Laura Bridgman: The First Deaf-Blind Pioneer

June 26 kicks off Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week. This year’s focus is Diversity and Inclusion: Creativity and innovation are built upon diverse perspectives. Throughout June, many groups recognized the accomplishments and creativity of the Deaf-Blind community.

Many know about Helen Keller’s impact on the deaf-blind community over generations. However, half a century before Helen Keller was born, Laura Bridgeman became the first deaf-blind person to learn a language.

Laura’s Upbringing

Laura Dewey Bridgman was born to hardworking New England farmers in Hanover, N.H., on December 21, 1829. At 24 months, she became ill with scarlet fever. Though the fever passed, it left her without sight, hearing, sense of smell, and nearly all of her sense of taste.

Left with only her touch, Laura tried to make sense of the world around her. Her love for imitating her mother made her very helpful with household chores. She learned to sew and knit. She developed a rudimentary sign language, with gestures for food and other basic needs and a name sign for each family member.

As Laura grew, communication became more difficult. At seven, she could only be controlled with physical force—something needed to change.

Laura’s Time at Perkins School for the Blind

Founded in 1829, Perkins School for the Blind, the first of its kind in the United States, opened its doors in 1832. The school’s first director, Samuel Gridley Howe, was happy about his first five years of progress. However, when he heard about Laura, he was eager to try educating her. During this time, Deaf-blind people were considered unteachable.

After her parents agreed to the move, Laura arrived at Perkins in October 1837. No one had succeeded in teaching language to a person with deafblindness, so Howe decided to teach Laura English. He gave her forks, keys, and other objects with name labels made of raised letters pasted upon them. When he gave her detached labels with the same words, she matched them with their objects.

Howe took this further by cutting the labels and separating the letters. He spelled the familiar words, showed them to Laura, and then jumbled the letters. According to Howe’s account, Laura rearranged the letters to spell the words correctly. This was the beginning of Laura’s understanding of the English language.

Once Laura understood that objects have names, she quickly learned the alphabet. She communicated with her peers and teachers by using cut-out letters. With the help of fingerspelling, Laura attended geography, arithmetic, and other classes with her peers.

Howe published an account of Laura’s education in the Perkins annual reports, making both student and teacher internationally famous. In 1842, British writer Charles Dickens visited Perkins and wrote his encounter with Laura in his book, American Notes.

Laura spent most of her adult life at Perkins. She taught students how to sew and sold her own needlework pieces. She sometimes visited family and friends and was an avid letter writer. Laura carved out her life journey once she had the tools she needed. She died in 1859 at Perkins.

The Domino Effect

Dickens’s account of Laura’s education gave hope to Helen Keller’s parents in 1886. They contacted Perkins, and Director Michael Anagnos sent Perkins graduate Anne Sullivan to be Helen’s teacher. Sullivan educated Helen using Howe’s methods for teaching Laura.

Helen Keller was a groundbreaking advocate for the rights of people with disabilities and one of the foremost humanitarians of the twentieth century. Though she led the way in advancing education, civil rights, and accessibility for people with disabilities, Helen always acknowledged that she followed in Laura Bridgman’s footsteps.

Laura Bridgman and Helen Keller had profound hearing loss. They most likely only heard very loud sounds. Their hearing loss was also pre-lingual, meaning they lost their hearing before they could talk.

Types of Hearing Loss

Some hearing loss types include:

Conductive Hearing Loss—This hearing loss is caused by something that stops sounds from getting through the outer or middle ear. It can often be treated with medicine or surgery.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss—Hearing loss occurs when there is a problem with how the inner ear or hearing nerve works.

Mixed Hearing Loss—Hearing loss includes conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder—Hearing loss occurs when sound enters the ear normally; however, due to damage to the inner ear or the hearing nerve, the sound can’t be organized in a way the brain can understand.

Some people may experience mild hearing loss, which means they can hear speech but might struggle to hear soft sounds. A person with moderate hearing loss may not hear most speech at normal volume levels.

If you or someone you know has vision and hearing loss, Outlook Enrichment can help. Our team’s deaf-blind specialist can answer your questions and connect you with additional resources. Contact us to get started.

