Dear Friends,

INsight Online is a monthly news update from the Greater Detroit Agency for the Blind and Visually Impaired. We're interested to know what you think of the content, or if you have any news or information that you'd like to share. Please give us your feedback at

In this month's issue...

There is still time to join us for the BIG BOWL
Summer activities for youth wrap up with sports and technology camp
October is Halloween Safety Month
Economic challenges bring about changes at local libraries for the blind
My perspective - Mary Beth Kullen
High technology for low vision

There is still time to join us for the BIG BOWL

The Greater Detroit Agency for the Blind and Visually Impaired’s first annual bowling fundraiser, the BIG BOWL will be a fun-filled, family event! Three games of bowling with shoes, along with pizza, pop and refreshments and awards (or prizes) are included in the admission. Proceeds will go to support agency programs and services. Individuals, teams, sighted and blind bowlers are all welcome!

Bowlers can still register. Event and Lane Sponsorships are also available and are a great way to advertise you business or group.

For information or to register for the GDABVI “BIG BOWL,” call 313-272-3900 or e-mail
You can also download our form and print it.

Summer activities for youth wrap up with sports and technology camp

Buzzwords capture the attention of young people, and sports and technology are two cool concepts for youth with (or without) visual impairments. GDABVI teamed with Wayne State University’s VAC sports program for a three day camp that combines exercise, model building and food preparation skills for young people between the ages of 12 and 18.

Ron Simpkins, coordinator of VAC, led youth with visual impairments in a regiment of stretching muscles and getting the body ready for safe physical activity, as well as basketball and football.

Participants also played Goalball, a sport developed specifically for those with visual impairments. Players must listen carefully to block a ball with a bell inside it as it is rolled across the gym. Everyone wears a blindfold, and players dive left and right to stop the ball before it whizzes by them. Orientation and mobility skills enable youth to isolate the location of the ball and to judge whether the length of their body will stretch to stop it.

Following sports activities, the young people prepared lunch, developing essential independent living skills. Students used knives to prepare salads, cooked raw meat on a gas stove, prepared tacos and spaghetti sauce, and pulsed their way to healthy fruit smoothies using a blender.

In the afternoon, teams were created and they applied visual and tactual skills to create Lego Bionicle models. Lego blocks come in a wide range of colors, designs and sizes. Models are three dimensional and emphasize concepts such as shape, length, and connectedness. By becoming familiar with the construction process, students learned skills they can use later to develop robotic Lego designs. Each student left with a prize Lego model to work on at home.

The GDABVI Sports and Technology Camp, like all of the Agency’s children and youth programming, teaches skills that young people with visual impairments need to become successful, self-sufficient adults while at the same time providing positive recreational and social outlets.

October is Halloween Safety Month

Whether you’re headed out as a princess or Paris Hilton, the Incredible Hulk or Iron Man, you’ll want to make sure that this year’s Halloween celebration is a safe one.

Over time, we’ve come to understand that children should be supervised, candy should be inspected and we shouldn’t get behind the wheel if we’ve had too much to drink. Along with these basic guidelines, the Greater Detroit Agency for the Blind and Visually Impaired would like to remind you to take a few precautions that relate directly to your eye health and safety.

1. Don’t wear costumes and accessories that can block your sight. These can include certain types of masks, wigs, hats and eye patches that can impede the vision of a young trick-or-treater or even an adult driving to a costume party.
2. When out trick-or-treating, wear bright, reflective clothing, or at least decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape/patches.
3. Avoid props that have sharp edges or pointed ends such as swords, knives, pitchforks and wands.
4. If you’re going to be passing out candy, keep your porch and walkway well lit and clear from any tripping hazards. Toddlers, teens and adults of all sizes may be coming to your house… and they all have different sight lines.
5. False eye lashes and costume makeup can irritate eyes. Costume makeup should be hypoallergenic and/or non-toxic, and should also only be applied by an adult. It should be removed with eye makeup remover or cold cream, not soap.
6. It’s illegal to purchase contact lenses without a prescription, even those that are cosmetic or non-correcting. If you absolutely need eyes that look like a cat, snake or zombie, go to a licensed eye care professional. Improper use and cleaning of lenses can lead to eye infections or vision loss.

Economic challenges bring about changes at local libraries for the blind

The Ann Arbor District Library has agreed in principle to take ownership of the Washtenaw County Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled.

Read more from the Arbor Update

While in Macomb County, Wayne State University will assume operation of the Macomb County Library system, including the county library for the blind.

Read more from the Library Journal

My perspective - Mary Beth Kullen

Accessibility can be difficult to define. As Americans, we prize our individuality as much as we value our social opportunities. But some recent experiences have reminded me that no two people with disabilities have the same access needs, and the general public is often unclear about what those needs are.

Exhibit A – You’ll get help whether you need it or not

“Just jump in next to the driver,” our friends insisted as the courtesy golf cart pulled up at the parking lot of Meadowbrook. “The driver will take you to the pavilion.”

The 40-something visually impaired gentleman started to protest. He was quite able to walk, and preferred the golf cart be used for an elderly or mobility-impaired person who would have trouble with the distance and the steps. But the driver wanted to help. The blind man was seated and whisked away. Accessibility accomplished.

Exhibit B – Have I got a library for you

I visited the Detroit Public Library with students with visual impairments to see an exciting new meeting space where teens can explore the latest online games with friends.

When I called to set up the visit, my contact at the library asked, “Do you know about the Douglass Branch? It has computers for people with visual impairments.”

The Douglass Branch on Grand River at Trumbull provides fantastic services to people with visual impairments. In fact, GDABVI’s Accessible Computer Training program (ACT) is offered there. But it’s not designed to be a destination for Detroit teens, sighted or visually impaired, looking for a spot to game play with friends.

Exhibit C – We just take it one step at a time

I was invited to a Detroit museum upgrading its services for people with visual impairments. With me were four adults who ranged from having some vision to having no vision. Suddenly, an alarm sounded. Evacuate immediately!

We headed to the nearest exit until the guide stopped and gasped. “Stairs!” Our group was able to handle the stairs with no problem, unlike two families with small children in strollers. Fortunately, it was a false alarm.

These are everyday experiences for people that are perceived as having special needs. Those needs may vary, and training can make a difference, but maximum community integration is the ultimate goal.

Mary Beth Kullen is GDABVI’s Outreach Coordinator.

High technology for low vision (from The Wall Street Journal)

More than 16 million Americans report some form of visual impairment even when wearing glasses or contacts. That number is expected to double by 2030 as the aging population brings rising rates of macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and other eye diseases.

But "low vision" doesn't have to mean darkness and dependence. An ever-growing array of devices can help people maximize their remaining vision and in many cases, compensate for what they've lost.

Read more from the WSJ Online.