CFI Blog

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Diana Reeves MD is a diplomat of the American Board of Ophthalmology, highly trained in diagnosing and treating the full spectrum of retinal diseases. She holds an MD degree and a Master in Medical Sciences from Boston University School of Medicine from where she graduated Cum Laude. After years of experience in general surgery, neurosurgery and comprehensive hospital care she completed an ophthalmology residency followed by two consecutive fellowships in medical and surgical retina at Vanderbilt University with the world renowned professor J. Donald M. Gass MD and at the University of Washington in Seattle.

Dr. Reeves has been a clinical instructor and teaching assistant at many academic institutions including : University of Colorado Denver. She is the recipient of many awards and honors including; the best Resident Research Paper (2002), national winner of the Rabb-Venable Ophthalmology Award for Outstanding Research (2001) and the Memorial Achievement Citation from the American Medical Women’s Association (1995).

Screen readers are software programs that allow blind or visually impaired users to read the text that is displayed on the computer screen with a speech synthesizer. A screen reader is the interface between the computer’s operating system, its applications, and the user. The user sends commands by pressing different combinations of keys on the computer keyboard to instruct the speech synthesizer what to say and to speak automatically when changes occur on the computer screen. A command can instruct the synthesizer to read or spell a word, read a line or full screen of text, find a string of text on the screen, announce the location of the computer’s cursor or focused item, and so on. In addition, it allows users to perform more advanced functions, such as locating text displayed in a certain color, reading pre-designated parts of the screen on demand, reading highlighted text, and identifying the active choice in a menu. Users may also use the spell checker in a word processor or read the cells of a spreadsheet with a screen reader.
Screen readers are currently available for use with personal computers running Linux, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP operating systems. Each screen reader incorporates a different command structure, and most support a variety of speech synthesizers. Prices range from $250 to $1,500.
Screen readers are used mainly by people who do not have useful vision to read text on the screen. A screen reader can also be the product of choice for someone with vision that is useful for travel, but not for reading. In the long run, learning to listen to speech output will prove more productive for such individuals than struggling to read text while leaning close to the computer screen.
Here are some questions to ask when purchasing screen readers:
• Is the screen reader compatible with your computer’s operating system?
• Does it work with your braille display?
• Can it read a word, line, and paragraph of text?
• Do its commands conflict with Windows keyboard commands?
• What keystrokes are used for the program’s basic and advanced functions? Are the keystrokes easy to remember? Is it possible to change the key combinations if they conflict with those used by application programs?
• Do you need high-quality speech, which is more expensive, or can you function comfortably and efficiently with lower quality speech?
• Does the synthesizer mispronounce many words? Can you listen to it comfortably for more than 15 minutes without getting a headache?
• Is the synthesizer to be used on one desktop machine or in more than one location? If the synthesizer is to be used in one location, an internal card may be preferable because it does not occupy a computer port.

16 Products in Category

BRLTTY
CakeTalking
Dolphin Pen
Hal (Professional)
Hal (Standard)
JAWS (Job Access with Speech) for Windows (Professional)
JAWS (Job Access with Speech) for Windows (Standard)
NVDA (Nonvisual Desktop Access)
Orca
Speakup
System Access
System Access Stand-alone Mobile
System Access Surfboard
Thunder
VoiceOver
Window-Eyes Professional

What is low vision?

Low vision is a term used to describe a level of vision that is 20/70 or worse and cannot be corrected with conventional glasses.  Unlike a person who is blind, a person with low vision has some useful sight. However, low vision usually interferes with the performance of daily activities. A person with low vision may not be able to recognize images from a distance or differentiate colors.

Low vision can occur at any stage of life, although it primarily affects the elderly. Low vision is not a natural part of aging. Most people experience some physiological changes with age (presbyopia) where the need for glasses occurs. These changes usually do not lead to low vision.  People develop low vision because of eye diseases. Common causes particularly in older adults are age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD):   a chronic condition that causes central vision loss.

Symptoms: Straight lines or faces appearing wavy.

Doorways seeming crooked.

Objects appearing smaller or farther away.

Glaucoma: a disease of the eye caused by a gradual degeneration of the cells in the optic nerve. It increases the pressure inside the eye that causes damage.

Symptoms: Narrowing field of vision starting at the periphery.

Intraocular pressure.

Optic disk cupping.

Diabetic Retinopathy: a visual disorder associated with diabetes that causes retinal blood vessels to leak into the retina causing macular edema.

Symptoms: Blurring of vision.

Cloudy vision.

Blind spots.

Floaters.

Some risk factors are but aren’t limited to; high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking, just to name a few. Location is also a factor in risk. Higher altitude with less atmospheric cover causes eye problems. Sunglasses are always recommended.

