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

If you’ve ever guessed that your lightly-used hotel soaps were going to a factory in Atlanta to be sanitized and reshaped and sent off to poor African towns, you were absolutely right. If you never guessed that, no one blames you.
Derreck Kayongo started his unique foundation, Global Soap Project, back in 2009 and currently has about 300 hotels participating in an effort to provide free soap to people who do not have access to basic sanitation in Africa.
Kayongo, a Uganda native, came up with this idea during his first visit to America. While staying at his hotel, he noticed that even though he only used his bar of soap once, which barely reduced its size, a new one was in its place the following day. Worried that he was being charged for this extra soap, he went to the front desk to return it, only to be told that it was hotel policy to replace the soap daily. This confused him deeply.
Kayongo comes from a place where availability of soap isn’t an issue, but cost is. Most of the people around him only make about one dollar a day, and soap costs twenty-five cents. “I’m not a good mathematician,” he said. “But I’m telling you I’m not going to spend that 25 cents on a bar of soap. I’m going to buy sugar. I’m going to buy medicine. I’m going to do all the things I think are keeping me alive.” Each year, more than two million children become ill from diseases that could have been prevented by something as simple as washing their hands. When that happens, it’s even more expensive to go to the hospital. “And that’s where the problem begins and people end up dying,” Kayongo said.
When the soap bars are received from the hotels that participate with his foundation, they sanitize them first, and then heat them at very high temperatures, chill them, and cut them into bars. None of the soap is mixed, since each type of soap has different characteristics like pH, smells, and colors. The bars of soap are only released to be sent to Africa once a third-party lab has certified that they are pathogen-free. All of the soap is given to the recipients free of charge, and so far, over one hundred thousand bars (or one hundred tons total) has been distributed.
“When we were distributing the soap, I could sense that there was a lot of excitement, joy, a lot of happiness,” said Kayongo. “It’s a reminder again of that sense of decency. They have someone who knows about their situation, and is willing to come and visit them … to come and say, ‘We are sorry … We’re here to help.’ ”
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/06/16/cnnheroes.kayongo.hotel.soap/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Like every Principal, Sherrie Gahn is concerned about the welfare of her students. However, Sherrie’s focus goes far beyond the classroom. You see, her elementary school, located outside of Las Vegas, is filled with many students whose families are homeless. In fact, 85 percent of her student body–518 out of 610 kids–fall into that category.
“I thought that I saw the ultimate poverty when I got here eight years ago and every year it has gotten worse and the recession made it ten times worse,” she said. She quickly realized that the situation was not one that could be solved by a traditional public school. She remarked that when she saw children eating ketchup for lunch, and asking if they could take it home, that it crushed her.
Sherrie soon came up with a plan that would involve not only the school, but the parents and the surrounding community as well. She told the parents that she would give them whatever it is that they needed, so long as they gave her their children for her to teach. Food, clothes, eye doctor appointments, rent and utility payments, all was promised to the poverty-stricken families of her school if the kids continued to attend.
Her students now receive free clothes, free bread to bring home to the families, and free haircuts, among other things. Many of the items are donated by local businesses that drop the items off at the school on a daily basis. Sherrie makes a wish list that she distributes to a hoard of volunteers who go out and find people willing to help.
The contributions to her cause come from far and wide, and sometimes from unexpected donors. There is one woman in Philadelphia who sends twenty dollars a month to help out. A gambler, who caught wind of what Sherrie was trying to do, donates two thousand dollars every month, which is taken out of their Vegas winnings.
Sherrie encourages her students to always continue to learn. When she speaks to her fifth grade classes she says, “If you make it through junior high, you make it through high school, and you can’t afford to go to college, come see me and I will make sure that you go to college.” A small trust fund has been established to make sure that she can keep that promise as well.
Now, with the school year over, Sherrie is concerned about the many families who will be on their own this summer without the aid her school provides during the year. She already has a plan in place for the following year to start an after school program so her students have a safe place to be when the school day is done.
When asked how she felt about what she’s doing, Sherrie said that the kids are worth the big promises that she’s made and that she measures her success by their reaction. “The look in their face that I made their life better. That’s my success rate when they hug me and thank me for the food, the clothes. Then I know it’s a good day.”
Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/2102-18563_162-20070437.html

Cyber warfare has garnered a lot of attention in the news lately now that it is a viable security threat.  However, it can also be a great defense against an impending attack that could take lives as well.

Recently, MI6 (the British intelligence agency made famous by the James Bond movies) launched an operation to disrupt the efforts of a known terrorist group publishing a magazine to recruit new terrorists. 

