Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind the source for blindness news and information since 1907

Once becoming an honorary member of the blind community after his young daughter lost her sight, Ricardo LiBorio has been on a mission to have a positive impact on other blind children, too. Mr. LiBorio, a martial arts expert and owner of a training facility, has opened his doors to visually impaired kids for a second summer. Every Monday, campers from the Lighthouse of Broward’s, an organization that provides services for the blind located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, travel to the gym in Coconut Creek for lessons. There, they learn a combination of judo and jiu-jitsu techniques from sighted and visually impaired instructors.
Camp counselor Paul Nichols was quoted saying, “Martial arts, especially judo, is a good fit for the children because unlike other sports, there is a high level of contact. Judo includes a lot of floor work with grappling. Also, it is very structured, doesn’t change, and provides confidence and independence,” he said. Along with martial arts, students also learn stretching and agility exercises, which include forward rolls and back falls.
Such physical activity for blind kids may even be more important than it is to a sighted child for numerous reasons. For one, intense activity from a young age tends to make orientation and mobility much more of a natural process, which is an essential component for independent travel. Secondly, martial arts can serve as an avenue to integrate the blind into the sighted community, as social isolation remains one of the most challenging issues facing the blind.
Of course Mr. LiBorio’s 4-year-old daughter Bella, who lost her sight 2-and-a-half years ago, takes class too. When speaking about the impact of martial arts, Mr. LiBorio said, “This for me is a big relief, for my hopes for Bella’s future.”
Mr. LiBorio’s dedication to enhancing the blind and visually impaired community still continues way beyond his immediate family. It was not enough for him to receive certification to teach visually impaired students, but now he aspires to obtain certification for his gym to become a training center for Paralympic competitors as well. It is probably a safe bet to assume that Mr. LiBorio will reach his latest goal, because as a seventh degree black belt and jiu-jitsu world champion, perseverance is obviously a dominant aspect of his character.
Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/coconut-creek/fl-mcf-lighthouse-0707-20110712,0,4113639.story

When Damian Lopez Alfonso was just 13, he was obsessed with kites. Today, he still brags that he was the best at locating kites amongst his friends. Although that hobby was abruptly curtailed, he eventually picked up another activity where he also excelled. The transition was anything but seamless, though, and Mr. Alfonso is actually lucky to be alive. One day when he and a friend attempted to retrieve a kite with a catchy drawing, he received the shock of a lifetime.
The kite was caught in the power lines above a building, and the boys decided to remove it with the aid of a metal rod. As they approached, Mr. Alfonso’s companion got cold feet and tried discouraging him, too. Unfortunately, valor won over discretion that day, and he took charge. When the rod and power lines touched, he was electrocuted and received severe burns to his arms, face, and torso. He was hospitalized for the next year, and today he lives with no forearms and a disfigured face.
Twenty-one-years later, Mr. Alfonso’s new love is bike racing, and he aspires to compete in international Olympic competition. With no forearms, he is still able to balance, steer, and travel at tremendous speed, using his elbows to press the brakes and shift gears. He has already been victorious in several local tournaments in his native Cuba, racing against able bodied cyclists. Olympic competition is another story though, because according to Olympic standards his bike is illegally assembled. In order to operate his brakes and gears, his handle bars must be turned upside down so they can be closer to him.
Mr. Alfonso’s determination has touched many people, and they have joined his campaign in a major way. Complete strangers have donated money for him to travel to New York for doctor’s visits, and doctors are trying to fit him with prosthetic arms free of charge. If they find something that works, Mr. Alfonso may be competing in the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. He is registered to compete in Canada next month, which is one of the qualifiers he needs to be eligible for next year’s games. In the meantime, he tried some prosthetic arms during a ride in New York’s Central Park earlier this month. He quickly became frustrated, and was quoted in a New York Times article saying, “I’ve ridden my whole life the other way, and now I can’t brake. I don’t know why I need this. Why do they have this stupid rule?”
What are your thoughts about Mr. Alfonso’s situation? Do you think the Olympic rules are exclusionary for riders who, in this case, are perfectly capable of riding at a high level with only simple, non-performance enhancing bike modifications?
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/nyregion/cyclists-embrace-a-handless-cuban-who-wants-to-race.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1309143609-xK/ci3Kvpb1%206V7m0kh/Wg

