Tag: Disability
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Blindness and Disability are Popular Themes for October
The fall is my favorite season and time of the year. The weather is cooler. The autumn colors of brown, orange, golden yellow, dark red and green are on display. October is the month when all of this jumps off. But one other thing I recently noticed is the number of blind and disabled observations…
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Its a White Cane Not a Stick
The white cane has enabled me to travel safely and confidently by detecting stairs, sidewalk curbs, doorways and obstacles. It gives me the added security and protection I need so that I don’t stumble, fall or run into things. It identifies me as a person with a vision impairment. When people see my cane, they…
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I’ve Become My Own Tech Support When Working From Home
Although I got a degree in journalism sometimes, I wish I had also gotten one in computer and informational science because I have had to become my own tech support over the years. This is partly due to my disability and using a screen reader on my computer. I have had to learn not only…
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Why I Don’t Have a Guide Dog
As a blind person people ask me this question often, “Empish, why don’t you have a guide dog?” Followed up by more inquiries of, “wouldn’t a guide dog be better to use than a white cane?” and “Wouldn’t a guide dog provide companionship and protection?” These are fair and valid questions. I answer them by…
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Strengthening My Body to Help Prevent Falls
Every since I lost my vision, I have become aware of my body and how it functions. When I went through my vision rehabilitation training program, I learned how to use my other senses to function and move in the world. As I have gotten older, I also recognized that the body breaks down and…
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Thirty Days to Census 2020 Deadline
If you haven’t heard the news by now, the US Census Bureau is ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census on September 30, a month earlier than previously announced. So that means if you haven’t filled out your form time is ticking and the opportunity to be counted is quickly closing. I completed my…
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Working and Writing in the Disability Nonprofit World
If someone told me in college while pursuing a journalism degree that 6 months after graduation, I would be visually impaired and later have a career in the disability nonprofit world I would have said they were ridiculous. But that is exactly what happened! During that time, I was laser focused and incredibly ambitious; obtaining…
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Four Reasons I’m Thankful for the ADA
July 26th will mark the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It was in 1990 when I was a freshman in college that Former President George H. W. Bush signed this powerful piece of civil rights legislation into law. On that day, with disability advocates and policy makers present, the door was…
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Review of NLS Graphic Novel the March Trilogy by Congressman John Lewis
Editor’s note: Civil Rights icon, Congressman John Lewis passed away on Friday, July 17th from pancreatic cancer. Many news reports, articles, blogs, podcast and conversations are happening right now about this incredible man and the major accomplishments he made to push the needle forward for equality for everyone. As a resident of Atlanta, I have…
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Watching 2020 Oscar Winner Parasite with Subtitles in Audio Description
Last week I finally got to see the 2020 Oscar winner Parasite. The Audio Description Project streamed a copy of it during the American Council of the Blind’s annual convention. This film is about the wealthy Park family as their lives are slowly infiltrated by the poor Kim family. They deceive their gullible counterparts into…
Empish J. Thomas 