Café Owner To Pay Fine For Discrimination

by Lisa Steacy CTV News    The owner of a B.C. café has been ordered to pay a woman, who is legally blind, $12,000 in compensation for discrimination after she was refused service because she had a guide dog.     The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal ruled on the case last week and the decision was …

Here’s To Life In The Age Of Invisibility

by Kevin Burton    The same little girl said a sunshiny “hi” to me twice in the grocery store Tuesday. This was astounding to me, since I am invisible.    You make your circuits in a smallish store and you may cross paths with the same people multiple times.    I gave the girl the …

ADA Enforcement Is Tough Sledding

by Kevin Burton    I let the 33rd anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act pass July 26 without writing anything about it. Why?    It was partly because I ran out of time, as I was preparing to travel to the Beep Baseball World Seies in Oklahoma.    But it was mostly because I …

Ten Brilliant Facts About Braille

by Kelli Finger (from Mental Floss website)    Braille is a tactile system that blind people use to learn to read and write, invented in 1824 by a blind French educator named Louis Braille.     He revolutionized an existing writing and reading system that allowed blind people to enjoy books  and communication. I certainly don’t know …

My Big Feat, Finding Cleats For My Big Feet

by Kevin Burton    Don’t know how much I will play at the 2023 Beep Baseball World Series or how well I will do. But I know one thing: My shoes will fit.    And that’s a very good start.    My high school math teacher wrote down “Yale” as a suggestion for where I …

A Writer Chronicles His Loss Of Vision

by Robert Ito New York Times    In 2019, Andrew Leland began writing a book about blindness, even as he was going steadily blind himself.    Working as his vision deteriorated gave him an insider’s perspective — who better to write about the blind than the blind? — but, as he learned, also made writing …

Georgia (And Ray Charles) On My Mind

by Kevin Burton    Whether in jazz, blues, pop or country, the late great Ray Charles was not just comfortable but masterful.    Somebody asks you, “quick who was Ray Charles?” You’re probably going to say he was a soul singer.  You wouldn’t be entirely wrong but he didn’t see himself that way.    He …

P&O Cruises Humiliates Blind Passengers

by Kevin Burton    For blind people, being a second-class citizen would represent an upgrade. The following provides another example that proves, when it comes down to it, blind people aren’t treated as citizens at all.   This story was widely reported. My information comes from Insider.    “Two blind passengers who were ordered to …

Feeding Body, Mind And Spirit On The Road

by Kevin Burton    Got an unexpected comfort on the road last week that filled the stomach and the heart.    There isn’t much I don’t like about being on the road. I can see why so many people have written so many love songs to the road and the road life.    I’ve spent …

Seeking An SOS From Beepball And ABBA

by Kevin Burton    Eureka I say, eureka! I have my beep baseball problems figured out.    In athletics they say, father time is undefeated, and that’s true. But all I need is a great idea, and an SOS, from ABBA.    This is truly exciting!    You’ve probably heard about ABBA Voyage, a virtual …