Free Republic

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed S. 841, The Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act, legislation that will provide blind, visually impaired, and other pedestrians greater security when traveling in close proximity to hybrid or electric vehicles. "The passage of this legislation is momentous and marks over two years of vigorous advocacy by ACB membership that has resulted in consensus by the blind community, auto industry, and Congress," stated Mitch Pomerantz, President of the American Council of the Blind. "The silent nature of hybrid and electric vehicles, coupled with their growing popularity, presents a dilemma....

A little girl who has been blind since birth has seen her mother and father for the first time - at the age of four. Izabelle Evans can now see up to three feet in front of her after groundbreaking stem cell treatment in China costing £50,000. Parents James Evans and Hollie McHugh said nothing could beat the feeling of the first time their daughter looked into their eyes and said: 'mummy' and 'daddy'.

My mom and I were actually looking to adopt a new cat when we got Jack. I have a friend who boards her horse at a local riding stable and one of the barn cats gave birth to a kitten. It seemed that spaying didn’t work on the cat, so she gave birth to a single, deformed kitten and was not able to produce milk. Luckily the owners recently had her fixed, so I’m hoping this doesn’t happen again. Jack (at the time he was known as Stevie Wonder) was born without eyes. He’s very lucky with his timing....

As a blind Muslim woman, Mona Ramouni has had to make do without a guide dog her whole life. The 28-year-old's strictly religious parents would not allow a dog in the house, considering the animal unclean. But then Miss Ramouni stumbled across a website article about miniature guide horses in April 2008. 'It was something that I never thought about for myself,' she said. The psychology student used three years of savings from her job at a Braille proofreading company to pay for a horse to be trained to act as her guide. Since welcoming three-year-old guide horse Cali into...

All warm blooded animals were created by God to have five basic senses. However, when we lose our sight, or are born blind, we find it difficult to deal with a world made for those who see. Blind people cope in a world built for eyes by using trained guide dogs. It has been a partnership that both man and dog have learned to appreciate and love. Well, what I have for you today is a video of a German Spitz dog named Rowan, who was born with no eyes. Except for his owner who takes care of him, he...

HOUSTON (AP) -- Suzi Hanks reads Playboy magazine for the articles. And the jokes. And the letters and cartoons. And yes, for the pictures. Each week, for an hour, Hanks snuggles close to a microphone in a tiny soundproof closet, reading - and describing in great detail - portions of the latest Playboy issue for the blind.

MSNBC UNHINGED: Host Says He is Sorry Glenn Beck is Going Blind Because He Won't See The Country He is Trying To Destroy Naked Emperor News

Sorry, but I just have to say this. WTF is wrong with this guy? I've been tolerating this kind of BS from this guy Savage because I agree with him on a lot of issues, but this is way over the top- NO MORE!!!!! Regardless of whether you like both/either one of these guys, don't you think this is counterproductive and divides conservatives at a time we REALLY REALLY need to be together? Michael Savage attacks Glenn Beck; calls him the 'hemorrhoid with eyes', crazy, and a fraud (among other things) after Glenn announces he may be going blind. He...

During a tearful and passionate speech at his "American Revival" meeting in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Fox News host Glenn Beck revealed that he may be going blind. During his speech (video below), Beck told the audience, "I can't focus my eyes." Taking a shot at health care reform, Beck said, "I went to the best doctor I could find, while I could still go to the best doctor I can find." Beck, 46, says he has been diagnosed with macular dystrophy, and joked that the doctor told him, "You could go blind in the next year . ....

I don't think I have ever seen a dog wearing glasses before. Well other then in cartoons anyway. You must admit that it takes a lot of love and patience to teach a blind dog how to play fetch. Then again, I must admit that I have no clue as to whether or not the dog went blind eventually or was born blind. Follow this link to see the video of the Vision Impaired Dog Wearing Glasses Playing Fetch

WASHINGTON -- Could a blind person drive a car? Researchers are trying to make that far-flung notion a reality. The National Federation of the Blind and Virginia Tech plan to demonstrate a prototype vehicle next year equipped with technology that helps a blind person drive a car independently.

