What the blind community wishes you knew.
Anyone who is a regular reader of this blog or website knows that I love to write articles centered around education, for the visually impaired and the fully sighted. Recently USA Today published an article focused on things the blind community would like to pass on to those who are fully sighted. The biggest takeaway from the article is that just closing your eyes does not mean you know what it is like to be blind. There is a lot more to it than that. The other misnomer is that blind people always need help. If I am trying to cross the street, I am paying attention to the direction of the traffic and when someone comes up and grabs me and plops me on the other side of the road knot knowing which way I’m facing, it makes them feel better and me feel disoriented. Lastly, it is perfectly ok to be curious about being blind. Engage with a blind person and ask them questions.
I offer a series of articles here on blind travels that off an opportunity for those who are fully sighted to ask questions about being blind (Yes, I have questions ready to be answered things have been bonkers lately.). If you have questions feel free to ask away on social media or send me a direct message here. My education section has articles on everything from what it is like to be blind, to tips and tricks to interact with visually impaired people and even what it was like to get my first guide dog. You can read more at the education link above or click here.
If you would like to read the USA Today Article follow the link below.
I love to hear from my readers, feel free to drop me a note on my social media links below or right here on blind travels. follow me and I will happily follow you back.
My Photography: www.tahquechi.com
Twitter: @nedskee
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Abandoned lakeside resort in Wyoming
While wandering the unpaved backroads of Wyoming, we came across this really cool sprawling lakeside resort which had been abandoned in the 1970’s. The cabins are all in various states of decay. Most of the cabins are being held up by boards and look unstable to venture into.
Location
Located fifteen miles off the road between the cities of Centennial and Saratoga in Wyoming is a great site with lots of abandoned buildings to explore. Visitors can go right up to the buildings and even go inside if you are brave enough. Unlike most abandoned sites, the presence of debris to navigate was not bad, but I would still either go with a sighted guide or a guide dog. It should be noted that this road closes after the first snow and is closed until spring, making this location inaccessible except by snowmobile during the late fall and winter months.
The photo
This image is a sepia toned black and white image of two cabins surrounded by trees. On the closest cabin the roof is sagging in the middle and the whole structure is being held up by long boards. There is no glass left in the two small windows, but otherwise that cabin looks to be in decent shape. The far cabin is in much worse shape, The back appears to be all but completely broken and you can’t see the roof. The front of the cabin sits at a forty-five degree angle away from the viewer as it is almost completely fallen down.
The experience
There is so much to experience tactilely here at this site. The size of many things is unexpectedly small like the aforementioned windows. There is a lot to feel and it should be noted that some of the cabins are not smooth and there is a risk of splinters or cuts as is the case with all abandoned places such as this. I would not recommend going into the cabins are they are largely unstable. The surroundings are generally flat but the ground does undulate a bit between the cabins. There were tripping hazards, but my guide deftly avoided them as we explored this deserted lakeside resort. I would plan a couple to a few hours to explore this site, there is a lot to see and feel. The lake is not far away from the buildings and my understanding from speaking to a couple of the locals is that fishing there is quite good.
What do you think?
I always love to hear from my readers, and I would like to hear what you thought about this presentation. My goal with this series is to tell a bit about the story behind the images I take, as well as provide a better description of the image. The blog forum lets me explore a bit more detail than would be available on twitter or Instagram. Feel free to drop me a message here on the contact page or on my social media links below. Follow me and I will happily follow you back.
My Photography: www.tahquechi.com
Twitter: @nedskee
Instagram: @nedskee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blindtravels/
Visually Impaired Texas children given the tools they need
Sight Savers America recently partnered with West Texas school districts and optometrists specializing in low vision to identify and help school children with low vision. SAN ANGELO, Texas has no low vision specialists in their area, so Sight Saves America stepped in giving children an hour-long low vision assessment and visual aids. This is such a great cause.
Low Vision goes unidentified and untreated so many times in children. I’m glad to see organizations like Sight Saves America partnering with school districts to provide children the visual aids they need. If the teachers don’t identify the needs of the child, it often goes unnoticed and those children can fall behind in their school work. We all know that things move very fast in schools these days, and not being able to see the information being presented in class can make an already accelerated course curriculum very difficult for students with low vision.
We here at Blind Travels love to work with non-profit organizations just for this sort of thing. We have reached out to Sight Savers America to see how we can help, and will update this story when we learn more. If you would like more information about Sight Savers America or the original story follow the links below.
Sight Savers America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that works to identify and secure the eye care needs of children, from their first pair of eyeglasses to extensive sight-saving treatment and high-tech vision aids for those with severe visual impairment.
