Thunder Dog - Michael Hingson [80]
Braille Writer, Brailler: Braille writer has become a common usage term referring to the Perkins Braille Writer manufactured by Howe Press. These machines are the workhorses of manual braille preparation. In using them, the index, long and ring fingers of each hand are placed on the keys to the left and right of the long space bar in the center front. Dots 1, 2 and 3 are created by pressing the left-hand index, long or ring finger. Dots 4, 5, and 6 are created by pressing the right-hand index, long or ring finger. To create more than one dot, the machine allows you to press those keys simultaneously. Paper is loaded from the back and wound into the machine completely before beginning. As each line is completed, the paper is fed out the back of the machine.
Demographics, Visually Impaired: Demographics are the physical characteristics of a population such as age, sex, marital status, family size, education, geographic location, and occupation. The demographics for the visually impaired population are changing rapidly. On a world-wide basis, many eye diseases once causing much blindness are now growing less prevalent with the introduction of advanced medical care in developing nations. However, as that number shrinks, the number of individuals living long enough to experience eye diseases of the elderly such as macular degeneration is growing rapidly. For example, in the United States there are approximately 5 million people over age 65 with substantial vision loss according to the 2000 census. When the numbers are in for the 2010 census, this number is expected to double to 10 million.
Eye Disease: Conditions that impact the ability to see can be caused by injury, by lesions of the brain or optic nerve, by disease of the cornea or retina, by pathological changes originating in systemic disorders and by cataract, glaucoma, or retinal detachment. Blindness can be caused by infectious diseases and by dietary deficiencies in underdeveloped countries. More people than ever are facing the threat of blindness from age-related eye disease. Over one million Americans aged 40 and over are currently blind and an additional 2.4 million are visually impaired. These numbers are expected to double over the next 30 years as the Baby Boomer generation ages. The leading causes of vision impairment and blindness in the U.S. include: diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (the most common cause of blindness and vision impairment in Americans over age 60), cataract (the leading cause of blindness in the world), and glaucoma.
Guide Dog, Seeing Eye Dog: This is a specially trained dog that helps people who are blind as they walk about. The dog wears a specially designed harness with a handle shaped like an upside down “U,” allowing the user to grasp the harness comfortably while walking. These animals are highly trained and must always be considered to be a working tool not a pet to be casually admired or petted by other than the owner. Beginning shortly after weaning, these animals are carefully watched and reared to exhibit certain characteristics (obedience, calmness in strange surroundings, passivity when around other animals). Additionally, their health is monitored since only the healthiest animals will be used for the advanced training and offered to a blind person for years of service.
Handicap: A legal term used in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that is essentially synonymous with disability as described in the ADA.
Impaired Vision: The definition for most legal purposes in the United State is 20/200 vision with correction in the best eye, or field of vision less than 20 degrees. (See Legally Blind.)
Legally Blind: The definition for most legal purposes in the United State is 20/200 vision with correction in the best eye, or field of vision less than 20 degrees. From a practical point of view,