Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living

Connecting people to the power of independence

Something to KNOW

February is Low Vision Awareness Month

loviz

During the month of February, BVCIL will acknowledge Low Vision Awareness Month with interactive activities, an awareness field trip, and lots of informative web posts showcasing how people with low vision maintain their independence. Prevent Blindness America initiated Low Vision Awareness Month to call attention to Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) which, according to PreventBlindness.org, is the number one cause of vision loss in people over 65.

Vision is measured in terms of acuity, which means accuracy and sharpness. Acuity is expressed as a fraction, with the top number, which is always 20, representing what a person with ideal vision can see clearly and accurately from a distance of 20 feet. So, a person with perfect vision sees 20/20, has 100% of the visual acuity humans typically have, and sees clearly and accurately what he or she should see at that distance.

eye chart

A person has moderate low vision if her or his visual acuity is between 20/70 and 20/200 in the best corrected eye. Best correction means that even with glasses, medicine, assistive technology, or even surgery, the person’s vision cannot be corrected to better than 20/70. With a best corrected acuity of 20/200 or below (only 10% of ideal vision), or a visual field of less than 20 degrees, a person has severe low vision and is considered “legally blind,” or eligible for disability benefits because of the vision loss. A more generalized definition of low vision is vision loss that interferes with a person’s ability to perform Activities of Daily Living (ADLs).

mobility choices
Picture from www.whitecaneday.org

But just because low vision may make ADLs more complicated does not mean that people who have low vision can’t live independently. Quite the contrary! People who have low vision can choose from a broad spectrum of assistive devices and adaptive techniques to enhance their independence. Some people with low vision choose a long white cane or dog guide to help with mobility. While some with remaining vision do use Braille, such as to access computers, others use electronic high-powered magnification devices to make reading easier. Kitchen aids such as large print cooking timers and battery-powered liquid level indicators enable independent meal preparation.

A CCTV
A high-powered electronic magnifying machine

 

During Low Vision Awareness Month, we will feature in our office an interactive display about low vision and how people who have it sustain independence. Our Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) peer group will have a lunch outing to promote awareness. Please also follow our web site and our Facebook page throughout February to learn more about life with low vision.

February is Black History Month

We Shall Overcome

We owe the celebration of Black History Month, and more importantly, the study of black history, to Dr. Carter G. Woodson. Born to parents of former slaves and enrolled in high school at age twenty, he graduated within two years and later went on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. In his studies he was disturbed to find that history books largely ignored the black American population, and it was not until the 20th century that they gained respectable presence in history books.  Woodson determined to write black Americans into the nation’s history. In 1915 he established an organization to promote the scientific study of black life and history, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), and a year later founded the widely respected Journal of Negro History. In 1926, he launched Negro History Week as an initiative to bring national attention to the contributions of black people throughout American history. Woodson chose the second week of February for Negro History Week because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. However, February has much more than Douglass and Lincoln to show for its significance in black American history; each day of the month has its own accomplishments. After launching Negro History week (which became Black History Month), Woodson chose to provide a theme for each year to focus the public’s attention.

PICcartergwoodson

The ASALH dedicates the 2013 Annual Black History Theme to celebrating the anniversary of two important African American turning points–the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington. The Emancipation Proclamation, decreed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1st, 1863, declared slaves in all confederate states then at war with the Union “forever free” and made them eligible for paid military service in the Union Army. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom took place on August 28th, 1963 in Washington D.C. More than 200,000 advocates took part in the walk. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his ‘‘I Have a Dream’’ speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, noting that the Emancipation Proclamation gave hope to black slaves. The following year Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a real step towards fulfilling the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Woodson and the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s remain to be our role models for advocacy, as they each sought to advance their own rights and others’ awareness. By celebrating Black History Month, we are honoring the past to inspire the future, which can give a healthy sense of self and hope for one’s own future.

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Please follow our BVCIL Facebook page to find our daily posts of accomplishments by African Americans on each day for the month of February.

CPR & Disability – Great Post

Post from: EmpowerAbility® , LLC

Participating in CPR training with a disability…..