The online magazine contained editorials written by people like Osama bin Laden, as well as other high profile terrorists.  The articles in the magazine were also of a sinister nature, and some contained recipes on how to make lethal pipe bombs.  Interestingly enough, the magazine was published in English, hinting that the intended audience might not be anyone in the Middle East, but rather “lone wolf” terrorists here in America or Europe.  It was titled “Inspire.”

The MI6 attack removed all of the articles written by high profile terrorist leaders from the online magazine and replaced recipes for bombs with garbled computer code.  The code they had imbedded in place was actually a recipe for a Mojito Cupcake featured on America’s Ellen DeGeneres talk show.  It makes you wonder if any readers followed the directions all the way through and ended up with a dessert instead of a lethal device.

Cyber defense actions like this have continued to disrupt future attempts at releasing any new editions of the magazine, as well as any that have tried to pop up in its place.  Others have and will continue to come out of the woodwork, so the Pentagon has also drawn up plans to disrupt these materials as well. 

By intercepting and altering these publications, they eliminate a strong propaganda tool that could be used to network, organize, and train these violent groups.

And hey, if we keep sending dessert recipes their way, maybe they’ll change their minds.  Who doesn’t like cupcakes?

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/8553366/MI6-attacks-al-Qaeda-in-Operation-Cupcake.html

Obviously working dogs are no strangers to the blind and visually impaired community.  For the people who choose to use guide dogs, they serve as a reliable aid and a trusted friend.  But working dogs are involved in many other aspects of society as well, including wars.  With recent military events gaining international media exposure, many people have become curious about a detail that was initially brushed aside–that there was a dog with the soldiers.

Dogs have been an often-overlooked aspect of military strategy for some time.  But as with guide dogs used by the blind, they provide their handlers with key information about the world around them.  Their world is, of course, markedly different.  Whereas one of your dogs may guide you through a busy intersection, war dogs may alert soldiers about the threat of explosives.  In some cases they are used to track, in other cases, to defend or attack those who want to do them, their handlers, and other soldiers harm.

Depending on the work the dog will be doing, the breed of the dog can vary, but German Shepherds are among the most popular.  Most of them begin their lives at the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, known to the military as the “dog Mecca for all service branches.”  The dogs undergo training from a very early age.  As early as their third day alive, they are put to the test so trainers can observe reflex and basic neurological responses.  At eight weeks, they are put through their first aptitude test which, among many other things, includes their ability to play fetch.

While they’re working, the dogs exhibit extraordinary bravery, just like the soldiers they work with.  The dogs will air drop into an occupied area, rappel down walls, and jump out of helicopters to swim to shore with the help of their handlers.  The parachuting is probably the most interesting because one would assume that the dog would be scared to death.  But trainers say that the dogs have no height perception.  They see the ground but cannot associate what they see with how far up they are.  If anything, they say that the wind noise is probably more bothersome.

For those of you who have a guide dog, you understand the bond that is created, and it’s no different for a military dog and their handler.  There is one story about a soldier and his dog, both victims of an IED blast.  As the soldier was being lifted into the helicopter, he yelled, “Get Cane in the Blackhawk!” before losing consciousness and perishing due to fatal wounds.  His last thoughts were of his dog.

While their purpose is inevitably grim, war dogs give the soldiers they protect an extra layer of safety that no machine could ever truly duplicate.  More than that, though, there is a psychological aspect as well, and the dogs help boost the morale of the soldiers around them.  With many battles being fought in urban territories, the usefulness of dogs will remain high, and they will continue to be a valid asset to those around them.

Source: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/05/12/war_dog_ii?page=0,0

A picture has been recently floated around the internet of a sign that says, “No Entrance” in large letters on an unnamed University campus.  Below the sign, is the same notification in Braille, but with one distinct problem–the Braille is a graphic, and is not raised at all.

The picture, taken by a university student, is accompanied by a caption that reads, “I don’t think my university understands how Braille works.”  I’m inclined to think that they’re right.

Now, there are a couple ways to look at this.  The first is to simply laugh at such an obvious failure and assume that the original intentions of the person who ordered that sign were to have tactile Braille for any visually impaired person to use.  Of course, there is also another way to look at it–that the person ordering the sign took the time to ask for Braille lettering, but didn’t know that it had to be tactile and not just a graphic.  The company producing the sign is also suspect.

I hope it was the former, but the cynic in me feels that the most realistic scenario was the latter–where a lack of understanding produced a sign that reveals a large problem facing both the sighted world, which is attempting to structure things designed to be used by the visually impaired, and those visually impaired individuals who are forced to use the sometimes poorly-executed devices designed to benefit them.  There is a wide gap between the two where simple misunderstandings lead to things like embarrassing signs that could also easily serve as a safety hazard for an otherwise uninformed visually impaired individual.

The sign reveals that attempts are being made to comply with the needs of the blind, but that there is still a long way to go.  What they’ve done is akin to putting up the same sign for a sighted person that requires a light to illuminate the lettering, but neglecting to install the light bulb.