Original Story from FOX news
I love to hear from my readers, feel free to drop me a message here on my contact page or via social media at the links below. Follow me and I will happily follow you back.
My Photography: www.tahquechi.com
Twitter: @nedskee
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blindtravels/
Abandoned Mine in Wyoming
Bouncing around the 4X4 accessible trails near Centennial Wyoming, we came across this awesome abandoned mine. The view from the mine is pretty spectacular and I bet during its operational days it was beautiful to work at. Unlike a lot of other abandoned place I have been to, this one was not picked clean of the cool stuff – which is good and bad. From a visually accessible standpoint this place, like many abandoned locations was a nightmare to traverse with the sheer amount of debris on the ground and in surrounding areas.
Getting there
The location for this photo was only accessible by 4X4 vehicle, I went there so you don’t have to. Since COVID, I have done more 4X4 trips with friends than I ever have. Maybe it it the social distancing, but I really am enjoying it. The toughest part about riding on a 4X4 trail when blind or visually impaired is that you don’t really get a clear understanding of what is coming. Riding in a car on the freeway is no big deal, you get the occasional bump and the natural action of the car accelerating and slowing, but with 4X4 travel, that is all thrown out the window. We roe in a lifted Jeep, and it had recently rained. Jeeps are inherently bouncy as it is, but driving through the ruts, and splashing through the mid puddles can be exhausting. You can’t expect to have the fully sighted riders tell you every bump coming up, so it is best to just brace yourself and be ready for the constant bouncing. I also find that branches are commonly very close to the side of the vehicle as your drive the paths, so keep those hands and arms in the vehicle at all time.
The image
The photo I took is of the abandoned mine is a black and white image of an a small building used for mining. The large structure for hauling material up and down the mine juts out of the top of the small building. There are lumber pieces and debris scattered around the area in front of the small building. The trees around the building have lost their leaves already and the sky is dark and moody. A door is visible on the left side of the building, but there is no back wall and you can see straight through to the opposite side.
I don’t know the history of this site, but I appreciate that there is so much of it remaining after the years standing on this ridge. While not visible in this image, I am told that the view from the ridge is spectacular giving clear views of Centennial Wyoming as well as Laramie Wyoming in the far distance.
What do you think?
I always love to hear from my readers, and I would like to hear what you thought about this presentation. My goal with this series is to tell a bit about the story behind the images I take, as well as provide a better description of the image. The blog forum lets me explore a bit more detail than would be available on twitter or Instagram. Feel free to drop me a message here on the contact page or on my social media links below. Follow me and I will happily follow you back.
My Photography: www.tahquechi.com
Twitter: @nedskee
Instagram: @nedskee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blindtravels/
Wandering in Wyoming
I live in northern Colorado, and it is only a couple hour drive to Wyoming. With all the COVID restrictions starting to ease a bit, traveling has become a bit safer and more fun. Throughout 2020, I stayed pretty close to home like we all did, but ever after things started to relax a bit I still opted to play it save and only take a few trips here and there. A result of all the “non-people” time created an real interest in wandering the less traveled path for me. Rather than flying off to who knows where, I was forced to find places here in Colorado and Wyoming that I had great intentions of visiting, but never took the time. I spent a lot of time in Rocky Mountain National Park, and up in the Rockies in general. Early 2021 prompted me to expand my circle of travel into Wyoming. A good friend of mine is originally from Wyoming, and is still very passionate about showing off the abundant natural beauty of that state. The biggest hurdle to overcome is the weather. Its colder on average than Colorado, and they see more snow than we do. As a result, the really cool higher elevation areas of the state close during the snowy season. We took a few trips during the spring and summer, but it wasn’t until this fall that we really took the time to delve into the backroads and explore some amazing abandoned sites.
Throughout the time we spent wandering around Wyoming, my constant companion was my guide dog Fauna. She is always willing to lead me along a new path, no matter how challenging or strenuous. We drove the backwoods trails on gravel roads, bounced along trails only accessible to 4X4 vehicles, and Fauna took it all in stride spending her time sleeping in the back seat waiting until it was time to lead me somewhere. Whether it was 4 in the morning to catch a sunrise or 9 at night, returning home late after sunset she did it all, without complaint, even when it was 18 degrees and freezing cold (she has booties and coats for cold weather and was toasty warm the whole time.). In the coming weeks I will be posting images from our journeys.
I love to hear from my readers! feel free to drop me a message here on my contact form, and follow me on social media, I will happily follow you back.
My Photography: www.tahquechi.com
Twitter: @nedskee
Instagram: @nedskee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blindtravels/
Things have been a bit bonkers for me.
