February 2012
13 posts
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So You Want to Create a Font... →
A crash course in drawing type and using programs such as FontForge, TypeTool, FontCreator, and FontLab Studio.
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Midterm Presentation (pdf) →
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Clear Print Guidelines from the RNIB →
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Typefaces that meet the ADA (Americans with...
In order from worst to best:
Bodoni Book
Times Roman
Garamond Semibold
Century Schoolbook
Glypha Roman
Futura Heavy
Helvetica Bold
Univers 65
Frutiger Bold
Syntax Bold
“Even though many typefaces meet the requirements of the ADA, they may not all function well with the aging eye. In general, sans serif faces appear to be the most readable, due to their larger x-heights and...
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Type Checklist:
An analysis of the previous examples shows that the following visual properties could be considered beneficial for typefaces that might be viewed by older viewers:
Consistent stroke widths
Open counterforms
Pronounced ascenders and descenders
Wider horizontal proportions
More distinct forms for each character (such as tails on the lowercase letters “t” and “j”)
Extended horizontal strokes...
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Project Precedents
At the beginning of the quarter, our capstone professor Kyrsten assigned us a reading called the “Adjacent Possible” from Steven Johnson’s book Where Good Ideas Come From. In the reading, Johnson explains a concept called the “multiple,” where one designer can discover an idea that three other designers independently discover around the same time. I did research...
January 2012
26 posts
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“Low vision or blindness affects 1 in 28 Americans over the age of 40.”
– Center for Independence
My Target Audience
Americans aged 40-75
With “low vision” or “visual impairment”
Meaning a visual acuity between 20/70 to 20/200
Or a total field loss of 140 degrees
Which gives them functional limitations
and impairs their ability to read type.
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Can an older blind person learn Braille?
Whether or not a blind person at an advanced age would benefit from learning Braille depends upon many factors. If the individual is mentally alert, has a reasonably good memory, and is able to feel and distinguish the dots, it may be beneficial for him or her to learn Braille. The older blind person may want to learn enough Braille to put labels on things or to write down telephone numbers. Numbers in Braille are the same as the first ten letters of the alphabet with a number symbol placed before the letter. If you know the numbers and a few other letters, it is possible to use Braille playing cards.
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“Blindness is increasing in all age categories. Rising premature births bring...”
– Special Needs Education @ Suite 101
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Attitudes Toward the Use of Braille
The coming of technology is not the sole cause for the lack of motivation by some visually impaired people to learn and use braille. It can be caused by a variety of factors, differing according to circumstances.
In Chapter 1, reference was made to attitudes towards visually impaired people. In spite of a change in attitude such people are still not always accepted, and by some are regarded in...
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Dr. Hilary Connor talks about teaching Braille to... →
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Prevalence of Blindness in America →
Finally! Information about those who are aged 18-45. Amazing resource.
“Age-related eye diseases include several well-known eye problems including...”
– preventblindness.net
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“In the United States alone, the American Foundation for the Blind estimates that...”
– I’m not quite sure why I can’t find any comprehensive information about visual impairment in America as a whole. Do you see the disparity between these two facts? It seems like a huge portion of the visually impaired is being left out.
I want to find out about the approximately 16...
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Eye Health Statistics →
(Q&As from the American Academy of Opthalmology)
Statistics on Vision in America
(Finally! Information about those who are aged 18-45. Amazing resource.)
The Aging Eye in the United States
(Detailed numbers for each age-related eye disease)
Prevalence of Blindness in America
(Breakdown by State plus descriptions of the diseases)
Quick Facts on Low Vision Quick Facts on Low Vision in...
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Myth: Individuals with low vision are unable to...
While some with low vision might read Braille, they might also read large print, or even read regular print with the use of an optical device.
Why learn braille when there is speech available...
Computer speech software is good for speed, but braille is the only reading and writing medium that is truly comparable to print.
Hearing the spoken word does not always give enough information, for example, the pronunciation of a word is often not a clear indication of how that word should be spelt. A spelling mistake is more obvious in braille than hearing a mispronunciation amongst a lot of speech. Braille is also useful for labelling a variety of objects such as CDs, spice holders, or cans. You can also write notes and take down phone numbers. A blind or partially sighted person being able to use braille is like a sighted person being able to use a pen.
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I'm not totally blind, but I can't see very well....