The information is endless and knowledge is power. To learn more, attend a free seminar “ Maintaining Your Independence with Low Vision” on Wednesday, February 8^th, 2012, from 9 – 2 at the Center for Independence 740 Gunnison Avenue, Grand Junction. Experts in the field of eye care and treatment will be presenting on several topics. Please call 241-0315 to reserve your seat at the seminar. For more information, call 241-0315, 1-800-613-2271, or www.cfigj.org.

Hope your Holidays were the best ever! The Low Vision group (Western Slope Visionaries) continues to grow and prosper. This past Holiday was very busy for the group. We had Steve Davis, one of own members teach the group how to fold paper money to allow us to differentiate between the denominations, very helpful! Our annual Christmas Party was once again hosted by Carl and Sandy Hyde at their home. Thanks so much Sandy and Carl, great fun was had by all!! John, CFI's Tech Specialist gave interesting and useful Tech Tips to the group. We took a break between Christmas and New Years but are gearing up for more fun and education upcoming in the New Year! Please contact Cathy at 214-3015 for information about this support group and to find out how to join.

Posted in Sandi's blog on 20 October 2011 | 5 Comments

Today's blog is sponsored by Siri. Well, not really, but im using Siri to write it.

For those of you who are not total geeks like me, Siri is the new voice recognition software that comes pre-installed on the new iPhone 4S. For those of you who use Dragon or Dictate, you will be pretty familiar with how Siri works, as it would appear that Siri is using the same system.

Although I have the Dictate App on both my iPhone and iPad, and the DragonDictate software on my Mac, I have not really started using it for writing. I don't really know why, because the software is excellent and I am always amazed at how well it renders my waffle. Conversely with Siri, I am finding that I want to use it quite a lot, not only because it listens to me and obeys me, but because it is just so darn convenient. It is so well integrated into the iPhone 4S that it's almost impossible not to use it, as it is readily available within the keyboard as an alternative to typing.

In addition, and probably more importantly, Siri is the first mainstream implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) I have seen that is anywhere close to what I would hope it to be. I know that it's early days, but I wanted to write whilst Siri and I are still in our honeymoon period.

I clapped hands on my new phone last Friday and I have been exploring and enjoying all of the new features, but I keep on coming back to playing with Siri. It is a vast improvement on the voice recognition that was on my old iPhone 3GS. I remember trying to call my friend David and having it ask me if I wanted to listen to Miles Davis. Siri is light years ahead, and although it is far from perfect, I am hoping that this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

A bit of a disclaimer for fanboys and pedants - this is not a full scale review or a critique of the software, as this blog post is also serving as a little experiment: I want to find out if I can write a full blog using Siri without having to edit it by hand, apart from the occasional mistake. Even artificially intelligent beings make mistakes! So, what is it that is making me love this little being so much?

Well, in no particular order these are the things that Siri has been able to do for me completely hands-free, i.e. using voice activation only;

• Told me what time it was in various locations around the world.
• Let me know what the weather was at my current location.
• Allowed me to identify members of my family and associate these relationships with my existing contacts.
• Sent quite a few text messages to unsuspecting recipients.
• Sent emails to several other people.
• Searched for some pretty random things on the web.
• Told me whether I was busy or free on different dates, and,
• Set up several meetings and appointments in my calendar.

I was pretty excited when I saw a demo of Siri a little while ago, where folk were booking restaurants and hair appointments willy nilly. Unfortunately Siri does not have a database of businesses in the UK, so this highly publicised and anticipated feature is only available in the US right now. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

I have heard various different reports about whether or not Siri is accurate enough to be a substitute for typing, and I expect that for visual users this first iteration may not necessarily be up to scratch, but for this visually impaired girl it is an absolute godsend. I expect that for some blind folk and other people in general, there will definitely be a learning curve in terms of how to use voice activation, but as I'm already a DragonDictate user there is no learning curve for me. I know that Apple has not stated publicly that Siri is using the DragonDictate software, but what was a mere suspicion at the beginning of writing this blog has turned into a fairly confirmed opinion.

So to summarise - as an initial view I would say that I'm pretty happy with Siri, but it's a new toy and I'm having fun using it. However, what I have also found in writing this blog is that the same things that irk me about using DragonDictate are starting to irk me when using Siri, so only time will tell.

http://www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/your-community/blogs/sandi-wassmer/hello-lovely-a-blind-geek-s-first-impressions-of-siri/

"Pat Garland (the Recreation, Health & Wellness Program Manager) is so creative to do so many excercises from a chair. She makes exercise fun. You are the greatest! Thank you from my heart." Toni Fredrickson

For more infomration or to join the Sit & Fit class, please contact us at 970-241-0315 or visit our website at www.cfigj.org.

