Accessible Insights Blog Posts

It was 1991 when I first began using a white cane. Since my vision loss has been a slow progression over time, I did not experience the anger issues and resentment that can sometimes accompany a sudden loss of independence due to blindness. While I won’t go so far as to say I was so excited that I just couldn’t wait to get a white cane, I found myself trying to come to terms with my circumstances so that I could be at peace and be as independent as possible.

Almost immediately, I became rather attached to the cane. I realized that the cane was an important part of my well-being, and that learning to use it properly would enhance the quality of my life. I thought of the cane as an extension of myself, and as such deserved it’s own identity.

Truthfully, I’ve always been the kind of person who gave inanimate objects names. I’m guessing there’s a luxury vehicle to be had for the psychotherapist who analyzes this little fetish, but it’s true. I have always given names to things, I personalize them, I believe that there are some objects that have energy. So like, wow man, that’s so Zen. Let’s chill.

No, I don’t wear love beads or hang crystals over doorways. Maybe it’s one of those whatever-gets-you-through-the-day types of things. Still, it was natural for me to name my new companion, and the name I chose was Candy. Candy The Cane.

Well, isn’t that adorable? maybe not, but it sure gave me comfort, when just a couple of years later, I happened to be watching a news magazine program on television, and the program featured a school for children with disabilities. Most of the children were grade school age, and they carried the tiniest little white canes. Now, THEY were truly adorable. it was when one of the little ones was interviewed that I was delighted to learn that the children had all named their white canes. Well, I thought, I’m not so bizarre after all. Childlike, maybe, but not crazy.

Over the years, I’ve made it a point to ask other people who are blind if they have a name for their white cane. many do. I find this so uplifting and encouraging. I really don’t know why, but it pleases me to think about other people who are blind who also have a questionable attachment to their mobility cane. I’ve put together a short list culled from some of my twitter followers, simply because it’s easy to poll that group. Here are just a few:

Seymour (Get it? See More? I know, I know…)
The White Shaft (That cracks me up)
Jane
Mr. Yuk (this person prefers her dog)
Harry (Can’t help you on that one)
Sticky (no comment)
Abel (Cain’s brother)
Little John McCane )
Whisker (As in the way a cat’s whiskers help feel the way)
Moses (I’ve parted many a human sea with my own cane, so that one makes sense)
Gary and Russell (absolutely no significance whatsoever)

I’m sometimes asked why I use a cane instead of a guide dog. Truthfully, there are advantages and disadvantages to each. While my white cane may not be as cute as a dog (although that’s a matter of opinion), Candy gets me around just fine. I will admit this, however: Candy isn’t the best cuddle partner, and she doesn’t have that cool puppy breath. On the other hand, I don’t have to clean up after Candy The Cane.

LL

Sometimes, you just have to retool and start fresh. That’s what Dennis Lembree did when he decided that Twitter needed a good tweaking. Realizing that many social networking sites all but shut out visually impaired users, Dennis set his sights on making Twitter a better experience for everyone.

Enter Accessible Twitter. It achieves what Twitter should have achieved but didn’t. Simply put, Accessible Twitter offers a usable alternative to the Twitter site that takes into consideration the specific needs of people with vision loss.

I was curious as to what motivated Dennis to take on this project, so I asked him.

“My motivation is my belief that the web is for everyone, and web sites should be built that way. It’s so frustrating that they are not. So I like to help people access the information and services they want. Plus, it was an exciting and challenging project for me personally.”

As a devout non-programmer, I wondered if Accessible Twitter was years in development. Said Lembree, “I’ve been working on AT for over a year now as a personal project (outside of my day job). So the work is sporadic, depending on my availability and changes in the Twitter service I may need to incorporate.”

Despite my shameless begging of Lembree to overhaul other social networking sites, most of which are not fully accessible, it is apparently not on the menu. “Unfortunately, I have no current plans to overhaul another site.”

Drat.

