vision impairment news stories on Newser

Scientists Cure Red-Green Color Blindness in Monkeys

Nick McMaster — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:36:28 CDT

Scientists have cured red-green color blindness in monkeys, the Times of London reports. Researchers injected a virus containing L opsin, a gene that regulates the production of the red-sensitive light receptor—known as a “cone”—into the retina of red-green colorblind adult monkeys, according to a study published in Nature...

Alzheimer's: Vision May Play a Role

Harry Kimball — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:42:02 CDT

Moments of forgetfulness attributed to Alzheimer’s disease could in fact be caused by a loss of vision, the Boston Globe reports, and new research asserts that cranking up contrast—by using colored dinner plates, for instance—could help. “Let’s say you put keys down on the counter and can’t find...

Blind Comic Artist Battles On, Like Daredevil

Drew Nelles — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 18:40:58 CST

Life as an independent comic artist is never easy. It's even harder when you’re legally blind, the Washington Post reports. Baltimore's Andre Campbell, vision-impaired since birth with a retinal-degeneration condition, has only sold about 100 copies of his company’s comics since the mid-'90s. But the artist, who idolizes the sightless...

Cell Phone Can Read to the Blind

Matt Cantor — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:19:11 CST

A new cell phone can read aloud to people with impaired vision—and at 4 ounces, it's the smallest such device ever made, NPR reports. The $2,000 phone can help with the myriad daily tasks that seeing people take for granted, like identifying a $20 bill. "All you have...