Raising Awareness: Understanding Cortical Visual Impairment

September is Cortical Visual Impairment Awareness Month. This visual impairment affects children ages one to three in the United States and other developed countries. Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) can develop before, during, or after birth. Early intervention after diagnosis is imperative.

Cortical Visual Impairment also referred to as cerebral visual impairment, neurological visual impairment, or, more simply, brain damage, occurs when a patient suffers a brain injury. Visually, they can see, but the connection between the parts of the brain that interpret images no longer communicates with their eyes. When diagnosed with CVI, children show abnormal visual responses that can’t be attributed to the eyes. 

According to The National Eye Institute, CVI can continue into adulthood. Adults can develop CVI, especially after a traumatic brain injury or stroke. However, they don’t technically have CVI because it’s acquired later in life. Veterans who experience visual problems because of combat injuries are at higher risk for Acquired CVI. Locating visual rehabilitation services can aid these folks in making the most of their vision.

Boston Children’s Hospital prefers to use the term “cerebral” rather than “cortical” when diagnosing this impairment. This one part of the brain doesn’t singularly perpetuate blindness in these children. CVI can be caused by shaken baby syndrome or accidental head injuries. The child can also suffer neonatal hypoglycemia infections such as meningitis. Metabolic disorders and epilepsy can also cause blindness.

Diagnosing CVI is difficult. If you suspect your child has visual problems, they’ll need a comprehensive eye exam to determine if the problem is with their eyes. If this initial examination doesn’t find physical eye issues to explain the symptoms, the problem could be with the brain.

When seeing a specialist familiar with CVI, the pediatric neurologist or a neuro-ophthalmologist may request a medical history or a brain scan.

Some common symptoms clinicians look for are:

Behaviors reported by parents and educators include:

If a child exhibits one or two of these behaviors, they don’t always have CVI. However, if your child has suffered a brain injury and does exhibit these behaviors or symptoms, getting them examined immediately is crucial.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for CVI. However, rapid intervention with visual rehabilitation therapy can help. The good news, however, is some children experience improvement in their vision. School-aged children with CVI will need a functional assessment performed by a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI). A personalized treatment plan will be designed based on the teacher’s observations, including what stimulation will benefit them. Whether it be mostly touch, sound, or visual stimulation–or all three–this plan will assist the child in using what vision they do have.

Although it’s challenging to diagnose and untreatable, children with this permanent visual impairment can learn to grow and play. They may require different stimulation to interact with others, but the world can still be accessible.

If your child or loved one has CVI or any other visual impairment, having them involved with other youth can help them feel included. Browse our website to learn more about your adaptive tech programs, events, and other resources.

How to Prepare for an Eye Exam

Many people might think that once you have been diagnosed with a visual impairment or have gone blind, a regular eye exam is not necessary. But depending on your eye condition and doctor’s advice, getting routine eye exams is an important part of overall eye health. 

An exam can show medical conditions such as diabetes, glaucoma, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Additionally, numerous diseases that affect the eye often do not have warning signs but can have severe effects on vision and eye health later. These conditions can be easily managed when caught early.

August is National Eye Exam Month, making it the perfect time to schedule a checkup appointment. But before you see a doctor, prepare and review the following information.

Which type of doctor should I see?

There are three types of eye specialists. Which one you see will depend on your eye condition or preference.

1.  Ophthalmologists provide total eye care, such as performing complete eye exams, prescribing corrective lenses, diagnosing and treating complex eye diseases, and performing eye surgery.

2.  Optometrists provide many of the same services as ophthalmologists. But if you have a complex eye problem or need surgery, you can be referred to an ophthalmologist.

3.  Opticians fill prescriptions for eyeglasses, including assembling, fitting, and selling them. Some will also sell contact lenses. Opticians do not provide eye health evaluations.

How often should I go?

The American Academy of Ophthalmology says people under 65 should have an eye exam at least every two years and one annually. However, depending on your visual impairment, health condition, and conversation with your doctor, the frequency of your visits might vary. For example, people with diabetes, previous eye trauma, surgery, or a family history of glaucoma may need an eye exam more often.

What should I expect during the exam?