If you know someone who wants to jump into social networking but who may be intimidated due to the inability to interpret what is happening on the screen when presented with the Twitter timeline, or who could benefit from audio cues and a simpler, more streamlined, more consistent presentation of on-screen information, try Accessible Twitter. I am a frequent user and am happy to evangelize for this excellent accessible Twitter application. You can find Dennis at Web Overhauls:

weboverhauls.com/

Finally, tweet with wild abandon at Accessible Twitter:

accessibletwitter.com/

See you there. I’m @Accessible_Info.

LL

Here’s another awareness observance for you to add to your already packed cause calendar. February is low vision awareness month, also AMD awareness month. The letters AMD stand for age-related macular degeneration, sometimes also shortened as ARMD.

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of age-related blindness in the United States. There are variations of the disease, referred to as either “wet” or “dry” macular degeneration, depending upon the symptoms, severity and rapidity of onset that characterizes each type. The person most likely to experience AMD is a person over the age of 65. Generally, macular degeneration is considered to be a complication of aging, although ugh the direct cause is unknown. Vision loss is usually characterized by a blurring or obscuring of the central vision, due to a breakdown of the retinal cells in the macula, or center-most portion of the retina. Over time, a person can experience profound vision loss, preventing them from reading, identifying objects or faces and forcing them to give up the car keys.

The term “low vision” usually refers to the range of visual perception that can be measured between the point at which a person is diagnosed as legally blind, and totally blind. If a person is correctable to better than 20/200 with glasses or contact lenses, they are generally not said to have low vision. Often individuals with low vision use other types of devices to enhance their visual acuity, including binocular or monocular type devices, CCTV magnifiers, text-to-speech and other technologies. Once a person reaches this level of vision loss, their regular eye doctor will likely refer a patient to a low vision specialist to determine the best devices available to maximize remaining vision.

What can you do to help someone with low vision? I’ve written a tips booklet that may help. You’ll find it at Accessible Insights, on the library page:

accessibleinsights.info/library.html/

“81 Bits of Insight into Coping with Vision Loss” is an information-packed little booklet for families and caregivers alike who need to know the best ways to interact, communicate and cope with a friend or loved one struggling with vision loss. You’ll discover some practical ways to organize, accommodate and assist while always showing respect and preserving a person’s dignity.

For more great information on vision loss, including articles and products for greater independent living, go to:

Eloquent Insights www.eloquentinsights.com

Accessible Insights www.accessibleinsights.info

Need someone to help navigate? You can write me directly at accessible.info (AT) accessibleinsights (DOT) info.

Or, just go to any of the Legendary Insights web pages and click contact.

Living with low vision does not mean living a lesser life. Educate yourself and you will be amazed at the innumerable products and services that can open up the entire world to you, as well as enable you to accomplish tasks you never dreamed possible. Don’t just be aware…achieve.

LL

As a regular air traveler, both before and after September 11, 2001, one aspect of air travel I particularly appreciated about the post 9/11 security measures that so drastically changed the boarding process was that it seemed to completely eliminate the pervasive petty airport crime. Travelers had to guard against the pickpockets and bag boosters and assorted purse pilferers that seemed to lurk at every turn in airports. I was relieved after the tightened security rendered that sort of crime almost nonexistent. As a result, I felt more secure in an airport on many levels.

As the various permutations of airport security were introduced, implemented and streamlined, the patience and resiliency of travelers seemed to be continually tested. Yet most Americans bore the burden admirably, generally agreeing that any additional layers of protection against catastrophe were preferable over the alternative. We have all suffered some indignity at the hands of an airport employee while passing through security, and with each alteration in the level of vigilance required of the security personnel, most of us have good-naturedly tolerated this indignity taking comfort in the knowledge that we are all in it together.

The latest tool proposed for airline security, the full body scanner that can see through clothing, was met early on with an attitude of reserve, a willingness on the part of most Americans to give the system the benefit of the doubt. I was among that group, withholding judgment until I saw for myself how the system worked. After seeing the body scanner in action on the nightly news, a number of questions came to mind as to what, if anything, this latest measure will accomplish.

