THRIVE IN ISOLATION!

RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS OR OTHER DISABILITIES

BY CHRISTINA LLANES MABALOT AND JEM LLANES MABALOT

A multitude of challenges hampers us who are living with a disability. We seek out tools and resources to combat the physical, mental, emotional, and social hurdles we face every day. Then, in 2020, came the bombshell of COVID-19 that left everyone in consternation. Not only does the coronavirus continue to devastate those who are directly infected, but the fear of its further spread has closed off the world through quarantining and social distancing. The events that unfolded last year have posed to our community one of the most monumental obstacles yet: isolation.

A recent conversation with a relative who is also visually impaired demonstrated the true nature of this crisis. After several months of staying at home due to COVID-19, my relative's family decided to brave the outside world. They took the kids to the park. She described a beautiful Carolina fall day blessed with warm sunshine, mild breezes, and brilliant bursts of orange, red, and scarlet leaves.

For the first time in forever, their two young children freely frolicked in open spaces while greeting strangers, also out with their own families and pets. Although they were cautious and practiced social distancing, fresh air away from home gave them a taste of the physical freedom they enjoyed, pre-COVID. On the drive home, as the family sat quietly appreciating their outing, the effects of the preceding months of isolation suddenly became poignant. The kids asked, "Mama, are you sure it was okay to sit on the bench?" and "Dad, was it okay to hold that branch?" and "Mama, can we really run again through the field and walk across the bridge over the pond?" It became clear that the kids were really asking questions relating to isolation: is it really okay to be out? Are we not going to get sick or get into trouble by not staying home?

Following governmental restrictions and taking our own precautionary measures against COVID-19 can be difficult. Students, employees, business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from every career and walk of life cannot escape the pervading repercussion of a more isolated environment. For those of us who are blind or visually-impaired, leaving the world that we worked so hard to adapt to, pre-COVID, gives us much more to contend with. Keeping to ourselves keeps us and others safe. Still, at the same time, it may separate us from those we depend on to assist with daily living tasks such as shopping, cooking, and cleaning.

Though we are capable individuals, work opportunities have always been restrictive. But today, it is even more limited because the pandemic has weakened our economy, causing rising unemployment across the board. Additionally, some live with a pre-existing medical condition that now cuts their eligibility for work. The risk of exposure prevents them from receiving training and working outside of their home. Those who can work now have to labor not just twice, but thrice as hard as the average employee to meet demands. We have to familiarize ourselves and cope with new work protocols. When we work from home, we don't always have the technical support we need, and accessibility often fails.

The Worst Part of Isolation

The Worst Part of Isolation The worst part is isolation targets every one of our hearts. It prevents us from interactions that are vital to our spiritual and emotional well-being. Many are discouraged, lonely, and depressed. We are no longer allowed to physically gather with our families and friends. We postpone celebrations of milestones and life events and mourn the closing of our churches and community centers.

The good news that the disability community should embrace is this: we who experience limitations from the get-go always manage to turn disadvantages into opportunities. This is what we need to do now more than ever. We have compiled various suggestions and resources to help you be more independent and fully engaged during these turbulent times. While we are all looking forward to a time when standing too close to each other is no longer a threat, we are standing with you today to find creative ways to thrive.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES : ISOLATION OPENS THE DOOR FOR SELF-RELIANCE

We may have less contact with the people who regularly help us, but we do have the opportunity and the ability to be self-sufficient. Thanks to technology, we can rely on lifesaving tools to accomplish basic everyday tasks and more complicated endeavors like education and employment. 

GROCERY SHOPPING These are the major online membershipbased grocery delivery services that hire shoppers to purchase and deliver your fresh foods and household essentials from your choice of participating local stores.

SHIPT shipt.com

INSTACART instacart.com

With these services, you have the ability to go through a store's catalog, pick the items you want in any amount, and check out with just a few taps. Choose when you want your delivery, in as soon as two hours.

AMAZON amazon.com AMAZON GROCERY amazon.com/primeinsider/tips/amzn-fresh-news.html PRIME DISCOUNT amazon.com/prime

Grocery delivery by Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market is free for Amazon Prime Members. Prime membership is discounted for students and for anyone with Medicaid or EBT cards. Many companies are eager to find new ways to serve their customers in a time when business is low due to COVID-19. Talk to your local businesses for information about available services.

