END SMALL TYPE!

Today I am establishing the End Small Type campaign, a nonprofit citizen initiative seeking to have printed documents adhere to minimum front sizes.

As the number of people in the 50+ demographic increases, the percentage of people in America with impaired reading vision will continue to grow. People with low vision are not blind but their vision is impaired by aging, heredity, or injury. People in this situation often have difficulty reading printed verbiage when the font size is too small.

Many observers say that type font sizes on printed documents are continuing to get smaller.  “Fine print” is more than a way to conceal terms and conditions.  It limits people with low vision from fully participating in society.

Legally, it all comes down to legibility, a subjective measure. Legibility is literally in the eye of the beholder.

When dealing with the practical and legal implications of font size there are two things to consider:

1. The medium.

2. Is the text legible in that medium?

We are concentrating on the printed documents in this post.

Physical documents are frequently the way transactions, agreements and official orders are saved and codified. Without visual access to these documents, misunderstanding occurs.

Font sizes for physical documents are regulated in many places in the country.  For instance, California law requires those presenting documents to the State can not have a font size smaller than 12 points:

In many jurisdictions the minimum font size standard is 6 pt.  

Disclaimer statements get extra scrutiny. The minimum standard for disclaimer text is 6pt if it's on a dark background; 5pt if it's on a white or very light colored background

Recently a battle over font size rules happened when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) established a rule that would allow people to sue banks and credit card companies in class action suits if the printed terms and conditions are not legible. Banks and credit card companies are now lobbying to overturn the CFPB rule

CASE STUDY: GOLDEN VALLEY, MINNESOTA

My wife and I live in Golden Valley, Minnesota, a first-ring suburb, on the west side of Minneapolis. Like many close-in suburban areas, the average age of the residents of Golden Valley is getting older.

In October 2016, I received a postcard from the City of Golden Valley, announcing the annual fall clean up of leaves and other yard waste.

Here is a high-resolution scan of the postcard (actual size is 3.5” by 5”):

Anyone with low vision knows the frustration of receiving notifications that are impossible to read because of too small font size. The Golden Valley postcard is clearly not legible.

Shep Harris

In 2016, I decided to tell the City about problem hoping  they would make future notificationslegible

I sent this email to Shep Harris, the mayor of Golden Valley: 

Mayor Harris called me and he told me that he understood my concern. Mayor Harris told me he would instruct the people responsible to correct the problem.

Unfortunately, Mayor Harris did not act.  This October I received exactly the same postcard from the City:

Mayor Harris did nothing to help Golden Valley residents with low vision know what the City was saying.

So now, End Small Fonts is asking Mayor Shep Harris and the City of Golden Valley to enact minimum font size guidelines. I want my home city to be the nation’s leader in giving citizens access to official documents.

WE WILL RETURN WITH NEW POSTS SOON

PLEASE STAY TUNED

WE ARE TESTING SOME NEW IDEAS

CONTACT KEN MILLS

publicradio@hotmail.com

DON’T LET YOUR LOW VISION KEEP YOU FROM PURSUING YOUR DREAMS

Sometimes I focus too much on what my disability prevents me from doing.  Though I not likely to be employed as a long haul truck driver or as a security guard, there are many other types of work I can do.  Blogging, for instance is a good option for me.

David Block

Film producing? I assumed that might be beyond my capabilities until I became aware of David Block, filmmaker, writer, musician and teacher. Block is legally blind, but that hasn’t stopped him from doing incredible work in mediums that are visual crafts. To learn more about David Block, check out his website here. 

According to an article [link] published by the American Federation for the Blind (AFB), Block has worked as a documentary filmmaker and journalist for more than two decades.

 

From that article, here is David Blog in his own words:

“I am David Block, a freelance journalist, a documentary producer/director and ghost writer. What I do career-wise on any given day depends entirely on what I'm working on or who I have to interview. There are some days when I have little to do and others when I'm incredibly busy as tasks vary from assignment to assignment.

On days I'm making a documentary, the days that my crew and I shoot are quite hectic. My interview questions have to be polished and I have to make sure that we have the right equipment to shoot. I arrange for the crew to meet at a specific spot and time so we can travel together to where we are filming.

After shooting the documentary, some of my days are long and hard because using the raw footage from the shoot, I have to transcribe every word the interviewees uttered. I do this so I will know what shots and quotes will work well in the film and what shots and quotes should not be considered.

To succeed, you can't let people discourage you. Even with a good education don't expect to get rich. Sometimes, I've made decent money, but not often enough. My love of the work is greater than my concern about how much I get paid. That's why I've been in these particular fields for over 20 years. I love my craft. Choose well when it comes to deciding what you want to do and you'll love yours too.

As a freelance journalist, Block has over 1,500 articles published in a variety of publications such as, New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Jazz Journal International, London Times, Jerusalem Post, and dozens of local magazines and newspapers.

During his extensive career, he has interviewed high profile athletes, celebrities, government agents, and musicians such as Kobe Bryant, Joe Frazier, Florence Henderson, Bruce Jenner, Lee Majors, David Sanborn, McCoy Tyner, and Grover Washington, Jr.

Block is currently earning his Masters’ Degree at Temple University, Philadelphia.

FREE EYE CHART: DOWNLOAD, PRINT & TEST

The good folks at Vision Source Signature Eye Care [link] are making available a free eye chart.  All you have to do is download it here.

 

An eye chart is a great way to check you and your family’s vision at home.  Keep it around for after a party.  You get an informal opinion of impairment by using the eye test on guests. (Just kidding, btw)

It even comes with instructions:

How to Use the Eye Chart

Print the free eye chart on regular 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper

Tack or tape the chart to a windowless wall in a well-lit room at eye level

Measure ten feet from the wall

Cover one eye (if you wear glasses for distance vision, keep them on)

Have another person point to each line as you read the letters out loud and keep track of which letters you get right

Continue to the bottom row or until you can no longer read the letters

Write down the number of the smallest line where you identified the majority of letters correctly (Ex./ If you were able to read 5 out of 8 letters on line 8, you would write 20/20.)