The demonstration presented on the news was preceded by a warning: “We realize this is a family hour, and we don’t want to be too graphic here, but we want to show you what the scanners will actually see, ” began the news anchor, ominously. I immediately became concerned. If the scanner was going to reveal an image that was so graphic as to necessitate a “for mature audiences only” warning, I knew we may be in for a bumpy ride.

“As you can see,” said the anchor, pausing meaningfully, as the subject passed through the scanner, “Our subject is obviously male.” He continued, “you can see everything. You can see his genitalia, his hair, his skin.” I was floored. Horrified, too. I wondered if they would have dared show a female model. I doubted it. I doubted the image would have made it past the network censors. Based on that unsettling thought, I knew my air travel days might be coming to an end.

there are so many unanswered questions, all of which went through my mind in a rush. My first thought was, what about children? Will children be subjected to this? The news anchor pointed out that the security agent who would actually be viewing the image would be in a separate room, and we would not know if that person was male or female. There was mention of a separate viewer for each gender, but that seems unlikely. How would we know who was really “behind the glass”? What about pedophiles? A parody of a classified ad sprung to mind:

Job title: TSA airport security
Description: Like to watch? Individuals needed for monitoring new full body scanners. Ideal candidates are voyeurs and pedophiles.

the reporter went on to say that no video would be captured or stored. I find that very difficult to believe. How long will it be before video of nude travelers appears on You Tube? Will the wealthy and privileged be permitted to opt-out? Will celebrities be exempted? Senators? Yes, faces will be blurred, but for how long? Will we be informed when video is captured and stored or faces no longer obscured?

What about people who have pacemakers, colostomy bags, prosthetic limbs? Will we be required to unwrap bandages, remove medical devices such as insulin pumps, hearing aids and gauze packs?

What about women who are pregnant? Could the scanning technology harm the fetus?

Proponents of the system ask, “Well, would you prefer the alternative?” The implication being, of course, would you rather die on a plane at the hands of terrorists? For some people, the answer to that question just might be yes. There are some who would rather die than parade in front of a stranger essentially naked. What about husbands who do not want their wives to be ogled by a stranger? Or, his teen-age daughters? What about persons who refuse on the basis of religious grounds?

For every preventative measure we have dreamed up, the terrorists who would do us harm have discovered an alternative. One might make the argument that history’s most persecuted group, the Israelis, seem to have this process down to a science. Without subjecting their people to humiliation and indignity (beyond the basic indignity that they may be history’s most persecuted group), they have managed to maintain a level of security that is enviable.

Finally, there’s this: What are we going to do after the first time a scanner fails? Or, the human monitor fails? Then what? there are no full body scanners at the airport entrance. What if the evil doers stop just short of security and decide instead to commit their crime in the ticket area?

This surely isn’t an original thought, but it occurs to me that if we follow these incremental safety procedures out to their logical end, we will soon be boarding planes utterly naked, or be required to swap our street clothes for some sort of uniform, like a hospital gown or disposable overalls. Or, will we be required to have an on-site medical examination? We could combine a dermatological examination, a “mole patrol” with the security screening. Why not? With our busy lives this seems to be a great way to multi task.

There has to be a better way.

LL

Another new release from Code Factory, to coincide with the release of Mobile Speak 4:

Caroline Ragot – Marketing Director
marketing
Mobile Geo 2.0
Public Beta Mobile Geo 2.0, Now Available
Compatible with Mobile Speak 4.0 and Running Sendero GPS 6.2
Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain, January 28, 2010
Public beta version 2.0 of Mobile Geo, Code Factory’s award-winning GPS navigation aid for the blind and visually impaired, is now available for download and purchase. Public beta Mobile Geo 2.0 is compatible with the highly anticipated Mobile Speak 4.0 as well as the latest version of the Sendero Group’s GPS technology, SDK 6.2.