TAKE OUT We've all heard of "quarantine 15," but lockdown is the perfect time to treat yourselves to good food by "eating out" — inside! Whether you're not in the mood to cook, or you want to have a cheat day like us on Sundays, check out these accessible apps to satisfy your cravings.

UBER EATS ubereats.com

GRUB HUB grubhub.com

DOORDASH doordash.com

SEAMLESS seamless.com

MEDICATIONS Managing prescriptions is another key to being independent. Here are five convenient strategies to getting and managing your medications. 1. To lessen the frequency of your trip to the pharmacy, ask your doctor if it's possible to adjust your prescription from a 30day to a 90-day supply. 2. Check out pharmacy delivery options:

WALGREENS walgreens.com/delivery CVS cvs.com/content/delivery/faq 

3. Consider mail order pharmacy. Here is a blog post by GoodRX for info: goodrx.com/blog/5-things-to-consider-before-using-a-mail-order-pharmacy/

4.Use GoodRx to get prescription information, compare prices and save money. Some meds may not be covered by your insurance, and GoodRx can give you options.

5.Reading prescription labels can be a challenge and a safety concern. ScriptAbility works with select pharmacies to provide a solution by creating braille, large print, or talking labels for each medicine bottle. Talking labels are read out loud by ScripTalk app for Android or IOS or a free ScripTalk device. envisionamerica.com/scriptability-suite

SMARTPHONES As a person who is blind, if I had to choose only one device to cling to, it would be my smartphone. The advent of accessibility on smartphones has irrevocably changed our lives, including the lives of people who are blind or visually impaired. With voiceover on Apple devices and Talkback for Android, it's possible to access a touch screen with no vision at all, using gestures paired with spoken feedback or using voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant. For those who have low vision, large fonts, magnification, and color inversion are a few settings away. We can't even imagine living without our phone at our fingertips. It not only makes our lives better, it has become an indispensable accessibility tool. 

BE MY EYES

www.bemyeyes.com

Connect with one of more than 4 million volunteers all over the globe to assist with challenging tasks such as reading, identifying colors, and medications, finding lost or dropped items, technical difficulties, and more through the use of a smartphone’s camera.

AIRA aira.io

Aira is similar to Be My Eyes, but with more capabilities and professionalism. A trained agent can read and interpret the world around you. Given permission, agents can take pictures of documents for a more hands-free experience, connect through TeamViewer to receive remote assistance on computers or smartphones, get assistance with ridesharing apps, and more.

WEZOOM play.google.com/store

WeZoom is a free Android app that turns your smartphone into a digital electronic magnifier. It uses the rear facing camera on a phone, enabling those with low vision to zoom in, use color filters, freeze frame, and toggle flashlight to magnify the world around them for both near- and far-distance viewing. The following apps use AI (artificial intelligence) to convert images on a live camera feed into spoken descriptions of objects, text, or one's surroundings. 

SEEING AI microsoft.com/en-us/ai/seeing-ai

Seeing AI is only available on iOS, but is a free and powerful app created by Microsoft. It uses OCR (optical character recognition) to convert physical text to an accessible format. It can also identify colors, currency, and objects using a smartphone's camera.

GOOGLE LOOKOUT play.google.com/store

Google Lookout is similar to Seeing AI and it is only available on Android. It also harnesses the power of OCR technology to make physical text accessible, as well as identifying currency, objects, and food items. Here are other notable AI apps:

Heree are other notable AI apps: ENVISION AI letsenvision.com SUPERSENSE play.google.com/store VOICE DREAM SCANNER voicedream.com

Search your app store for many other supportive apps, such as light detector, color identifier, GPS/navigation, and labelling apps.

LIVING IT UP : PERSONAL GROWTH THROUGH RELAXATION, EXERCISE, CREATIVITY AND SELF-EDUCATION

EXERCISE Exercising relieves stress, keeps you fit and bolsters your immune system. For free accessible fitness with audio and PDF formats, work out with BlindAlive at blindalive.com

READING Reading is always powerful. Learn about anything and everything, or escape the madness by taking refuge in a world of your choosing.