Cover the other eye and repeat steps 5-7

What Do the Results Mean?

That depends on the age of the person being tested. A 3 to 4-year-old should be able to read the 20/40 line, and a 5-year-old the 20/30 line. Older children and adults should be able to read the majority of letters on the 20/20 line.

If you notice any results that fall outside these standards, be sure to schedule an eye exam with a licensed optometrist.

THE PROMISE OF “OPTOGENETIC GOGGLES” TO RESTORE SIGHT

Two new startup companies have announced they will begin clinical trials of high-tech goggles that, when combined with the emerging technology of optogenetics, may have the capacity to restore sight to some individuals.

According to a report in the MIT Technology Review [link], researchers hope the combination of wearable electronics and gene therapy may restore vision by re-creating the retina’s ability to sense light.   

GenSight Biologics of Paris [link] and Bionic Sight, based at of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, will soon begin testing patients who have the degenerative eye retinitis pigmentosa, a condition which destroys photoreceptors, the light-sensing cells in the retina. If successful, te approach could lead to treatment of other types of retinal diseases that involves the loss of photoreceptors.

Optogenetics is a type of gene therapy that bypasses damaged photoreceptors and stimulates other kinds of retinal cells so that they become sensitive to light. The visor-like goggles are used to beam high-intensity light into the eye causing the modified cell stimulation.

The goggles, developed by The Institut de la Vision in Paris [link], include a camera, a mircro processor, and a digital micro mirror. The device converts the images the camera captures into bright pulses of red light in order to stimulate the modified cells.

This combination of technologies has been successful tested in blind monkeys and rats. Soon tests will begin with human volunteers.

Initial tests of optogenetics began in 2016 by RetroSense Therapeutics, a company based in Texas. In that study, a blind woman became first person to receive an optogenetic treatment to help restore her vision. Four more patients are now enrolled in the trials. No results have been reported yet.

FEBRUARY IS LOW VISION AWARENESS MONTH

…and I bet your didn’t get me anything! LOL

Maybe the best gift you can get yourself or someone else is a comprehensive vision screening. According to The National Eye Institute (NEU), over four million people living in the US have a vision impartment and most aren’t aware of it [link].

Low Vision Awareness Month was established a few years ago by the non-profit organization Vision Council [link]. It’s purposes are to raise awareness of low vision, to urge folks to have periodic vision check ups and to provide ways for people with vision loss to cope. (Some of the best low vision coping tips are on the right.)

 

Vision loss often creeps in slowly. 

Aging is the most frequent cause but there are many other factors such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), diabetes and many more.

Tip for getting a free eye exam: Contact your local Lion’s Club [link].

Time may be of the essence. Most vision impairments cannot be corrected. Once your vision is gone, it is gone forever. Vision loss may leave you feeling anxious, helpless, and depressed.

Check out this excellent YouTube video about low vision:

Download a free Low Vision Fact Sheet here.

DREAMING OF MY LOW VISION KITCHEN

I love to cook. My work as a public media consultant and blogger takes considerable concentration and occasionally deep thought.  Thankfully, cooking uses different skills, It provides immediate feedback: The food I prepare either tastes good or it doesn’t.

My wife and I have been living in an older house in a suburb of Minneapolis. We love our house but it is often not accommodating for a person like me who is experiencing low vision. We are planning on moving this summer and I’ve been dreaming of my new low vision kitchen.

• HIGH-CONTRAST COUNTER TOPS & CABINETS

The tail belongs to Sky. He is looking for tuna!

This is what I have now. The salt-and-pepper scheme looked good in the showroom. Since my vision has gotten worse, my current counter top is like a Bermuda Triangle – I can see stuff going in but then it becomes lost in the visual confusion.

This is much, much better. Stark contrast is the key for people with vision impairment. Choose a counter top that is all one color, preferably a mellow white.

• SOFT BRIGHT LIGHT WITHOUT GLARE

My wife and I installed track lighting in our kitchen over a decade ago. This decision was obviously for style rather than functionality. 

I am constantly changing positions when I am cooking to take advantage of the available “cone of light.” Track lighting also produces unexpected dark areas.

Light in the kitchen should be plentiful, evenly distributed and free from glare. 

Keep lighting simple and make certain busy locations have adequate light.

• ORGANIZE & LABEL INGREDIENTS & CONDIMENTS

It is no wonder I can’t find what I am looking for in our current kitchen. 

I plead guilty to slough but I am dealing with a number of systemic problems: Insufficient light, deep cabinets and random item placement. It is difficult for me to distinguish between various products.

Kitchen organization depends of personal preferences. 

Use easy layouts where similar items are next to each other such as salt being next to pepper. 

Your organizational system needs to be both intuitive and obvious. 

Look for simple solutions like placing rubber bands, file cards, or tactile dots on food items. Or, consider using a “talking label” device.

• CHOOSE LOW VISION APPLIANCES

I can’t tell you how much I dislike our current can opener. 

My low vision situation means I have almost zero depth perception.  Your don’t want me pouring the beer at the party. 

Everyday I have problems opening cans because I can't tell if the bade is in the can.

This can opener is a better choice because of its lighter color. 

Some manufacturers are offering “talking appliances” specifically designed for people with low vision.

• FOOD PREPARATION SAFETY

Kitchen safety depends on all of the solutions we have discussed. But you will one more: Common Sense.

Common Sense thinking makes you more confident and comfortable. Plus, your food will taste better.