This upgrade of Geo is the first part of version 2.0. For us, there were two priorities: first to integrate the new Sendero SDK and updated maps as soon as possible; and, second to launch Mobile Geo 2.0 at the same time as Mobile Speak 4.0 so that none of our users would be left without their inseparable GPS explains Eduard Sánchez, Code Factorys CEO. We decided to launch version 2.0 as a public beta because we are still testing and making improvements. Therefore the public beta means that in the next couple of months we will release several free updates. For example we already can announce that we will include more Top Ten demanded features such as manual route creation, new verbosity settings, new ways to organize and manage favorites, address search by zip/postal codes, and more.

This first part of public beta Mobile Geo 2.0 includes new features which improve the Geo navigation experience, such as:

Advanced address search which allows you to enter any part of the address to search for it faster.
Five times faster route creation when in Turns Only mode.
More accurate distances and estimated time of arrival calculations.
Improved heading averaging when walking in a big city with narrow streets and high buildings.
More information about the current street when using the where am I function, such as pedestrian only, split street, one-way, bridge, tunnel, etc.
Ability to look up alpha numeric address numbers. For example 23A Jones Street where 23A is the address number.
Another great benefit from public beta Mobile Geo 2.0 is the updated 2009 maps and POIs as well as new map bundles. If you are living in one of the countries included in a map bundle, you will receive free maps for all the other countries which are part of the same bundle.

European Map Bundle includes maps from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
North American Map Bundle includes maps from United States, Canada, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam.
Asian Map Bundle includes maps from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia.
South African Map Bundle includes maps from South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.

Since Mobile Geo 1.5, new countries have also been added, such as Lesotho, Luxembourg, Mexico, Poland, Turkey, South Africa, and Swaziland.

Public beta Mobile Geo 2.0 supports the same new devices as Mobile Speak 4.0 for Windows Mobile. Among the newly supported devices you will find the HTC Touch Pro 2, HTC Touch 2, HTC Touch Diamond 2, AT&T Titl 2, AT&T Pure, AT&T HP iPAQ Glisten, HP iPAQ Data Messenger, Sprint Samsung Intrepid, Samsung Omnia Pro B7610, Samsung Omnia Pro B7330, Acer beTouch E101, and Sony Ericsson Xperia x1. To read a full list of supported devices, visit www.codefactory.es/en/phoneslist.asp?id=343

To learn more about Mobile Speak 4.0, visit www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=318

If you are already a user of Mobile Geo and wish to upgrade to public beta Mobile Geo 2.0, contact your distributor to ask more information about the upgrade bundle of Mobile Speak 4.0 and Mobile Geo 2.0. To consult the list of all the official Code Factory distributors, visit www.codefactory.es/en/page.asp?id=351

To read the updated manual of Mobile Geo explaining how to install, upgrade and use the new features, visit www.codefactory.es/en/manuals.asp?id=89#family_1

Known issues with public beta Mobile Geo 2.0 are:

GPS position may stop tracking near highway ramps.
Differences in POI searches depending on Basic or Advanced mode.
Possible misbehaviour with reverse routes.

About Code Factory
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain, Code Factory is the global leader committed to the development of products designed to eliminate barriers to the accessibility of mobile technology for the blind and visually impaired. Today, Code Factory is the leading provider of screen readers, screen magnifiers, and Braille interfaces for the widest range of mainstream mobile devices. Among Code Factory’s customers are well known organizations for the blind such as ONCE, and carriers such as AT&T, Bouygues Telecom, SFR, TIM and Vodafone. Code Factory has also built strong partnerships with mainstream multinational companies like RIM, Nokia, Microsoft, and Hewlett Packard as well as leading assistive technology companies such as HumanWare, Optelec and Sendero Group.

For more information, feel free to contact Code Factory S.L.:

Code Factory, S.L., Rambla d’Egara 148 2-2, 08221 Terrassa (Barcelona)
HelpDesk, www.codefactory.es
Copyright Code Factory, S.L. – 2010

Happy travels!