The answer to this question depends upon your reasons for wanting to learn braille, which is always a personal choice. Some individuals have usable vision, but their eyes tire easily or become irritated or uncomfortable when reading for longer periods of time. Other individuals, depending upon their eye condition or conditions, can see better on some days than on others. During those times, these individuals can use braille as a backup or secondary system for reading and writing.
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What portion of the American population is blind?
This number is hard to pinpoint. The estimates of the number of people experiencing vision loss differ based on the definitions of vision loss that are used, the dates the data was collected, populations surveyed, etc.
So first, some rough definitions:
Vision loss
“Trouble seeing,” even when wearing glasses or contact lenses. This definition can include those who are blind or...
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Statistical Snapshots →
Great resource for finding statistical information that will help me pare down my target audience. And how awesome is this?:
Tell us about what statistical information you think is missing, unclear, or that you would like to know more about. To submit your questions or comments and help us enrich this valuable resource, e-mail Katie Vizenor, MLS, MA Senior Research Associate (kvizenor@afb.net )...
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Low Vision and Blindness: Changing Perspective and... →
“From this perspective, the difference between blindness and low vision is not just one of degree of visual impairment; rather it is a difference in the methods and strategies used to function in everyday life.”
A great resource I need to come back and visit.
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Simulation of Visual Impairment →
This site tries to simulate different types of “visual impairment.” From my research thus far, it seems like a pretty sweeping generalization that can include different levels of:
visual acuity (clarity of vision)
visual fields
function under variable light, contrast, complexity and fatigue
processing visual information in the brain and neurological pathways
These look like...
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These numbers really hit me.
According to the World Health Organization,
285 million people are visually impaired globally,
of which 39 million people are blind.
Of the blind, 82% are over the age of 50.
The major causes of visual impairment are uncorrected refractive errors (43%) and cataract (33%); the first cause of blindness is cataract (51%). Visual impairment in 2010 is a major global health issue: the preventable...
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“The term “blindness” means central visual acuity of 20/200 or less...”
– National Federation of the Blind
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Gaining Perspective:
“…if glasses and contact lenses can’t make someone’s vision any better — and the person needs to get really close to something to see it — he or she may be considered blind. For instance, someone with good vision might be able to see an object from 200 feet (61 meters) away, but someone is considered blind if he or she needs to be 20 feet (6 meters) away to see the same...
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So many questions:
While doing my concept map / brain dump / big paper for big ideas exercise, I found myself with a good list of questions that will help direct my research.
What portion of the population is blind?
Why don’t more people learn braille?
What % currently know how to read it? Do they use it?
When do they typically learn it?
Who teaches them?
What do visually impaired people actually see?
...
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“But these days I am even more grateful to the National Federation of the Blind...”
– “When to Stop Relying on Low Vision and Low-Vision Aids” by Norman Gardner
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Listening to Braille →
“In the 1990s, a series of brain-imaging studies revealed that the visual cortices of the blind are not rendered useless, as previously assumed. When test subjects swept their fingers over a line of Braille, they showed intense activation in the parts of the brain that typically process visual input.
These imaging studies have been cited by some educators as proof that Braille is essential...
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“We stopped teaching our nation’s blind children how to read and write. We put a...”
– Jim Marks, board member of the Association on Higher Education and Disability
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Common Questions for the Blind →
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Fewer blind Americans learning to use Braille →
Key quotes:
“Fewer than 10 percent of the 1.3 million legally blind people in the United States read Braille, and just 10 percent of blind children are learning it.” (National Federation of the Blind)
“Using technology as a substitute for Braille leaves blind people illiterate, the federation said, citing studies that show blind people who know Braille are more likely to earn...
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“Travel is so rewarding that it should take precedence over other things younger...”
– New York Times: Advice on Finishing With No Regrets
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The Final Two
Today we presented our thesis topics to the studio. I originally had 3 ideas, but based on my enthusiasm for these projects, have since narrowed it down to two.
Proposal 1: Tools for International Travel
International travel is a beneficial experience that allows individuals to learn about foreign cultures, develop new personal skills, and become globally-minded citizens. Unfortunately, there...
December 2011
1 post
A Project Statement in Progress:
As the baby boomer generation begins to age, the number of individuals suffering from visual impairments is increasing dramatically. Despite many experiencing difficulty reading, very few ever learn how to read braille. I would like to design a transitional typeface that combines clarified roman letterforms with braille dots in order to function as both a supplemental reading aid and learning tool...