Every time Mike Marcado hits a golf ball, he stops and listens. “When I hear that little rattle of the ball going in, it sounds so sweet,” he said. Of course any golfer would enjoy that sound, but Mr. Marcado is blind, and sound is the only sense he can rely on when playing the game. Mr. Marcado, a vendor from Albany, N.Y. was one of fourteen blind golfers who participated in the thirty-fourth annual golf tournament to raise money for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an internationally accredited nonprofit guide dog school.
Last week’s tournament, which took place in Mount Kisco, N.Y. and brought in $600,000, featured New York Giants starting quarterback Eli Manning, who hosted the event for the fifth consecutive year. “Seeing different people every year tell their story about how they are able to accomplish a lot more with a guide dog is very rewarding to me,” said Manning. “At first I was just doing it because it was recommended, but over the years it has become more special.”
The original recommendation came from New Orleans resident Patrick Browne Jr., a blind golfer who is a family friend of the Manning’s. Mr. Manning and Mr. Browne’s sons played together as children, and the first time Mr. Manning saw Mr. Browne hit a golf ball, he thought it was a piece of cake. Although Mr. Manning admitted he was humbled very quickly, he was not apprehensive about putting on a blindfold and taking a couple of swings last week. He made a short putt on his second try, but said, “It’s kind of cheating because I get to see before I hit so that’s an advantage.”
Despite Mr. Browne’s blindness, he has an enormous edge over other blind golfers. Prior to losing his sight at age 32, he was the captain of his college golf team, and only needed a coach to line him up and tell him the proper distance necessary to sink the next shot. Mr. Browne’s efficiency really shows, because he won first place in the tournament for the 23rd time, and that is taking into consideration the fact that there were some years when he did not participate. No matter how many victories he is able to amass, Mr. Browne never overlooks the tournament’s purpose. “Independence is very important to folks without sight and the dog gives them that,” he said.
Although Mr. Browne does not use a dog, he obviously recognizes how important they are to many people. Ted Fass, a blind golfer who makes his home in Rockville Center, N.Y. and finished in sixth place this year, is not a dog handler either, but he developed a new appreciation for all the work that goes into training a guide dog. “After the golf outing, we have dinner and an auction to raise money,” said Fass. “There they talk about the dogs and how the money is allocated, how the dogs start as puppies, the training process, how they choose a dog for a particular blind person, I mean I was blown away, it really touched me.” Mr. Marcado, who said he did not do well in the tournament, falls in line with everyone else who supports the cause. “I always enjoy myself, and of course the big thing is guiding eyes,” Marcado said.
Although raising money is a big part of this tournament, golf for the blind is not just specific to this annual event. According to Mr. Browne, who used to be the president of the United States Blind Golf Association, blind people have been playing the game for more than 6 decades. “It became very popular right at the end of World War II,” Browne said. “The guys that played originally lost their sight in the war.”
Today, there are tournaments throughout the year in various states across the country, and blind competitors and their coaches enjoy the battles. The coach describes the angle and distance of an upcoming hole as he positions his player for the next swing. Coach Bob Clingerman, who has teamed up with Mr. Marcado for the last ten years, said, “I just set him up and get out of his way. I always like to say blind golfers have a big advantage over the rest of us,” Clingerman continued. “When they hit a bad shot, it’s the coach’s fault.” Clingerman said they practice once a week in the late afternoon, and according to the coach, “He plays until I can’t see anymore!”
Similar to Mr. Marcado and Mr. Clingerman, Mr. Browne says there’s a lot of kidding involved between him and his coach Charles Monsted. “You will never meet more dedicated people than the coaches of blind golfers,” said Browne. “They make it possible for us to play.” Monsted chimed in and talked about the joy he receives from coaching. “There’s nothing more rewarding than doing this,” said Monsted. “When things are not going quite well you stick with it and grind, then you hit a great shot, see a putt go in, he hears the cup get rattled, and you forget about all the bad shots pretty quickly.”
Cups will continue to rattle around the country throughout the remainder of the golf season, while player-coach tandems continue practicing and battling.
For more information about joining the United States Blind Golf Association, where the slogan is “You Don’t Have To See It…To Tee It,” visit www.usblindgolf.com/

For various reasons, many people attend college and drop out prior to their 20th birthday. With that said, it is probably safe to say that it would be difficult to find a former college student who dropped out only because he or she was offered $100,000 to do so. As unfathomable as that may sound, 24 college students were granted this opportunity from the Peter Thiel Foundation. Thiel, one of the initial Facebook investors and a co-founder of PayPal, offers a two year fellowship for young people to start their own business. He is very passionate about encouraging innovative thinking and hopes that more people will break away from society’s commonly held beliefs regarding college education.