LL

Caroline Ragot – Marketing Director
marketing
Mobile Speak 4
Mobile Speak 4, Now Available!
Cross Platform, Touch, Multi Voice and Ready for the Next Generation
Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain, January 27, 2010
Today, Code Factory introduced Mobile Speak 4, a revolutionary screen reader for anyone who wishes to enhance his/her use of a mobile phone. Are you ready to experience the most advanced screen reader ever released for mobile phones? Mobile Speak 4 is Cross Platform: you can move your license between Symbian and Windows Mobile phones. Mobile Speak 4 is Touch: you can use touch screen phones such as the Nokia N97, the HTC Touch Pro 2 and many others, with traditional keyboard shortcuts as well as touchscreen gestures and commands. Mobile Speak 4 is Multi Voice: you get three high quality voices from Acapela or Loquendo for the price of one. Mobile Speak 4 is Ready for the Next Generation: you wont be left behind with old technology, since Mobile Speak 4 supports the latest devices running on the latest operating systems, Windows Mobile 6.5 and Symbian S60 5th Edition.

The mobile phone market is changing rapidly. Mobile Speak 4 is Code Factorys answer to the future of accessibility. Mobile Speak 4 is everything our users have been waiting for, it will take you to another level of experience, and I can tell you, you will never look back. explains Eduard Sánchez, Code Factory’s CEO. Mobile Speak 4 is one year of hard work. Mobile Speak 4 is fifteen dedicated people working full time for you. Mobile Speak 4 sets new and higher standards for accessibility. Mobile Speak 4 is revolutionary.

On Symbian, Mobile Speak 4 also brings support for Quickword to edit and read documents by character, word, sentence or paragraph, as well as for Fring to make voip calls and chat on instant messaging. On Windows Mobile, Mobile Speak 4 brings new Internet Explorer support which will allow you to navigate by headings, links, forms, etc. as well as search for text, and even add bookmarks to web pages. More features can also be expected; such as a backlight option to save battery power, the possibility to stop Mobile Speak while reading, a privacy mode to use the phone with a locked static background image, and more.

Among the new supported phones are: the Nokia N97, Nokia N97 mini, Nokia 5230, Nokia 5530, Nokia 5730, Nokia 5800, Nokia 6710 Navigator, Nokia 6720, Nokia 6730, Nokia 6790, Nokia E52, Nokia E72, Nokia N86, HTC Touch Pro 2, HTC Touch 2, HTC Touch Diamond 2, AT&T Titl 2, AT&T Pure, AT&T HP iPAQ Glisten, HP iPAQ Data Messenger, Sprint Samsung Intrepid, Samsung Omnia Pro B7610, Samsung Omnia Pro B7330, Acer beTouch E101, and Sony Ericsson Xperia x1. To consult the full list of supported devices, visit www.codefactory.es/en/phoneslist.asp?id=342

Download Mobile Speak 4 at www.codefactory.es/en/downloads.asp?id=347 and try it for 30 days for free. Everyone can try it, new users as well as existing users who have already used a version, whether full or trial, of a past version of Mobile Speak. To learn more visit www.codefactory.es/en/page.asp?id=402

If you are already a user of Mobile Speak and wish to upgrade to Mobile Speak 4, contact your distributor to purchase an upgrade license. In addition to all the improvements and new features of Mobile Speak 4, if you purchase an upgrade to Mobile Speak 4, you will also get Mobile Magnifier, Mobile DAISY Player, Color Recognizer and the Games for free! To consult the complete list of Code Factorys official distributors, visit www.codefactory.es/en/page.asp?id=351

To learn how to install Mobile Speak 4 for the first time, follow the instructions at www.codefactory.es/descargas/family_4/MS4_Manual_WM.html#_Toc252273670 for Windows Mobile, and www.codefactory.es/descargas/family_4/MS4_Manual_Symbian.html#_Toc252274141 for Symbian.