Sorry for the absence, and thank you for all the message and well wishes while I was away. I needed some time over the last few months to resolve some family issues. Thigs are finally back on track and I’m back and refreshed. I’ll be posting some new travel tips soon as well as starting a new section here on Blind Travels about something I am really passionate about: photography. Stay tuned!
Thank you Pup Talk!
A big shout out and thank you to Pup Talk for the great article on BlindTravels! You guys are awesome.
Guide Dogs UK celebrates 90 years!
With Guide Dogs UK celebrating their 90th birthday today, the Shropshire Star took some time to publish a great article and shout out how amazing guide dogs are. The article emphasizes just how much independence working guide dogs give their handlers. I write quite often here on BlindTravels about my guide dog Fauna, who was raised and trained by Guide Dogs for the Blind. She is my first guide and I got her in 2018. I lost my sight in 2000 and waited 17 years before putting my hat into the ring and became a client with Guide Dogs for the Blind. The first time I took Fauna for a route was nothing short f life changing for me, the feeling of being able to travel down the sidewalk knowing that I would not run into anything was exhilarating. The net result of getting Fauna meant that I was now able to travel solo again. We traveled constantly throughout 2019, and took a break for COVID in 20202. Since things have settled down a bit in terms of the virus, we have done more traveling, especially to less-traveled locations.
Resources
Herse a link to the article about Guide Dogs UK celebrating 90 years: https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/telford/newport/2021/10/11/how-utterly-incredible-guide-dogs-help-liberate-the-visually-impaired/
Support
Guide Dogs UK and Guide Dogs for the Blind are donation driven, and if you are looking for a good place to donate that will literally change a person’s life then either of these organizations are amazing places to help out. Guide dogs for the Blind are totally donation supported, and I support them several times a year by donating prints of my photography to auctions with all the proceeds going to Guide Dogs for the Blind. Click either of the links above and you can donate directly from their pages.
My story
If you are partially sighted and considering getting a guide dog, you can check out my story at the link below, I documented the whole process of traveling to the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus and spending two weeks learning to handle Fauna.
Guide Dogs UK celebrates 90 years! Congratulations again to Guide Dogs UK! I for one appreciate everything you do for your clients and wish you all the best on your next 90 years! Follow me on social media at the links below. I always love to hear from my readers.
My Photography site: http://www.tahquechi.com/
My travel site: http://www.blindtravels.com/
Twitter and Instagram: @nedskee
Ted | Blind Photographer (@nedskee) • Instagram photos and videos
Blind Badminton
Anyone who regularly follows this blog knows that I am a big fan of travel related technology, and how it affects the lives of f he blind and visually impaired community. But, I love to hear and read about technologies being reimagined for new purposes, especially if those purposes allow members of the visually impaired community to participate in activities that were previously unavailable to them, like sports.
Blind Badminton?
Recently, Yoichi Ochiai, an assistant professor at the University of Tsukuba challenged his students to devise a way for visually impaired participants to play racket sports. The team set out to make one of the most visually demanding games, badminton accessible. They replaced the traditional shuttlecock with a DJI Tello drone and developed a set of rackets (with the strings removed as not to damage the drone) which allow players to “hit” the done to the opponent. The system is still a prototype, and it works with a variety of sensors allowing participants the ability to swing the racket at the drone and change it’s trajectory in predictable ways.
Te teams have successfully integrated the sensors into the handle of the rackets, and players use the sound of the drone as an auditory cue like you would with beeper ball. The drone flies with a cage around it so that players are safe from the spinning propellers and the rackets do not impact the drone when playing. The system shows a lot of promise and I look forward to seeing how the final version of the system is to play a game with. As with anything else, this technology should be leveraged to allow blind community members to participate in other similar sports like tennis.
Here is a link to the original article: https://dronedj.com/2021/09/16/dji-tello-drone-visually-impaired-play-badminton/
My Photography site: http://www.tahquechi.com/
My travel site: http://www.blindtravels.com/
Twitter and Instagram: @nedskee
Ted | Blind Photographer (@nedskee) • Instagram photos and videos
Follow me and I will happily follow you back.
Winter is coming!
As summer winds down, and the signs of fall are all around us, it is a great time to think about keeping your dog safe during those wintery walks. While I will gear this article toward guide dog users, this information is appropriate for anyone who loves to venture out and walk their dog in brisk weather. You may be thinking to yourself, but Ted, it was 90 degrees outside yesterday, why are you already talking about winter weather? It is never too early to get prepared for bad weather, and some of the things you do to prepare for cold weather can help you when the temps are toasty outside.