“In our society the default assumption is that everybody has to go to college,” Thiel said. “To question education is really dangerous. It is the absolute taboo. It’s like telling the world there’s no Santa Claus.” Thiel also contends that many students acquire enormous debt attempting to pay for school, which can lead to a lifetime of financial ruin. Thiel’s offer, which did lure some students who were attending Ivy League schools, is not designed to make people forget about college altogether, he just feels that a university does not always facilitate full expansion of the mind. Also, the fellows are certainly at liberty to return to school after two years if they choose.

Thiel’s concept is extremely accurate and plausible on many levels, but not many people would even be offered $10,000 to drop out of school. Of course, college is not for everyone and is far from the only answer to living a successful life, but it does work for many people. Fortunately, there are many roads we can travel down in life, and it is up to the individual to find the smoothest one for him or herself.  Thiel is simply offering a different road.

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/05/25/136646918/paypal-co-founder-hands-out-100-000-fellowships-to-not-go-to-college?sc=fb&cc=fp

On May 1, 2011, United States Armed Forces took the life of mass murderer Osama Bin Laden. When I heard about it, I found some irony in the fact that his death came in the month that we have a national holiday celebrating our fallen soldiers. Of course nothing will ever bring them back, but some of us can do the slightest things to keep their memory alive. It can be as simple as saying “Thank you” to a veteran you know, so never minimize how important that can be.

I have to confess that as a child and as an adult, I certainly spent many holidays appreciating a day off, away from school and work, but never thought much about the holiday’s origin. With yesterday being Memorial Day, I made sure to stop and think for a moment about the true essence of why it is a holiday. To put it in simplest form, many of our heroes died so we can live. Fortunately, in this country we are lucky to have a quality of life that surpasses much of the world, and much of that we owe to those who have protected us.

Just think, if you hosted or attended a barbecue this past weekend and had the luxury of enjoying food, beverages, and good company, a portion of your gratitude is owed to our veterans who sacrificed their own lives. Of course if you never lived in another country you may not know exactly how things operate, but when you consider the fact that many people risk their lives attempting to flee to the United States, it infers that we must be doing something right.

Most certainly, my premise is not that things are perfect, but they are probably better than we recognize at times, even during war and economic hardship. With that said, there’s usually light at the end of each tunnel, and that is what separates our nation from many others.

Coupled with the fact that we have to pay homage to our deceased veterans, we still have living vets we can appreciate. I know for sure that some of you are subscribers, and I want to let you know that I admire your heart, courage, and dedication. I have spoken to some of you who have suffered significant injuries, but yet you seem to have no regrets and continue to maintain an indomitable spirit. In November, I plan to write an article about some of you for Veterans

Day, so please contact me if you are willing to share your stories of survival in combat. If you are interested, please call 203-604-8601 or 877-424-5481 and leave your contact information.

When Selena Sang and Ellen Elizabeth Tarr step into a kitchen, the aroma that follows is almost certain to captivate the attention of anyone in the vicinity. The two, who have been friends for eight years, operate a business called “Heart Bakers,” with a menu that includes different types of breads, cakes, pies, fudge, candy, and cookies. The business, which has been in operation since late last year, runs from their apartments, which happen to be in different states. Do not let the separation fool you though, their collaborative efforts still create a fledgling team.

Despite the fact that they share the same passion for the kitchen, the roads they traveled were quite the antithesis of each other. Mrs. Tarr, a blind Queens, NY resident who grew up in Baltimore, took a rather conventional expressway to her destination. As a child, she spent lots of time in the kitchen with her mom from whom she got the baking bug. “I always liked the smell of homemade baked goods,” she said. “Plus, I have a sweet tooth and love to eat.” During junior high, Mrs. Tarr began branching off from her mother’s tutelage, and tried some recipes on her own. As expected, things did not always come out exactly the way they were supposed to, “but nothing was ever catastrophic,” she said.

Unlike her business partner, Ms. Sang, who grew up in California and now lives in Boston, found herself in the kitchen for all the wrong reasons. She said her family never served her a sufficient amount of food to eat, so cooking became a necessity. “My blindness made them feel like I was not as worthy as their other kids,” said Sang. “When I was about sixteen, I would try to cook in the middle of the night because no one was around.”

