBy Emma TraceyBBC News, Ouch 18 September 2014

There are a small number of questions that blind people seem to get asked regularly. But here are five lesser-known things about blindness from those who know.

Can blind people hear better than sighted people?

There is an often-quoted view that a blind person's remaining four senses are heightened to compensate for their lack of vision. In popular culture, sightless superhero Daredevil makes use of his super senses to save the world, and in the film Scent of a Woman, Al Pacino's blind character could tell one perfume from another at the drop of a hat.

Many blind people feel their hearing is no better than sighted people's - it's just that they have to listen more intently to sounds around them. They gauge distance and direction of traffic by ear to avoid being hit by a car, and will tune into announcements at stations to find out which platform their train is on. Sighted people are more likely to focus on the display boards when travelling.

But there is some evidence to support the heightened senses theory. Research at the University of Montreal in 2012 suggests that a blind person's brain does re-wire itself to use the visual cortex. Normally preoccupied with seeing, it's hijacked to improve the processing of other information such as sound and touch.

Many blind people use reflected sound waves to build a mental picture of their surroundings (similar to bats and dolphins) in a process known as echolocation. Most use it all the time without realising, to avoid walking into things. Others claim to be able to tell an object's distance, size, texture and density by clicking their tongue against the roof of their mouth about three times per second and are able to go hiking and cycling without a white cane or a dog.

Can blind people see in their dreams?

People who were born blind have no understanding of how to see in their waking lives, so they can't see in their dreams. But most blind people lose their sight later in life and can dream visually. Danish research in 2014 found that as time passes, a blind person is less likely to dream in pictures.

The same research says that people who are born blind have more nightmares than sighted people. The theory is that nightmares are mental rehearsals of potentially distressing events, and they can help develop coping mechanisms. For example, blind people in the study reported dreaming about getting lost, being hit by a car or losing their guide dog.

How do blind people choose their clothes?

Over time, many blind people will get a feel for the shape and style of clothes that suit them and they will tend to shop with trusted people.

The fashion-conscious blind person puts considerable energy into ensuring that their outfits match, but technology is often needed for differentiating between colours. A colour detector is a talking gadget which, when pressed against a piece of clothing for a second or two, loudly announces "light olive green" or "dark blue" in a posh English accent. They aren't totally

accurate and tend to be used occasionally when sorting laundry and checking items which feel similar.

Blind people have various systems for keeping track of their clothes. Some will sew different shaped buttons on to labels to denote colours. Others might cut the labels in various ways. Some favour the Pen Friend, a barcode reader with labels that can be loaded with information about the clothing, including colour and washing instructions. Others will just try and remember the information or buy clothes that all match.

What do guide dogs actually do?

Contrary to popular belief, guide dogs do not tell their owner when it is time to cross the road and they do not take their owner where they want to go based on an instruction such as "find the shops".

Guide dogs walk in a straight line, always on the left of a person, and are trained to keep an eye on their owner's right shoulder to protect against collisions. They avoid obstacles and stop at kerbs. They know their left from right. Sometimes dogs might lead their owner into overhanging branches because its trickier for them to judge overhead obstacles. It all takes practice. It's a partnership and owners often consider they're driving the dog rather than being led by it.

Unofficially, guide dogs can provide good companionship for isolated blind people. Their presence can help owners feel safer while out and about. And of course, a dog can be a good ice-breaker in a social situation.

How do blind people use computers and smartphones?

Blind and visually impaired people use computer technology in three ways. Some, who can see a bit, can get software that magnifies everything on the screen to a size they can easily read.

Totally blind people have two options. A Braille display can sit underneath a keyboard and provide a tactile version of words on the screen, one line at a time. But less than 1% of the two million people with vision problems in the UK can read Braille, and anyway, the display can cost thousands of pounds.

A far more popular option is a screenreader - software which reads the screen in an intelligent way, using a synthetic voice. Voices are improving in quality all the time but many old-school blind computer users stick to the one that sounds like Stephen Hawking, because it can be understood at a fast speed and because they're used to its pronunciation. After a while, users stop noticing what their screenreader sounds like and crank it up to a speed that's unintelligible to the average person. Some use both Braille and speech together.

Ten quirky things that (really) annoy people who are blind

February 4, 2013

GAYLE YARNALL

I think it is time to talk about some of the things that really annoy blind people.

1. Those tiny little stickers on every single piece of fruit you buy. I  try to remember to look for them and even when I do, I miss them more often than not.   I  wonder how many stickers I have eaten in my lifetime. Are they harmful to my health? Will they find hundreds of them in my coffin 50 years after I am dead? I try to pretend I don't notice my friends and family picking them off fruit I serve. (Although my family makes a point of telling me they   found   them.) 