If upgrading from a previous version of Mobile Speak, make sure to FIRST UNINSTALL all the Code Factory packages you have installed and then RESTART the device. For more information, follow the instructions at www.codefactory.es/descargas/family_4/MS4_Manual_WM.html#_Toc252273675 for Windows Mobile, and www.codefactory.es/descargas/family_4/MS4_Manual_Symbian.html#_Toc252274144 for Symbian

To read the full instructions to upgrade to Mobile Speak 4 from a previous version of Mobile Speak, visit www.codefactory.es/descargas/family_4/MS4_Manual_WM.html#_Toc252273683 for Windows Mobile, and www.codefactory.es/descargas/family_4/MS4_Manual_Symbian.html#_Toc252274147 for Symbian.

To learn more about Mobile Speak 4 visit www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=318, to hear it in action, listen to some audio demos at www.codefactory.es/en/audio.asp?id=103#family_0

For a comprehensive list of changes from Mobile Speak Pocket and Smartphone v2.1 to Mobile Speak v4.0 for Windows Mobile visit www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=407#newWM

For a comprehensive list of changes from Mobile Speak for Symbian phones v3.82 to Mobile Speak v4.0 for Symbian visit www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=407#newSymbian

About Code Factory
Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain, Code Factory is the global leader committed to the development of products designed to eliminate barriers to the accessibility of mobile technology for the blind and visually impaired. Today, Code Factory is the leading provider of screen readers, screen magnifiers, and Braille interfaces for the widest range of mainstream mobile devices. Among Code Factory’s customers are well known organizations for the blind such as ONCE, and carriers such as AT&T, Bouygues Telecom, SFR, TIM and Vodafone. Code Factory has also built strong partnerships with mainstream multinational companies like RIM, Nokia, Microsoft, and Hewlett Packard as well as leading assistive technology companies such as HumanWare, Optelec and Sendero Group.

For more information, feel free to contact Code Factory S.L.:

Code Factory, S.L., Rambla d’Egara 148 2-2, 08221 Terrassa (Barcelona)
HelpDesk, www.codefactory.es
Code Factory, S.L. – 2010

Can’t wait to get my upgrade!

LL

Time to bid a not so fond adieu to 2009. I don’t think I’ve spoken to a single person who wants to see more of this year. In my twisted view of the world, the pessimist declares, “It can’t get any worse.” The optimist replies, “sure it can!” Even the most upbeat, positive-minded people I know all seem to agree that 2009 cannot be over soon enough.

I am inclined to think that for me, 2009 could not have been worse, so does it make me an optimist or a pessimist to surmise that 2010 could only be better?

For some, “better” is an utterly subjective notion, maybe even a myth.

Still, you might be able to turn that around for someone else, if not for yourself. How many times have you thought “I wish there was something I could do to help…” but did nothing? Perhaps you know of someone in your own circle of friends, family, or neighborhood who needs financial help, but you have been reluctant to step forward. There may be many reasons for your hesitancy. Maybe you don’t want someone you know to feel indebted to you. Maybe you want to help a friend, but don’t want money issues to come between you. Maybe you feel that you cannot give very much, and you would be too embarrassed to offer what you consider to be a pittance. Or, maybe you feel that giving money is a crass way to offer help but cannot think of any other way to contribute. Your reasons are your own, but here is a way to get over your pathos and do the right thing.

One of my favorite charities is a group that enables you to give anonymously to someone you know (or not), yet still reap the reward of their gratitude. When they receive your gift, they leave a recorded message, a message of thanks, letting you know about how your gift benefited them, without ever knowing who you are. You get the warm fuzzy of hearing their thank you without any of the discomfort. It won’t matter how much you give, in what form, the nature of the relationship, the potential backlash from other people, guilt, embarrassment or any other negative karma.

The organization is called Giving Anon at:

givinganon.org/.

Go there now, and make someone’s 2010 a vast improvement over 2009. if anonymous giving is the greatest form of philanthropy, then talk about getting the most bang for your buck.

If you cannot bring yourself to feel optimistic about the future, give someone else a chance. What have you got to lose? After all, it can’t get any worse.