My daughter who turned 18 almost a year ago has Cerebral Palsy. When she was 17 1/2 I knew the time was coming that I needed to begin the process of getting her on SSI benefits. I was told that I could contact Valarie Castle at the Center for Independence and she would walk through this whole process with me. Wow…. That is exactly what happened! We started with the stacks of paperwork that needed to be filled out. She was there to answer all my questions, over the phone or a special trip to her office. She helped me focus on getting all the correct doctors, school IEP’s and any other medical information that would help my daughters case in receiving SSI benefits. She accompanied my daughter and I to the Social Security Office for our initial interview with a caseworker. This process, because of Valarie was not overwhelming, not frustrating, and not even scary. I feel very grateful that because of the excellent guidance of Valarie my daughter has been receiving SSI benefits since January 2011. Thank you Center for Independence and Thank you Valarie for your excellent service!

L.K.

Next Wednesday, November 9th, at noon Grand Junction time, a national test of the emergency alert system will be performed.  This is the first time this has been done nationwide.  In order to try to prevent unnecessary concern on the part of the public and to hopefully keep 911 from receiving too many calls, we are trying to get the word about this out to as many people as possible.  Please help out by sharing this information with your family, friends and neighbors.  It is strictly a test of the system to verify it works.

More information can be found at here.

The Western Slope Visionaries (WSV) here at the Center for Independence has a full schedule ahead this month.  On November 1st we celebrated Halloween and The Day of The Dead: November 8th will find us listening to Kim Wardlow of Audio Information Network of Colorado who will tell us about this free service for low vision folks: and our own John Nolan from our IT Department will be speaking with the group about all things technical on November 15^th: on Nov 22nd a group member will tell their life story and the last Tuesday of Nov, Denise Roberts of WesTac will show and tell Assistive technology devices. As can be seen, The WSV are a busy group. If you or someone you know is struggling with maintining their indpendence because of vision issues, please give us a call at 970-241-0315.

In the summer of 2010 on of our clients, Heidi Kendall, had the opportunity to learn to ride a Handcycle (an adaptive trike) through Colorado Discover Ability.  She did great and was having a blast until she wrecked and broke her right arm. Heidi is a mom of two young boys and uses a wheel chair but she was determined to ride again. She’d love to go for a bike ride with her boys someday. This summer Heidi got back on that Handcycle. We did stay in the safe zone of a large parking lot but she only came away exhausted with no broken bones or scrapes. In October she didn’t hesitate to get out on the path with the rest of the group. No accidents. Congratulations Heidi!

Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 60 million Americans will increase 3.6 percent in 2012, the Social Security Administration announced on October 19th. The 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that nearly 55 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2012. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2011. Some other changes that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $110,100 from $106,800. Of the estimated 161 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2012, about 10 million will pay higher taxes as a result of the increase in the taxable maximum. Information about Medicare changes for 2012, when announced, will be available at www.Medicare.gov. For some beneficiaries, their Social Security increase may be partially or completely offset by increases in Medicare premiums. The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated. To read more, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/cola.

In May we started learning to play Frisbee Golf. Two local Grand Valley Disc Golf members, Don and Dave came to our first practice. They gave us our first lesson on how to throw a disk and the basics of the game. They gave us a bag of discs, instructions and a portable basket. We have enough discs so players have their own. The portable basket is great. The plastic stand and netting allows us to use it in the gym when weather is too hot or cold. When we were at Sherwood Park earlier this month everyone was glad to have it for a little impromptu practice.

Tonight we were able to actually get out on the course at West Lake Park. We played around trees, up and down the hills and around other golfers. To test our improvement we tried throwing at different distances from the basket with some pretty good accuracy. It’s not as easy as it looks, but when that disc hits the basket it’s a celebration from all of us. When the disc flies in exactly the wrong way from where you wanted it, that’s fun, you go get it and throw from where it landed again and again until you get it in.

Again thank you Don and Dave and the Grand Valley Disc Golf club, we are having a great time.

For more information about the program please visit: www.showusyourcolors.com.

Heather Croas’ photo “Coming Together as One” was accepted into the Culture Fest Juried Art Show at the Mesa County Library. The Culture Fest called on local artists to submit work centered around Celebrating our Differences.  The jurors announced the accepted works yesterday. The show will be held at the Central Branch of the Mesa County Library 540 Grand Ave. The opening reception will be on November 4^th from 6:30 – 8:00pm and the show will run through November 30^th.  People’s Choice Voting is available starting on October 21^st and ends on October 28^th.  You may contact the Mesa County Library for more information at 970-243-4442 or at www.mesacountylibraries.org.  All of us here at CFI were delighted to hear that Heather’s work had been chosen and invite everyone to help celebrate her success. More of Heather’s photographic work can also be seen at the Center for Independence.