What are your feelings about this?  Are things like this bumps along the road to understanding?

It’s no secret that populations of fish are beginning to dwindle in multiple areas around the world due to various practices in need of reform.  At the same time, pollution floating in our oceans is worse than it ever has been, which endangers marine life as well.   Recognizing both problems as a risk to their way of life, European Union fisheries have begun looking for new strategies that will help solve both problems.

The commissioner for EU fisheries, Maria Damanaki, will be unveiling a trial project in the Mediterranean this month which will involve fisherman fishing for plastic and floating debris in the ocean instead of fish.  Not all fisherman will be a part of this project, but there will be a number of fleets whose sole purpose is to fish for garbage which can then be brought ashore and recycled.  Best of all, they will be paid for their efforts, so there will be no loss of income.

While initially their pay will come in the form of EU state subsidies, eventually they hope that this will be a sustainable business plan for some groups as the value of recycled plastics increases.  Imagine, two businesses working side-by-side–both pulling their catch out of the water but for entirely different purposes.

This is a great plan to rid the Mediterranean of floating garbage which will both reduce the pressure on already shrinking fish stocks and remove trash from the water that harms many marine species.  The idea that this may become a sustainable business is encouraging, so long as the value of the plastic stays high enough for the workers to be paid a decent amount of money.  It is discouraging, though, that any sort of sustainable business would be ultimately reliant on the continued aggressive polluting of the ocean.  Without any plastic to fish, there’s no business to be had.

The sad part is there is a good chance that marine pollution, especially recyclable plastics, will remain an issue for years to come.  Let’s just hope that this trial program takes off and others sprout up in areas like the Pacific, where one of the largest masses of garbage on Earth is listlessly floating around.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/04/eu-fishermen-catch-plastic

Quoted saying, “I don’t need any more shoes or suits or cars, I’d rather make a difference in one kid’s life,” James Reynolds set himself apart from the pack as the newly appointed Chairman of the Chicago Housing Authority Board.  He’s not donating a small amount of money, either.  The stipend he receives for serving as the chairman is one hundred thousand dollars.  That money will go towards creating a scholarship fund for low-income public housing residents looking to go to college.

When Mr. Reynolds accepted the appointment from Mayor Daley last September, he actually had no idea that it came with any sort of monetary compensation.  In fact, he didn’t learn of the stipend until he had held the position for two months.  When he discovered what he was receiving, he immediately began thinking of ways it could be put to better use.  “I went to the board and shared with them that I didn’t need it,” he said. “I thought it would be a good idea if we put together a scholarship fund for children in our developments.”

So what kind of guy doesn’t need one hundred thousand dollars?  Well, it helps that he is also the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of the Chicago-based global investment firm Loop Capital Markets–a position which has brought him much success.  In fact, in addition to his stipend, he is tossing in another twenty-five thousand dollars of his own money to jump-start the scholarship fund.

“I really believe the secret to us putting ourselves out of the housing authority business is to educate the youth,” he said.  Coming from a humble upbringing in Englewood himself, Reynolds can sympathize with the kids growing up in these developments, and knows how much a couple extra thousand dollars could mean to a kid looking to further their education.

Oftentimes, we hear about political corruption ruining people and organizations put in place to improve the lives of those who are less fortunate.  In this case, it’s quite the opposite, and Mr. Reynolds is using his position and privilege to help pull people out of public housing by giving them a chance at higher education and a better life.  He is truly serving the people in the best way possible.

Source: http://www.suntimes.com/news/5163105-418/cha-chairman-to-donate-100k-salary-to-public-housing-scholarship-fund.html?itsfunnyreadthatagain

If you’ve ever tried water-skiing, you know that it is more difficult than it seems.  The more seasoned skiers will tell you all you have to do is stand up and hold on, but you need to have great balance and be able to anticipate how a wave will move you.

Imagine then, water-skiing for miles–23.85 miles to be exact.  Blind water-skier Steve Thiele recently accomplished this feat and set the open sea water-skiing world record.

Steve hadn’t been on the water for more than 15 years, but when his employer asked him to come up with an interesting fundraiser to support charity groups Cancer Research UK and Ghana Outlook, he knew he’d have to come up with something more exciting than a simple sponsored walk.  So, not only did he grab his skis again, but he set out with a goal–to set the new world record.  The last time he competed was at the Disabled Waterski Olympics over a decade ago, but after a couple runs, he found it had all come back to him and he was ready to go.  

With the folks from Guinness World Records on hand, he went to start the challenge.  But before he could get going, they informed him of a very odd requirement–he had to wear a blindfold.  Having been blind from the age of eight when he fell from a tree and damaged his optic nerve, he laughed at their request and probably thought they were joking.  However, they were dead serious.  “Guinness World Records do not distinguish between able-bodied persons and disable persons,” Steve said.  “So they said that in order for me to break the existing world record, I had to wear the blindfold.”  He joked, “It didn’t make a difference to me.”