ELMO, Mo. | When Charlie Wilks went turkey hunting Saturday, he didn’t get to see the big gobbler that strutted across a field and put on a show in front of him. Wilks, 14, has been blind since age 6, when a brain tumor took away his sight. But that didn’t keep him from shooting a trophy bird on his first turkey hunt. Against all odds — and with a lot of help from a couple of mentors who went to great lengths to organize the special hunt — he accomplished the seemingly impossible. “Even though I’m blind, I don’t...

A pornographic magazine for the blind has been launched - complete with explicit text and raised pictures of naked men and women.The book, the brainchild of Lisa Murphy and called Tactile Minds, is designed to be 'enjoyed' by the blind and visually impaired - and is on sale for £150. Among the 17 raised images include a naked woman in a 'disco pose', a woman with 'perfect breasts' and a 'male love robot'. Canadian Lisa says that she made the book to fill a gap in the market, adding: "There are no books of tactile pictures of nudes for adults....

He has no legs and no eyesight, but Marine Cpl. Matthew Bradford has four more years of military service ahead of him after becoming the first blind double-amputee to re-enlist. The rifleman was injured in January 2007 in Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded right under him, the San Antonio Express-News reported. But after years at the Center for the Intrepid, a privately funded, cutting-edge rehabilitation center, Bradford, 23, has learned to walk with prosthetic limbs and navigate without his vision, and he only regrets that he can’t return to combat duty in Iraq, the paper reported. Instead the Kentucky...

Mike Hanson plans to hike the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail end to end, without ever seeing the ground under his feet. On Monday in Georgia, the St. Louis Park man -- who lost his sight at birth -- will start his seven-month trek to Maine, navigating by GPS. He has mastered its use by cell phone and trusts global positioning technology to steer his every step. "It gives me everything I would need to know about the trail but the view," Hanson said. "I will be able to hear and smell what is going on." If he makes it, he'll be...

West Point, N.Y., Feb. 2, 2010 – Soldier, infantryman, Airborne Ranger, combat diver, mountain climber, skier, tri-athlete, surfer, husband and father are just a few words to describe Army Capt. Scott M. Smiley. Army Capt. Scott M. Smiley salutes 1st Sgt. Deon E. Dabrio after returning the guidon during the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Unit change of command ceremony at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., Feb. 1, 2010. Smiley is the first blind officer and second wounded warrior to hold a position of command. U.S. Army photo by Tommy Gilligan  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Yesterday, the...

Just an observation. Watching it just now the "blind Ralphie" scene was cut. The movie (at least the 2 AM showing) is missing the scene after Melinda Dillon tastes the soap when it should have cut to Ralphie. Offensive to the sight-impaired I guess, not that they'd have seen it. I told you not to use "Lifebuoy." Major Award destruction. Household accident or domestic violence by proxy?

FORT BENNING, Ga., Dec. 24, 2009 – The first blind student to attend the Maneuver Captain's Career Course here graduated with his class Dec. 15 in a ceremony attended by family and friends. Army Lt. Col. Fredrick Dummar, commander of the Special Operations Recruiting Battalion at Fort Bragg, N.C., congratulates Army Capt. Ivan Castro on graduating from the Maneuver Captain's Career Course at Fort Benning, Ga., Dec. 15, 2009. Castro, who will be assigned to the recruiting battalion, is the first blind student to attend the course. U.S. Army photo by Kristin Molinaro   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available....

FRESNO, Calif. -- An experimental device that uses the tongue instead of the eyes to "see" could be on the market next year, and a blind Fresno, Calif., teen hopes to be among the first to take one home. Researchers say their BrainPort device does not replace the sense of sight, but lets the blind perceive images, making it easier for them to navigate their surroundings. One group they foresee benefiting: Troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are blind because of brain injuries. BrainPort consists of a tiny digital camera mounted on sunglasses. The camera is attached by a...

Surror Yousif Nasar, president of the Basrah Blind Association, recently demonstrated talking software to a member of his association. With this technology, BBA members can now email and surf the Internet. The U. S. State Department's Basrah Provincial Reconstruction Team provided the software after hearing of the association’s needs. Photo courtesy of Multi-National Division – South. BASRAH — Under the former regime, many elements of civil society were neglected here, including the handicapped. Upon hearing of the needs of the Basrah Blind Association, the U.S. State Department's Provincial Reconstruction Team asked how it might help. "It's an honor to meet...