Even in her attempt to be self sufficient, Ms. Sang still encountered hurdles. “Sometimes the only thing that was left was molded bread,” she said. “Everyone had already eaten all the good stuff.”

Now, Ms. Sang’s days of moldy bread are long gone, and whenever she samples a piece of Mrs. Tarr’s bread it is quite the opposite. “It is really hard to say what my best dish is, but I would have to say some kind of bread, like strawberry or banana,” said Tarr.” Ms. Sang says that her cinnamon twists are a big hit with people, so she figured she would go with that as her best.

Although they form a successful tandem today, Mrs. Tarr was initially apprehensive about going into business when Ms. Sang approached her with the idea. “I was not sure if we had the right finances, tools, space, and time,” said Tarr. “But it has been what I expected so far.” Both want the business to continue to prosper of course, despite the fact that neither one would ever want it to be their primary source of income. “I kind of like it more as a hobby,” said Tarr.  As for Ms. Sang, she said nothing will ever replace her first love, which is music.

In case you were wondering, the Heart Bakers do not restrict their business only to the cities they reside in. They will ship their baked goods all across the United States, and Ms. Sang and Mrs. Tarr added that they would make deliveries to anyone in their areas. Ms. Sang plans to have a working website by the end of the summer, but for now you can place your orders via telephone. So the next time you are in the mood for some great dessert, dial 857-288-8711.

Although the homeless population is a group often ostracized, a unique partnership has formed in New Haven, Connecticut to assist in closing the gap between them and the rest of the community. Some students at Yale University will collaborate with the homeless to publish their stories about life in shelters, soup kitchens, and the overall peaks and valleys of their journey in order to create a newspaper for the homeless community, as well as the regular citizens of the city. The students volunteer as an amanuensis, and those who share their stories about life on the streets receive some compensation upon publishing and sales. They hope the articles touch the homeless and beyond, even serving as a coping mechanism for dealing with their daily trials and tribulations.

Linda, one of the homeless contributors, explained it this way. “It gives me an outlet to write what happened to me on paper–kind of therapeutic,” she said. The papers cost one dollar, and contributors like Linda receive 75 cents per sale.

For others like Linda, if the paper, called the Elm City Echo, begins to gain popularity, it would be an enormous step in the right direction. If it is successful, the paper could set a precedent for other communities to follow. 

One writer, Damian, said, “We’re just as human as everybody else. That’s what I need people to understand.” Considering the fact that homelessness and crime often go hand in hand, publications like this could help both sides understand each other much better.    Furthermore, unsanitary conditions are also blamed on the homeless, and a meeting of the minds could possibly ease some tension in that area as well. As the saying goes, “communication is key,” and many times that is exactly what is needed to create peace.

Source: http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/connecticut/newspaper-written-by-homeless-out-now

In the sport of wrestling, earning national championship honors at both the high school and college levels is quite the accomplishment.  As arduous as that may be, imagine achieving all of that with just one leg. Fortunately, for Arizona State senior Anthony Robles, he does not have to dream about that anymore.

Last weekend, the 22-year-old Robles, who was born without a right leg, transformed that dream into reality in Philadelphia.

By his own admission, Roble’s initial dabble into wrestling began rather inauspiciously. But with time there came improvement, and eventually he became determined to wind up exactly where he did. When it all started back in high school, he weighed less than 100-pounds. Now, at 125-pounds–and able to bench-press more than 300 pounds–he leaves the sport at the top of his weight class.

As many great champions do, Robles saved his best season for last. He did not lose a single match this year, and the coup de grace was a master piece. His opponent, Matt McDonough, last year’s national champion, was just what the doctor ordered for Mr. Robles final act. He assumed his regular starting position, and by the time the contest concluded, Mr. Robles emerged victorious in a landslide. Afterwards, the usually calm Robles did confess to being awfully nervous prior to the match. “I almost started crying,” he said, “I was scared.”

For all that he has accomplished it would appear that Mr. Robles has chosen to embark on the ideal career path. He aspires to be a motivational speaker, and hopes that many people can find strength in his journey. Despite his professional goals, Robles said he did not do any of this for the attention or recognition. Instead, it was all for the love of the sport that helped to build his own intestinal fortitude and shape his character.

Source:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704433904576212721437205698.html

In the aftermath of the horrific natural disaster in Japan, images and stories of death and destruction consume the majority of media coverage. The recent earthquake and tsunami that ravaged parts of Japan have naturally resulted in many awful stories, but there are some inspirational tales of survival, too.

