Occupational Therapy in Emerging and Specialty Areas
The website that will be reviewed in this essay is the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. A review of this website was eye-opening for me. This paper reflects on my experience reviewing the website maintained by the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
The website for the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired changed the perception of the level of efficacy of people with vision problems. It emphasizes that the blind can engage in distance learning and even in physical exercises (Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, n. d. a). I have always thought that the blind and visually-impaired are dependent. Thus, I was shocked to learn that these individuals can take charge of their education and physical health.
At the same time, the website made me realize that there are some aspects of the society where the needs of the visual-impaired are totally ignored. The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired (n. db.) argues that none of the websites belonging to the presidential candidates for either the Democrat or the Republican parties could be easily accessed by the visually impaired or the blind.
Reviewing the website by the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired left me with several questions. Miamilighthouse (2020) argues that the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired is serving around 90,000 people, both young and old. However, the website does not provide any information that demonstrates the extent of the problem the organization behind is seeking to address. After reviewing the website, I was left with several unanswered questions. How many visually-impaired individuals are there in the U.S? What are some of the challenges that these people face.
The website for the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired (n. d. a) was very inclusive and up-to-date. However, I think that the website does not practice was it preaches as far as social inclusivity and increased access to information for the visually-impaired. The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired failed to ensure that it can easily be accessed by those whom it represents. This organization should ensure that a visually-impaired individual can access its website with no or very little help from another person. For example, incorporating in the website under review sound tools that inform a person the icon he or she is about to click or guide an individual how to navigate from one article to another may enhance the user experience of visually impaired individuals.
In conclusion, visually-impaired people are some of the disadvantaged groups in America. A review of the website dedicated to serving this group of people shows that visually-impaired individuals can be empowered to live semiautonomous lives. However, the website is not very effective since it is not easily accessible to the people it is expected to serve.
References
Miamilighthouse. (2020). Miami lighthouse “Light the way” challenge video. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbrmpTJWbGc&feature=youtu.be
Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired (n. d. a). https://www.miamilighthouse.org/default.asp
Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. (n. db.). The 2020 presidential candidate ADA compliance meter report. Retrieved from https://www.miamilighthouse.org/default.asp