This past weekend I did my annual health care professional ritual of completing my CPR re-certification. Although, this time it was not so typical as I started to wonder, could Bill (my handsome husband, who happens to have a C5-C6 incomplete spinal cord injury) perform CPR on me in the event of an emergency? What accommodations would the Red Cross and/or the American Heart Association make for those who want to be CPR certified and have a disability?

I spoke with a Red Cross representative from my area to get some clarification. There are three main critical objectives that need to be met for CPR certification 1-to get on the floor, 2-To be able to give an effective breath (making the chest rise) and 3-to be able to give effective chest compressions. If a participant is able to complete these three main critical objectives, as well as pass the written exam, they will receive the CPR certification card.

The representative reviewed that modifications can be made, as long as the three main critical objectives are still met. For example, a woman with a congenital birth defect that had left her without forearms or hands recently took the course and completed the certification. The Red Cross representative reported that she was able to get on the floor, she was able to give effective breaths, but instead of using her hands to complete the chest compressions, she was able to effectively complete the chest compressions with her foot.

If, however, a person is unable to complete any of the three main critical objectives, a certification card cannot be issued. Although certification would not be obtained, auditing the class to learn the information is still a viable option. Learning this information would allow you to instruct others to help with CPR, in case of an emergency.

I thoroughly understand the need for these critical objectives to be met to provide effective CPR, but am delighted to know that modifications can be made. If you are interested in learning more about what accommodations can be made for completing CPR with a disability, please contact the American Red Cross and/or the American Heart Association for details.

Save a life, learn CPR!

Social Security 2013 Increases

Press Release
Tuesday, October 16, 2012 Press Office
For Immediate Release 410-965-8904
press.office@ssa.gov

Social Security Announces 1.7 Percent Benefit Increase for 2013

(Printer friendly version)

Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 62 million Americans will increase 1.7 percent in 2013, the Social Security Administration announced today.

The 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that more than 56 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2013. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 31, 2012.

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 $113,700 from $110,100. Of the estimated 163 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2013, nearly 10 million will pay higher taxes as a result of the increase in the taxable maximum.

Information about Medicare changes for 2013, 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.

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Guardianship Series

Thank you to everyone who came to our Guardianship Series Events! We hope you found the information given to be useful. We will keep you posted on any other events in the future.

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Resources from our Community Conversation:  Guardianship

Conversation 1: Defining Guardianship Conversation 2: Alternatives to Guardianship Conversation 3:  Responsible Guardianship
Lead Facilitator:  Texas Guardianship AssociationLocal Attorneys:  Josh Benn & Anthony Drummond Lead Facilitator:  DisabilityRights TexasLocal Attorneys:  Anthony Drummond & Josh Benn Lead Facilitators are local Attorneys:  Anthony Drummond & Josh Benn
What is Guardianship?Guardianship is a legal process designed to protect vulnerable persons from abuse, neglect (including self-neglect), and exploitation. Guardianship provides for the person’s care and management of his or her money while preserving, to the largest extent possible, that person’s independence and right to make decisions affecting his or her life.What happens to the person’s rights and what determines incapacity?

Guardianship removes certain rights and privileges from an incapacitated person, referred to as the “ward”. An incapacitated person can be a minor (under 18 years old) or an adult. The guardianship statute defines an incapacitated adult as a person who, because of physical or mental condition, is substantially unable to

  • provide food, clothing or shelter for himself or herself;
  • care for the individual’s own physical health; or
  • manage the individual’s own financial affairs. Please note that a person is not legally incapacitated until a court has declared that the person is incapacitated.Before the court makes a determination, a person for whom a guardianship application has been filed is called the “alleged incapacitated person” or the “proposed ward”.The court may not use age as a factor in determining whether to appoint a guardian for an adult. The court appoints another person (guardian) to make some or all of these necessary decisions. Whether the court appoints a guardian with broad or limited authority depends upon the physical or mental limitations of the incapacitated person.

What are the types of guardianships?

A Guardian of the Person is appointed by the court to take care of the physical well-being of a ward and a Guardian of Estate is appointed to care for a ward’s property. Often both a guardian of person and a guardian of estate are appointed and this can be the same person.