THE NATIONAL LIBRARY SERVICES FOR THE BLIND loc.gov/programs/national-library-service-for-the-blind-and-print-disabled/about-this-service

The NLS for the Blind offers braille, large print, and audiobook cartridges used with a specialized player for the blind and print disabled. As a patron, you will have access to BARD online the NFB Newsline. This program grants access to local and national newspapers and magazines by phone call, iOS app or through email. Through your local library, you access Overdrive and Libby ( overdrive.com), apps that allow users to borrow eBooks and audiobooks. Bookshare ( bookshare.com) and Learning Ally ( learningally.com) have a wide collection of DAISY books (a specialized format), including textbooks for students who are blind and visually-impaired. Members can send their books to Bookshare to be scanned and added to the collection. Audible ( audible.com) is a popular vendor to purchase audiobooks. It is a paid service, but it has a wider selection with better audio quality, and new releases.

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT Each state provides Services for the Blind for training, technology, resources for employment opportunities, student's financial aid, and many other services.

HADLEY SCHOOL hadley.edu/learn

Hadley School has a comprehensive collection of online workshops and courses for adjusting to blindness, learning Braille, technology, office programs, daily living, and independence skills. Browse their course library and learn at your own pace.

ENHANCED VISION enhancedvision.com/low-vision-resources.html Find nearby resources with this database.

FUN STUFF  Binge on your favorite shows and movies because Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu now offer audio description, for a lot of content. AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND afb.org/node/16207/games-and-activities Check out this list of games and activities. Harness the power of your listening skill as a daring knight in A Blind Legend ( play.google.com/store), an all- audio accessible app-based game. 

YOUTUBE youtube.com The second largest search engine, YouTube is not only a place for music or dog and cat videos; it is a treasure trove of information about nearly anything, from learning to speak Japanese to how to fix a leaky pipe. The following are a few curated channels that can expand your accessibility toolbox. Live Accessible ( liveaccessible.com): Another one of my nieces, Carrie Morales, like us, was born with aniridia. With many of her family members ranging from totally blind to low- vision, including her husband and son, she has a passion for the blind community. Through her YouTube channel, she not only shares experiences living with limited vision, but the what's and how's of assistive technology. The Blind Life: ( youtube.com/channel/UCNbzN3eHbLKPzltSB560DkA) Sam Seavey has Stargardt's disease and shares tips, tricks, and how-to videos about living with a visual impairment with an emphasis on assistive technology tools "to live your best blind life." Blind on the Move: ( youtube.com/channel/UCPuduY__J6BEggw3wm3A2tg) Mike Mulligan, a certified mobility instructor, shares videos on orientation and mobility (O&M) strategies, techniques, and tools. It may not replace on-site O&M classes, but with social distancing, this can be a great supplement. Life After Sight Loss: ( youtube.com/user/derekdanielvids) On both YouTube and on a podcast, Derek Daniels gives hope and practical tips for dealing with emotional, social, and physical hurdles of vision loss. The Tommy Edison Experience ( youtube.com/channel/UCld5SlwHrXgAYRE83WJOPCw) is an entertaining channel covering fun and interesting topics hosted by a vivacious influencer who was born blind. AMI ( ami.ca) Accessible Media Inc. is a Canadian based, not-for-profit media company that also has a podcast with content that entertains and empowers the disability community.

PODCASTS Podcasts are audio-only, deep-dive encounters for the tools, techniques, and experiences with a blindness perspective. Blind Abilities ( blindabilities.com), AppleVis ( applevis.com), iSee ( erblearn.com), and RNIB Tech Tips ( rnib.org.uk.com) are all podcasts mostly centered on assistive technology that can enable us to be more productive. Eyes on Success ( eyesonsuccess.net) and Hadley Presents ( hadley.edu) cover a range of topics focused on the blind experience including motivating success stories. Blind Bargains podcast and website ( blindbar- gains.com) shares the latest deals for the blind and visually impaired.

BLOGS & ONLINE PUBLICATIONS If you would rather read than listen, check out these websites: Access World ( afb.org/aw) is a monthly publication about assistive technology information and reviews. Blind New World by Perkins School for the Blind ( blindnewworld.org) shares experiences of blind people (#MyBlindStory) and resources for students and parents. Cool Blind Tech ( coolblindtech.com) features emerging new assistive technology and well as the market tested. VisionAware ( visionaware.org) is an incredible source of information about adjusting to blindness, daily living, local services, and other life changing information for those with vision loss, and their caregivers and families. Captivating Magazine ( capti- vatingmagazine.com) is a lifestyle magazine created by and for the disability community, covering fashion, travel, and technology.

Live It Up on Lockdown

Less time and activity out of the home shouldn't immobilize us. On the contrary, free time plus comfortable space equals ample opportunity for relaxation, exercise, entertainment, creativity, selfeducation and overall personal growth (See resources, opposite page).