How hot is too hot? How cold is too cold?
First and foremost, do not consider this medical advice, and since all dogs (and people) are different take the information here as informational, and please understand that I highly recommend that you check with your veterinarian about your specific dog’s health before beginning a walking regiment or considering taking your dog outside in extreme temperatures. My guide dog Fauna is a 60 pound Black Labrador, and fits within the “average” and “medium” definitions set forth by her veterinarian. She is within a couple pounds of her ideal weight, and we walk and hike regularly for long periods of time. I have coordinated with Fauna’s Veterinarian and the medical staff at Guide Dogs for the Blind, where she was trained to determine that she has a safe operating temperature range between 32 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. In this range she can walk safely, outside of this range however, precautions need to be observed. If the temperature is over 77F degrees, I always carry some water in a camel back backpack with water and a collapsible bowl for Fauna. I plan stops ahead of time at the halfway point where I offer water and the chance for her to relieve herself. When it is cold is where I tend to err on the side of caution.
Most healthy medium or large dogs can walk for 30-minutes if the temperature is above 20 degrees F. Smaller dogs should limit the walk to 15 or 20 minutes if temps are between 20 to 32 degrees F. If it’s below 0 degrees, no dog should be out for a walk.
Black Labs love to walk, and especially play in the snow. I have been told that Fauna is fine walking regularly without a coat in as low as 20F degrees. I’m not a big fan of walking in that cold of temperature, so I usually limit our outside times to 32 degrees and above when it is cold. I’m sure they are right, and she would be just fine, I just don’t like to be out when it is that cold.
Preparation
If I am going to be outside when it is super warm or freezing cold I will usually put booties on Fauna to protect her feet. In the summer, it doesn’t take long for the asphalt to get over 100 degrees, and icy sidewalks are miserable to walk on, so training our dog to walk in booties BEFORE you need him/her to can be a lifesaver. Even though Fauna is well versed in walking in booties, and uses them year round, we always start our refresher course in September to prepare for winter walking. I suggest buying your booties now, and practicing slowly with them around the house so when it comes time to use the booties in the great outdoors, your dog will be used to them.
Start by putting the booties on your dog for a few minutes a day and building up to longer wearing around the house. Remember to derail any concerns by offering a high value treat during the time your pooch is wearing their new booties. Build up to wearing them outside and for longer periods around the house. The goal is to have your dog comfortable in their booties before they are needed. During this time, your dog will alo train you in the fine art of checking to see if their booties are still on while they learn the bootie life.
My brand
Dog booties get lost all the time, even the most careful of us need to replace a missing bootie. This is why I use Ruffwear booties, it is super easy to order one or two booties as they need to be replaced (pro tip if you are serious about protecting your dogs feet buy an extra set.). Note: this is not a sponsored advertisement, I use the Ruffwear booties on Fauna all the time and trust their fit and ability to stay on even during long walks. Guide dogs are notoriously tough on toys and toher gear, and I have had no issues with their equipment. I also carry a Ruffwear collapsible bowl in my backpack. I’ll put links to the ones I use at the end of this article.
In 2019, Fauna and I photographed The Special Olympics winter games at Eldora Co. The temperature was 20 degrees and Fauna was decked out in her cozy sweater (something I bought at the end of the season on a clearance track) and booties for quite a long time while we shot each of the events. Most times, a sweater is just fine, I reserve booties for when it is especially icy or if the Temperature is close to that 20 degree range.
Conclusion
If you plan to walk in extreme temperatures, getting your pooch used to the gear they will be waring ahead of time will save you a lot of headaches. This goes for booties, sweaters or even water bowls. I know quite a few dogs that aren’t comfortable drinking out of a collapsible bowl when on the trail, so get them used to all the things they need for a trip out in the weather.
Now that you know all there is to know about taking our dog out and walking in extrema weather, get out there and have some fun!
Fauna’s Booties: https://www.amazon.com/RUFFWEAR-Waterproof-Winter-Weather-Obsidian/dp/B08H7TD2FH/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=ruffwear+boots&qid=1631732068&sr=8-4
Fauna’s Bowl: https://www.amazon.com/Ruff-Products-BarkBowl-Tiffany-800ml/dp/B085X4CFX3/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=collapsible+dog+bowl&qid=1631733251&sr=8-7
My Photography site: http://www.tahquechi.com/
My travel site: http://www.blindtravels.com/
Twitter and Instagram: @nedskee
Ted | Blind Photographer (@nedskee) • Instagram photos and videos
Follow me and I will happily follow you back.