On the day of your eye exam, expect questions about your vision impairment, general health, and family history. These answers will help your doctor understand your risk of eye disease and vision problems. Here is a sampling of questions:

The actual eye exam

After these preliminary questions have been answered, an eye exam will be performed. You might experience the following depending on your eye condition:

1.  Measurement of your visual acuity to see if you need glasses or contact lenses to improve your vision.

2.  Measurement of your eye pressure. To make it easier for your doctor to examine the inside of your eye, you will be given drops to dilate your eyes.

3.  Evaluation of eye health. After the dilating drops take effect, your eye doctor might use several lights or imaging to evaluate the front and inside of each eye.

After the exam

When your eye exam is over, you and your doctor will discuss the results of all testing, including an assessment of your vision, your risk of eye disease, and preventive measures you can take to protect your eyesight.

Now, with these basic tools on how to prepare for an eye exam, prepare yourself for an eye exam, make that call, and schedule your appointment today. Maintaining good eye care is essential to an overall healthy life.

Honoring Deaf-Blind Awareness Week 2021

What is deaf-blindness?

The U.S. began celebrating Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week in 1984. President Ronald Reagan issued a proclamation setting aside time to recognize the important contributions of deaf-blind individuals. This year’s Helen Keller Awareness Week begins June 27.

Deaf-blindness overview

A deaf-blind individual has vision and hearing loss. This limits their access to auditory and visual information.

Individuals with deaf-blindness usually fall into one of four categories.

Deaf-blindness is rare and hard to track. Children with dual-sensory loss are usually tracked through the education system. Some individuals may voluntarily identify themselves with a social service or rehabilitation agency. Many older adults who are gradually losing vision and hearing will choose not to enter a system to receive assistance. Others might need help knowing where to go for help.

Typical common causes of deaf-blindness include:

Many people with dual-sensory loss will isolate themselves from others because they believe they can no longer participate in social activities. They may also pull away from activities they love. Others will start retreating inward and withdraw from engaging with family and friends due to the losses.

Signs that might include a change in hearing or vision include:

Rehabilitation training for deaf-blind individuals is similar to training and techniques learned by visually impaired individuals in many ways. However, accommodations are made based on the degree of hearing loss.

Auditory cues are sometimes eliminated, and tactile/vibratory indicators are taught. For example, a deaf-blind individual will not hear a pot of water boiling. They feel the handle to test the vibration to determine if the water is boiling. These minor changes in technique provide deaf-blind individuals confidence and safety.

Significant challenges are encountered when safely traveling and navigating city streets.  A blind individual relies heavily on hearing to identify cues, such as crossing an alley or parking garage. People with vision loss rely on sound to identify traffic patterns and to determine when to cross a street. When you cannot hear the traffic, safe travel can become challenging. Through learning specific orientation and mobility skills, safe travel can be achievable.

Hellen Keller once said, “When one door of happiness closes, another opens.”

Outlook Enrichment can assist you or your family member with dual-sensory loss. Deaf-blind people can and do live fulfilled lives. Contact us for more information.

How to Identify Your Learning Style & Adapt to Vision Loss

Do you know your preferred learning style? Have you ever considered how your vision loss or impairment will impact it as it progresses? 

What is a learning style?

A learning style is an individual’s best approach to learning. It considers strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and disabilities. This learning philosophy is called metacognition.

It helps you understand your needs and allows you to learn and retain information. Most people tend to have a dominant learning style but will revert to other learning styles, based on situational events or the type of content they are trying to learn. 

Information typically enters your brain in three main ways: sight, hearing, and touch. So, learning styles are broken down into three major categories:

Visual – processing with your eyes

Characteristics of visual learners include:

Auditory – processing with your ears

Characteristics of auditory learners include:

Kinesthetic – processing information in multiple ways

Characteristics of kinesthetic learners include:

Understanding your learning style is important in addressing new challenges as you navigate your new visually impaired journey and changes. Your brain is still wired for your learning needs even if you no longer have the vision to see what is on the page or screen.

Continuing your learning style with vision loss

A rehabilitation trainer will help you continue using your dominant learning style. This training will include implementing environmental modifications to allow a visual learner to access information.

Visual learning

Visual learners who are visually impaired will need to adjust lighting for glare sensitivity to read print on paper and screens. People with significant vision loss will rely more on verbal descriptions to describe body movements or physical cues.

Other learning adaptations include the intake of written content. A visual learner may now have to absorb information auditorily through audiobooks or kinesthetically by learning to read braille.