Happy new year…
LL

For many, the holiday season can be a difficult time under the best of circumstances. Stress, brought on by increased demands on your time, errands to run, packages to mail and a long list of loved ones you hope to make happy, can rob you of your feelings of peace and harmony. It’s easy to forget yourself, feel run down, catch that seasonal bug and feel frustrated that you cannot seem to get on top of your tasks. Then, melancholy can set in. Remembering those who should be with you but who are not, family traditions broken by distance or divorce can leave you feeling an inexplicable sense of emptiness or loss. While the holidays are billed as the “most wonderful time of the year,” you might find yourself asking, “What’s so wonderful about it?”

First, know that you are not alone. If you look around, you’ll find company in many others who try to paste on a smile, grit their teeth and just hope to get through it. If you look even closer, you’ll find that a large group of individuals who share your feelings are seniors and people with disabilities.

Loneliness, borne out of isolation, can keep even the most optimistic among us from feeling as though we are connected to events and other people. It’s hard to enjoy the holidays when we feel as though we have no one to enjoy them with. Celebrating the holidays exclusively FOR the benefit of children, or solely to fulfill the expectations of others can be draining. We all need to feel a sense of belonging, to have people in our lives with whom we feel connected and by whom we are acknowledged. People with disabilities and the elderly are often marginalized in our culture, if not forgotten altogether. Here are just a few ways you can bring some of the delights of the season to someone who is alone and isolated. In doing so, you may discover that your own spirits lift; the gift you receive when you give of yourself.

Take a senior for a spin. Bring a blanket, a thermos of hot chocolate, some snacks, a few holiday CD’s and pile into the car. Go out for a while touring your community’s holiday light displays. This will get that senior out of the house without subjecting them to any strenuous walking or uncomfortable visiting.

Savor the sounds of the season. Whether you sing along or simply sit, bring a senior to a holiday concert. Programs performed by children may be especially charming for an older person, although they may prefer music performed by a church choir or favorite musical group.

Bring the holiday home. Help a senior to decorate their home, even if it’s just to place a tabletop tree near the television or on a side table so that it’s easily seen. If an older person is too intimidated to work a stereo or CD player, or doesn’t own one, bring yours over for an evening of hot cider and sweet treats and music. Or, find their radio, set it to one of those radio stations that play only holiday music all season, and mark the ‘on” button so a senior with failing eyesight can find it.

Take them in shopping. Not OUT shopping, IN shopping. If a senior or person with a disability cannot go out to shop, or they just don’t have the stamina to fight the crowds, bring over your laptop or phone and help them shop online. Even if they cannot give gifts to their entire family, you can help them to purchase a gift basket or gourmet food item for a family gathering. This way, they will know that they have made a contribution that will be appreciated and enjoyed by everyone.

Party hearty. Well, within reason. Find out if a local senior center is hosting a holiday lunch or gift exchange, and bring a lonely senior to spend the afternoon among peers. The festive atmosphere can help them to connect with others, make friends and could even motivate them to get out a little more.

Strengthen spirit. Some municipalities do not offer public transportation services on weekends. Offer to take a home-bound friend or neighbor to their spiritual services of choice. Many religious organizations provide special events, meals and programs just for their elderly parishioners.

These are just a few tips to get you started. Keep in mind that for seniors living in a facility such as assisted living or a group home, the reason they are there may be because close relatives are unavailable. If a senior is in a nursing home for the first time, the unfamiliar surroundings may contribute to increased feelings of loneliness or homesickness. Perhaps they have lost siblings, friends of their own, or they have recently lost their spouse. Even if a senior is living at home alone, those first holidays can be extremely difficult. Consider how you can help a person who is disabled or elderly to connect with a shared event like a holiday. By reaching out, you can inspire in others a renewed interest in life and an increased desire to be a part of it. Bring home for a senior the sights, sounds and sentiments of the season and you’ll be giving a gift to yourself, too.

LL

Copyright 2009 by Laura Legendary.