Being Visually Impaired During The Pandemic

For those who are blind or visually impaired, who "may not notice arrows on the floor directing foot traffic that have no texture to be felt," such [COVID-19] safety measures "present additional obstacles for safely navigating the pandemic-era world."
 
Read the full article by Well + Good about being visually impaired during the pandemic - and know that you and/or your loved ones are not alone in finding it difficult to navigate: CLICK HERE
 

Athlete Quits Team USA After She's Told She Can't Bring A Care Assistant

Becca Meyers, a six-time Paralympic medalist who is deaf and blind, will miss the Tokyo Paralympics after being told she could not bring her Personal Care Assistant — her mother, Maria Meyers — to the Summer Games. 

She called her decision to quit Team USA “gut-wrenching, and wrote: “So, in 2021, why as a disabled person am I still fighting for my rights?”

 

An image of Becca Meyers is depicted with the headline: "This deaf-blind Paralympian was told to navigate Tokyo alone. So she quit Team USA. Image/headline via New York Post."

 

As Meyers has stated of being deaf and blind, “We must continue to fight and advocate for ourselves so that future generations can have an easier tomorrow.” Accessibility matters, inclusion matters, and disability rights matter. Read more about Becca's story here.

Bringing Blind Hockey To Newark

As originally reported by the Morristown Daily Record, Josh Schneider of North Haledon, a member of the New York Metro Blind Hockey Team, organized a learn-to-skate clinic for the visually impaired at the RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House in Newark on Sunday, May 23rd, 2021. Learn more here: dailyrecord.com

 

Josh Schneider is pictured in full hockey uniform on the ice.

VLANJ Welcomes New Leader to Oversee Nonprofit’s Growth

Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey welcomes William Schuldt, a seasoned nonprofit professional, as its new president and CEO!
 

William Schuldt, VLANJ's New President and CEO, is smiling.

 
“Bill has solid management experience, and a passion for serving people with disabilities,” VLANJ Board of Trustees President Carl Augusto said. Schuldt’s selection by the VLANJ’s board of trustees culminated a nationwide search, Augusto noted. “We feel he’s a perfect fit to guide us toward growth and new heights of accomplishment.”
 
 
“I’m very excited to join VLANJ,” Schuldt said. “I’m very passionate about helping people with disabilities live their best life, and maximizing their independence.” Schuldt replaces Kris Marino, who led VLANJ for 6 ½ years.
 
 
Schuldt worked 33 years at Spectrum for Living, an organization serving more than 800 adults with developmental disabilities in New Jersey. He began his career working directly with clients, but moved into management positions over the years. He most recently served as vice president for operations.
 
 
“The connection with our clients is the most exciting thing to me. They feel like family,” the New Jersey native said. Schuldt said he was moved watching a recording of VLANJ’s 2020 virtual Dining in the Dark fundraiser and hearing participants’ stories about the impactful role the nonprofit has played in their lives.
 
 
Schuldt plans to work with VLANJ staff to expand quality virtual programming, while also preparing to reopen in-person classes. VLANJ quickly pivoted to online classes when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Enrollment increased three-fold, as people from across the state and beyond logged in or called in to a growing list of virtual programs.
 
 
“It’s time to take it to the next level,” said Schuldt, the father of three daughters. Schuldt’s other priorities for VLANJ include forming alliances and connections with other providers, and continuing to expand its exposure throughout the region and state. Schuldt and his wife, Sherrine, live in Hawthorne.
 
 
VLANJ, one of the state’s longest-serving nonprofits for adults who are blind or visually impaired, intends to expand services to meet the growing need, Augusto said. More than 160,000 New Jersey residents are blind or have severe vision loss, and that number is expected to increase as the population ages. By 2034, adults age 60 and over are projected to make up 25.4% of the state population.
 

Yogurt Container Chocolate Cake - No Scales Required!

 

Ming Wu, VLANJ Board Member

This delicious recipe was shared by one of our VLANJ Board Members, Ming Wu, and no scales are required - only an empty “yoghurt pot,” a.k.a. just a regular yogurt container! 

Yogurt Container Chocolate Cake

As Ming Wu explains, “As I am vision impaired, I can’t use traditional scales. Large font digital scales and talking scales are good alternatives, but they do take a bit of extra effort. Sometimes, that is absolutely fine, but when you need cake in a hurry and you have two small children in the kitchen ‘helping’, simple is best. This is where the yoghurt pot (yogurt container) method comes into its own.”

Click here to get the full, easy and tasty recipe via Ming Wu's blog, "A Blinding Light."

New Study Predicts Doubling Of Sight Loss & Blindness By 2050

Researchers led by Rupert Bourne, Professor of Ophthalmology at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), led a team of researchers who examined more than 500 studies showing trends in prevalence of blindness and vision loss, allowing them to make forecasts about vision loss over the next three decades. Click the link below to read about it!

Two blue eyes stare look outward.

Blindness and sight loss to double by 2050

Blindness and severe vision impairment is predicted to affect almost 900 million people worldwide by 2050-up from around 338 million today, according to a new pre-print study accepted by The Lancet and highlighted on World Sight Day (8 October).

A New Technique To Reverse Vision Loss

What happens when you inject healthy cells into damaged eyes? Click the article link below to learn more about a recent study on this topic.

A redheaded woman with large green eyes adjusts her glasses as she stares into the camera.

New cell injection technique could help reverse forms of vision loss

University of Toronto Engineering researchers have developed a new method of injecting healthy cells into damaged eyes. The technique could point the way toward new treatments with the potential to reverse forms of vision loss that are currently incurable. Around the world, millions of people live with vision loss due to conditions such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or retinitis pigmentosa.