Additionally, visual learners will need to navigate differently. Previously, they may have relied visually on maps to navigate city streets. When the ability to see maps is compromised, new strategies must be acquired. 

These may be using a GPS program on their mobile device to access auditory route information, relying on bus drivers, or learning to identify landmarks based on auditory and tactual information. 

Deafblind learning 

Addressing learning style needs becomes increasingly more challenging for individuals who lose visual and auditory learning modes, resulting in only kinesthetic information inputs. These learning styles may have been dominant and secondary before the dual sensory loss. These individuals use tactile learning strategies for daily communication and other items.

The strategies used by the deafblind are vastly different than those used for individuals who are visually impaired.

Trained deafblind specialists are needed to help people become comfortable with these strategies. Outlook Enrichment has a deafblind specialist on our team who can assist you.

Your learning style is an important aspect of any rehabilitation evaluation. Outlook Enrichment can help you understand your learning needs and develop an action plan for success. Contact us today to get started.

Unveiling the Mystery: Why Women Experience Higher Rates of Visual Impairment

Did you know that women are at higher risk for eye disease and vision impairment? Eye diseases such as cataracts and macular degeneration are diagnosed more often in women than in men. The World Health Organization reports that nearly two-thirds of all visually impaired and blind people in the world are women. In an effort to educate women on the risks and know the facts about healthy eyecare, Prevent Blindness America launched Women’s Eye Health and Safety Month in April. Since several eye diseases are treatable in preventing blindness and almost all eye injuries can also be prevented, let’s learn about some of the risks and healthy habits.

The Risk Factors 

Women typically live longer than men, which increases their risk of developing a vision impairment. Eye diseases such as cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma are specific to aging.

According to the National Eye Institute, women have greater instances of eye disorders because they tend to live longer, are more likely to undergo certain cancer treatments that may affect vision, and experience normal age-related hormonal changes that may affect their eyes. These changes are menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Additionally, eye conditions such as chronic dry eye syndrome are more prevalent in women, and hormonal changes can cause them. The American Academy of Ophthalmology explains women are more susceptible to autoimmune diseases than men, many of which affect vision, such as lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, and hyperthyroidism.

Women are typically family caregivers and can neglect their health while caring for others. Raising children, managing a household, and working is a full load for many women, so squeezing in a trip to the eye doctor for a checkup can be trying at best. Getting access to affordable healthcare can sometimes be more difficult for women than men. Women typically make less income than men, so having the financial resources to pay for proper health care can be a major factor. These overall social and economic situations can impact women more than men, leading to a higher risk of eye disease and vision impairment.

Developing Healthy Eye Care Habits 

Now that you know many reasons women are more prone to vision impairments than men, let’s look at some things women can do to care for their eyes.

 1.  Get a comprehensive eye exam from your eye doctor. An eye exam can not only determine the health of your eyes but can quickly track any changes, especially if you have a family history of eye disease.

2.  Watch your weight and your diet. Being overweight or obese and not eating healthy foods like dark green veggies and fish can affect vision. Weight gain and/or poor diet can cause medical conditions such as diabetes, strokes, and high blood pressure.

3.  Monitor eye makeup usage. Replace old makeup every three months or so. Do not share cosmetics with other women, as bacteria and germs can be easily spread.

4.  Wear sunglasses when outside. Sunglasses protect your eyes from UV rays and air-borne pollutants that can blow into your eyes, such as dust and pollen.

5. Don’t smoke or stop smoking.

6. Be sure your hands are clean before touching your eyes. 

7.  Learn proper eye safety and first aid for home, work, and recreational environments. Wear protective eye gear such as goggles when using chemicals, tools, and machinery. It is important to protect the eyes from burns, cuts, and foreign objects that can damage the corneas and other parts of the eye.

8. Use and wear contact lenses safely 

Learning about these risk factors and healthy habits can empower women to take control of their eye health. Additionally, men can provide support and encouragement. Understanding that the rates of vision loss are higher in women than men can help motivate everyone to take constructive action, have a meaningful conversation, and move forward to better health.

If you or a loved one is living with or learning about vision loss, contact us to learn about our adaptive tech programs, or check out our resources to learn more about living with a vision impairment.