When Life Gives You Isolation, Link Up

We may have to shelter in place due to COVID-19, but we have an opportunity to break through geographical and personal boundaries by being creative in making meaningful connections. We don't have to worry as much about the expense of transportation (if we can even find a ride) to meet up with family, friends and classmates and colleagues because the whole world is now connected virtually (See resources, below).

Final Thoughts

Like our relative's children, we all are waiting for a future when we can experience the world the way we used to. However, we need not allow an isolated world to make us isolated people. We hope that this EP Resource Guide will help you hold fast to the resilience that is tried and true in our unique community.•

Authors' Note: A special thank you to Carrie Morales and Guenivir Kendrick for collaborating with us on finding these resources.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Jem Mabalot, born with aniridia and legally blind, is a fresh graduate of the College of Charleston with a B.A. in International Studies. Her passion is teaching the youth and learning languages such as Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. She loves exploring different cultures and wants to be a media influencer to inspire and lead the youth from different backgrounds and abilities to pursue their dream. Her calling is to establish a nonprofit organization for talent development and empowerment for children in Asia. Currently, she is teaching ESL online and working on her Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA).

Christina Llanes Mabalot is physically blind from aniridia, but has a vision. She enjoys touching people's lives to bring out the best in them. "Heartsight" explains her ability to see with her heart. Christina earned her B.A. degree and Masters in Education from the University of the Philippines, Diliman, specializing in Early Intervention for the Blind. She later received Educational Leadership training through the Hilton-Perkins International Program in Massachusetts, then worked as consultant for programs for the VI Helen Keller International. She has championed Inclusive Education, Early Intervention, Capability Building and Disability Sensitivity programs. She was twice a winner in the International Speech contests of the Toastmasters International (District 75) and has been a professional inspirational and motivational speaker. Christina is blissfully married to Silver Mabalot, also physically impaired, her partner in advancing noble causes. Their children are Paulo and Jem, who has aniridia.

SOCIAL TIES : MAKING MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND NETWORKS

Engaging with others will keep the loneliness and the mundane at bay, retain our sanity, give us fresh perspective, and keep us motivated even when everything else is in turmoil.

CONNECT WITH A COMMUNITY

Connect with loved ones and friends through FaceTime ( apps.apple.com), Zoom ( zoom.us), other calling apps, or just over the phone. For the first time in years, my extended family who lives in Canada have been able to celebrate birthdays and weddings with family and friends scattered all over the Americas by having Zoom parties. During this year, I myself have managed to become closer to all four of my siblings from all over the country and from the Philippines, just by setting regular check-in call times. Your local church, religious or community center may have had to shut their doors physically, but bonds go beyond buildings. We can continue to encourage and serve the members of our community. Many gatherings stream or upload events. There are plenty of opportunities to meet online.

AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR THE BLIND acb.org/acb-community-events American Council for the Blind (ACB) hosts a variety of events, podcasts, presentations, and community calls daily. Engage with others about music, writing, loom knitting, employment opportunities, or just chatting over coffee, and more. 

LIGHTHOUSE FOR THE BLIND lighthouse-sf.org/calendar Lighthouse for the Blind has programs, support groups, and virtual training and more. Contact schools, camps, and centers for the blind about resources and events for children in your area.

TAPPING INTO SOCIAL NETWORKS An increasing number of people, as we all know, are on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Not only can you reunite with old schoolmates and family abroad, but you can join communities of blind, visually impaired, and people of all disabilities.

FACEBOOK Blind & Visually Impaired Support Groups facebook.com/groups/259008737631118 Facebook groups are one of the most active places to connect with communities, both sighted and blind. With thousands of members, is one of the largest Facebook groups you can turn to for support and peer resources. 

Whether you have macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, or any other eye condition, search Facebook to find support and answers. There are groups for parents of blind children, assistive technology, audiobook clubs, homeschoolers, blind users of Uber and Lyft, and so much more. If the group you are looking for does not exist yet, you can create it and recruit members. Large organizations such as the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), American Council for the Blind (ACB), and others are also on Facebook as pages or groups.Here is a list of Facebook groups to get you started: liveaccessible.com/resources/facebook-groups

TWITTER #BlindTwitter Twitter offers interactive conversations between large groups and individuals with every disability. Type in #BlindTwitter and you, too, can join the conversation. Using your online discretion, the people you meet through groups and hashtags can become correspondents that can transform into meaningful friendships.