So, the blind man–extra blinded by the blindfold–finally began his challenge and shortly thereafter set the new world record.  When his run was over and the questions began to come at him, he remarked, “It must have been humorous watching a blind person wearing a blindfold.”

Regardless of what unnecessary requirements needed to be met, Steve’s record is an impressive one that required massive amount of balance, strength, and stamina and hopefully he raised a ton of money for the charities he supported. 

Source:  http://www.metro.co.uk/news/860477-blind-water-skier-sets-a-world-record-wearing-a-blindfold

A famous comedian, whose name escapes me at the moment, once said, “Sometimes you have to set fire to the truck to get the insurance money so you can make the truck payment.”  While the logic is clearly flawed, the following story goes along the same lines.

Utah resident John Maxim recently set his Ford Escort wagon on fire to raise money for his mortgage payment.  While his thought process didn’t involve the previous joke’s insurance scam, it still ranks up there as one of the strangest strategies for raising capital.

As many Americans have experienced, John fell behind on his mortgage payments and the bank arranged for his home to be sold at a foreclosure auction, something John claims that they did not alert him of.  He had thought that they had negotiated a deal, and having come up with the money to cover his back mortgage payments, the bank alerted him that he’d need much more since more time had elapsed.

In a desperate effort, John turned to an internet audience with his story and a request.  He exclaimed to the world, “I figure in a country where Oprah can just give people cars, where Lehman Brothers Bank can get bailed out by our government, where Lindsay Lohan can be “breaking News”, and all other such silly American debacles… that perhaps there are enough people out there who’d pay a small amount to see some desperate sap light his car on fire.”  If he received enough in donations to save his house, he’d set fire to his car and televise the blaze over the internet.  He also promised that all of the donated money would be paid back.  As odd as this sounds, it actually intrigued enough anonymous donors–387 in all–that John ended up with the cash he required and was able to save his home.  Now, it was time for him to keep up his end of the bargain.

He went to local fire departments, told them about his situation, and asked if they’d want to use it as a training exercise.  But since he was televising the blaze and selling ad space on his website, they all declined.  With no other options, and not wanting to fail his donors, he went out on his own to a campground and set his car on fire.  The big problem, though, was that he did this in a campground on federal land–which is a huge offense.

With a guilty plea on two misdemeanor counts, and roughly $3,500 in fines and fees later, John was a free man with a house.  He’s already been able to pay back about $3,500 of his debt.  Hopefully he’ll continue to make his payments so he doesn’t have to light his bike on fire.

Source: http://jalopnik.com/#!5786453/how-a-man-saved-his-house-by-setting-his-car-on-fire

Normally news like this is some sort of overly expensive marketing ploy.  The company reveals their new bottle, which is simply another shape with a couple twists in it and maybe a different color scheme on the label.  We, as consumers, are supposed to be drawn like bugs to the zapper and the cycle continues once the new shape and scheme go stale in the focus groups.  In reality, regardless of what effect a new bottle has on sales, the bottles can never truly be changed, anyway–they still have to fit in vending machines.  However, this news from Pepsi is markedly different, and may actually change the way we produce PET plastics in general.

Plastic bottles, especially PET plastics, require the use of petroleum in their production process, which inevitably puts further strain on fossil fuel reserves.  We never really make the connection that our soda or water bottle is a part of the fossil fuel discussion, but if you think about how many bottles there are in the world, the situation becomes much clearer. 

Pepsi, with their millions upon millions of dollars to throw around, decided that they’d toss that money in a direction with a potentially serious impact, and not just in sales.  They chose to fund research which eventually produced a plastic bottle made entirely of plant-based material.  Currently, the bottle is made up of a combination of switch grass, pine bark, and corn husks, but will soon incorporate orange peels, oat hulls, potato scraps, and many other leftovers of the food processing industry.  From the consumer’s point of view, the bottle won’t look or feel any different, eliminating the need for any subsequent brand recognition campaign from Pepsi.  In 2012, Pepsi plans on testing the bottles in a run of a few hundred thousand and, if successful, will convert all bottles to plant-based thereafter.

It’s refreshing to see that huge companies like PepsiCo are choosing to use the massive amount of money they have in their control to both further their own successes as a business and create an opportunity to revolutionize the plastics industry at the same time.  While the bottles are not biodegradable, the change in the production process solves a huge problem that the plastics industry has been trying to tackle for some time.  Now, if they can start a revolutionary recycling program, they’d really have something to talk about.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/#!5782548/behold-pepsis-100-plant+based-plastic-bottle