Last week, a 4-month-old baby in Ishinomaki was swept right out of her parents’ arms by a strong wave.  With the amount of debris and the volume of water present in the powerful tsunami waves, the likelihood of the child ever being found was nearly non-existent.  But miraculously, she was found alive three days later under a pile of rubble and was reunited with her parents, who could not believe their amazing luck.

Another tale involves a 70-year-old woman also defied the odds. Although the tidal wave was powerful enough to sweep the majority of an entire region away, apparently it still was no match for her.  She went along for the ride when her house and the rest of her neighborhood was swept away, but she was eventually rescued and taken to the hospital with no life threatening injuries.  With more than 18,000 people still currently missing, it’s a miracle that she was found in good condition.

Another man, 10-years her junior, did not want to part with his house, either. Found holding onto his roof top, a 60-year-old man was rescued after floating at sea for a couple of days. Not surprisingly, when he was rescued he said he thought that day would be his last on the planet.

Japanese rescue teams said stories such as these serve as a breath of fresh air, and provide further inspiration for them to continue searching. Hopefully the will to live continues to spread, reaching all of the survivors, especially during these tumultuous times.

Source: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/15/miracles-in-japan-four-month-old-baby-70-year-old-woman-found-alive/?hpt=C2

The topic of dating often leads to discussions regarding several aspects of choosing a partner. Race, social class, and physical appearance are just some of the areas that come up. In the blind community, a hot topic in the dating game is whether the blind date exclusively inside the community, outside of it, or if they are comfortable with both. Dennis Grant, a totally blind man from Ocean City, Maryland, can speak from personal experience regarding the difference in dating a blind or sighted woman.

Grant, 55, is on his second marriage–this time to a sighted woman–after spending fifteen years with his first wife who is blind. “There’s definitely a difference,” said Grant. “I find myself doing things alone more often now, because I don’t like people assuming that my wife is taking care of me.” Mr. Grant added that he needs to find a happy medium because he does not want society controlling the amount of quality time he spends with his wife.

Society has not always been kind to Brooklyn, New York native Turiya Hall, either. Hall, a mother of two, is losing faith with the idea of dating a sighted man. “I have casually dated a couple of sighted men, but it never got much further than that,” she said. Hall, 36, did specify that no man ever confirmed that they were uncomfortable with her blindness, but she strongly believes that they just could not handle the issues society presents to a blind and sighted couple. So, for the time being, Ms. Hall, who is single, prefers to date in the blind community. “Although we are all different in the way we deal with our blindness, I feel like a blind partner can better relate to me.”

Ms. Hall is not alone in the way she feels about dating blind men. Selena Shepherd, 26, has only been blind for two years, but already feels comfortable dating in the community. “I am not opposed to being with a sighted guy,” said Shepherd. “I just feel like I can learn more from a blind partner at this point.” Ms. Shepherd, a single woman who resides in Denver, Colorado, stated that not only does she want a blind mate, but she would prefer someone who has been blind for a long time. “I still have trouble accepting my blindness sometimes, so I feel like I could progress quicker if I had a blind boyfriend who is already comfortable in his skin.”

If he were single, Antonio Guimaraes may just be made to order for Ms. Shepherd. Guimaraes, a keyboard player from Providence, Rhode Island, has been blind for all of his 30 years. Although his current girlfriend is blind, like Mr. Grant, Mr. Guimaraes is equally comfortable with blind or sighted women. “I’ve been with both,” said Guimaraes. “Maybe you can do things like skating and driving with a sighted partner, but there are many ways to make up for it with the things you can share with a blind partner.”

Despite the fact that there are people like Mr. Guimaraes, Mr. Grant, Ms. Hall, and Ms. Shepherd, who are willing to try both, others are very one sided. A woman who would rather remain anonymous, was very adamant in specifying that she would never even consider dating a blind man. She feels like a blind couple just cannot work, solidifying her position by saying she wanted to be driven around, and even wondered if a blind man could ever do anything for her.

Such revelations are slightly unusual to Ms. Shepherd, whose personal experiences have shown quite the opposite. “All of my female friends who are dating have blind boyfriends,” said Shepherd. “But interestingly, not all, but several of my male friends are dating sighted women.” This contrast came as no surprise to Ms. Hall, however, who thinks she knows exactly why that is. “Don’t get me wrong,” she said. “In no way am I insinuating that sighted women pity blind men, but women are just more nurturing by nature.”