2. Pieces of paper taped to the outside of the stall door in a public bathroom. What does this  little note tell  me? Is there a County   Fair   going   on   this  weekend?  Has   the   bathroom   been recently  painted?   If   I  flush   the   toilet  will   the  entire  bathroom flood? I think there should be a law stating that you can only put these   notes   up   in   case   of   an   actual   emergency. 3. Flight attendants who tell you to wait in your seat, and assure you they'll come for you if there is an emergency. These are the same people who can't remember to bring you change for the drink you ordered or the water you asked for. Why would I think that when the plane is falling into the ocean, they will come back to my seat and help me? If something happens, I am out of there!   I   am   not   waiting   for   some   overworked   person   to remember that I am in seat 24-F and then buck the tide of rushing humanity   to   come   and   help   me! 4. Car door handles. When I become president of the United States   I'm  going   to  pass  a   law   that  all   door  handles  must  be located in the same spot on every car door. I hate looking for car door handles! (I don't think the car manufacturers have to worry. My past  is far too colorful  for me to ever consider running for president.) 5. Phone numbers that use cute little words instead of numbers. Say you need to dial 1-800-HELP-NOW. The 1-800 goes without a snag. Then you get to the letter H. You might remember there is no letter on the 1 button so you move to 2 and think, A-B-C. Then you move to the 3 button and think, D-E-F. By the time you get to H, you took too long and your phone call gets cut off! The problem with cordless phones is that they are too easy to throw across the room. Actually, blind people can't throw things when they are angry because then the thing is lost until someone 

else   finds   it.   So   what's   the   point? 6. Significant others who leave their socks on the floor. If you are blind and you like a clean house, but your significant other defines "clean" in a slightly different way, you have a problem. I tried to give my husband certain spaces he can mess up. This does not always work. (What a shock.) My husband is encouraged to put all his junk on the coffee table in the den, but sometimes he gets creative. Last week he was out of town so I decided to sit in his recliner. Tucked nicely in the corner I found one of his socks. I knew they  traveled  in  pairs   so   I   searched  for   the second one. During the search I found the second sock on the floor, along with his   shoes   and   a   half-filled   cup   of   three-day-old   coffee.  7. Impossible-to-open packaging. Most  bottles  of  things  (like vitamins)   are   sealed   at   least   three   different  ways.   I   have   no complaint about the box the bottle is in as long as it is not shrink-wrapped. I don't mind the tamperproof paper seal under the lid. But I run into trouble with those tight plastic seals that fasten the bottle cap to the bottle. They have a marking that indicates where to tear, but if you can't see that marking, well, you're in for some fun. First of all, make sure you're somewhere you can't be seen. Then you should  wash  the  bottle   top because  you're  going   to need your teeth. Teeth work well for lifting that plastic seal just enough   to   get   your  fingernail   under   it   so   you   can   tear   it.  Of course,   the   top  part  of   the  plastic   seal   that's  on   the   cap  will frequently separate from the part that actually holds the cap to the bottle.  When that  happens,  there  is  no place to grab with your teeth. This is when you get a knife. You stick it under the part   that   is   left and  try  again.  After  you  get   this  evil  piece  of plastic completely off the bottle and open the lid, you'll find you are still kept from the aspirin you desperately need, at this point, 

by that tamperproof seal.  Never fear. You still  have your knife. 8. The petty annoyances of travel. Any blind person who has traveled   alone   will   tell   you   at   least   three   things   they   find annoying:o Unintentional exhibitionism. When you stay  in a hotel  by yourself,  you probably   leave the room with the curtain closed. When you return it is dark. You probably don't need a light, but you put one on anyway. You know you left the curtain closed so you begin to get undressed. The maid has cleaned your room, and they like open curtains. You better hope you're on an upper floor.o Credit card-type door keys. Some of  these hotel  keycards have little holes in them, and you can remember how the holes are oriented when you insert the card into the lock. A lot of them are totally smooth on both sides. You have four chances to get it right.  For some reason, I  have never done it   in less than three tries. (I actually have a solution to this problem. Ask the person at the front desk to cut one of the corners on the card. Be sure to have him or her cut the corner that does not go into the lock.)o Identical floor plans on every floor. Have you noticed how all floors in a hotel look pretty much alike? If you are blind, you count landmarks. These could be lights, soda machines, doors or turns. More times than I can count, I have ended up at the wrong room because I got off the elevator on the wrong floor. This is not a big deal if the door you try to open by inserting the card about eight times does not open. However, when someone you don't know   opens   the   door,   then   the   fun   begins. 9. When someone comes up to me in a crowd and says, "Guess who this is?" Do they think blind people can remember everyone's  voice  and know who they are   from  just   those   four words?   In   fact,  we  don't  have  a   special  place   in  our  memory where we file away a mental recording of everyone we have ever 

met saying, "Guess who this is?" I always want to come back with some   smart   answer   like,   "I   know,   you're   Daffy   Duck!" 10. That mystery food you left in your refrigerator three weeks ago. (Plus a helpful hint.) I  know you've left something in your refrigerator   long  enough   that  when  you  come across   it   again, you've   completely   forgotten  what's   in   the  container.  Everyone has. If you have vision, you can gently open the lid and peek in while holding your nose. If you are blind, you have to really stick your nose in there and figure out what it is. This can be horrifying. My helpful hint: I store everything in old glass jars. If my husband is home, he can look through the glass and tell me what's inside. If I am alone and, heaven help me, cleaning the refrigerator, I just toss the jar without ever opening it. It's not worth the risk. (Clear Ziploc bags also work well.)

Gayle Yarnall was director of adaptive technology at Perkins Products from 2008 to 2012.Read more about: Families, Living With Blindness