Tag: Disability
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Three Inventions for the Blind that Changed My Life
National Inventors Month After I went blind some 20 years ago, I needed tools to adjust to my new life. I knew that as a blind person I wasn’t going to be very successful without some kind of accommodation or modification to the way I was living and moving in the world. May is National…
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Got Zoom Fatigue? Go Audio Like Me.
A few weeks ago, I was reading an interesting newspaper article about people struggling with Zoom calls. In the article it referred to a Stanford University research study that revealed what people like me, who work from home, already know-Zoom fatigue is real. Sitting at a desk for long periods of time while staring at…
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Ever Lee Hairston Shares er Ambitious Life Journey of Blindness
Reading with My Ears Book Review The first time I heard about Ever Lee Hairston was several years ago when I read the book The Hairstons: An American Family in Black and White by Henry Wiencek. In this depiction of two large families; the author wrote about an incident at a family reunion. Ever Lee…
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Films About the Disabled Receive 2021 Oscar Nominations
WooHoo! Three films featuring people with disabilities got the Oscar nod this year. I was so excited because representation matters. I was able to view two of the three films enjoying them both. The Oscars have been criticized in the pass for its lack of diversity and inclusion but this year I saw progress. The…
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How I Volunteer Virtually Regardless of a Pandemic
National Volunteer Week When most people think of volunteering in the community it is something that you physically do such as feeding the homeless, building a house, tutoring/reading to children, registering people to vote, or running errands for seniors. All of those tasks are great volunteer opportunities and are well needed in the community but…
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Painting Glass and Ceramic Pottery in the Dark
Today is World Art Day Before losing my sight, I was on the path of a new career in the fashion industry. Yes, I know you are probably in shock because all I have ever talked about is my writing and non-profit work. But yes, I had other career ambitions. Back in the late 1990s…
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My Treadmill is Used for Walking Not a Clothes Hanger
National Walking Day One day I was having my treadmill serviced and the maintenance guy told me, “I can tell you actually use this treadmill. It is not a clothes hanger like my other customers.” I had to chuckle when he said that because he was right. Although that compliment was said some years ago,…
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Recognizing 5 Black Women in Journalism During Women’s History Month
When I was taking courses in journalism in college, I learned about women in the news but they were more modern-day women verses historical. Since March is National Women’s History Month, I wanted to honor some women that impacted the industry from the past. Some of the women are not as well-known while others are…
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Maintaining Happiness During a Pandemic
Today people are celebrating the International Day of Happiness. Is it possible to be happy or to maintain happiness during a pandemic? Yes, I think so. First let’s look at the definition. According to Merriam-Webster the word happiness means “a state of wellbeing and contentment.” Now, I take this to mean that it is a…
Empish J. Thomas 