Dedicated to Improving the Lives of Blind and Visually Impaired People

Gearing Up for the Holidays: Learn About Online Shopping Opportunities and Businesses

Workshop on How to Make Shopping More Accessible

As the holidays approach, this workshop, on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 from 6 – 7:30 pm EST, will provide tips and techniques to make online shopping more accessible. Comparison shopping on Amazon and Google, navigating sites with “varying levels of accessibility,” and where to buy accessible products are among the topics covered. For more information and zoom links for the  program, scroll down to Tech Workshops from the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library of the New York Public Library in the November, December News Lion.

Online Shopping: Two Sites Operated by Blind Entrepreneurs

Interested in shopping for all-natural products like aromatherapy, bath accessories, and essential oils? Mountain Crafted is an online home family business owned and operated by Barry and Debra Carver, both of whom are blind. Inspired by the natural beauty of the Appalachian and Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, the Carvers have utilized accessible technology, like screen readers, and their own entrepreneurial skills to produce and sell their product line. Would you like to find shirts and hoodies that can be selected based on the sense of touch rather than sight? Two Blind Brothers, a company run by siblings Bradford and Bryan Manning, both of whom lost vision due to Stargardt disease, produces casual clothing in Dallas, Texas. The Mannings make their products at the Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind, exclusively employing workers who are blind or visually impaired, and their profits benefit the Foundation Fighting Blindness. To check out the products from both companies, go to their sites: Mountain Crafted and Two Blind Brothers. For additional background information about these entrepreneurs, read the article from Starfire Dynamics: Blind Entrepreneurs And Their Success.