FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact: Bari Azman, Vice President Marketing & Technology
Bari@LowVisionMD.org 410-844-0010
Timonium, MD – January 16th, 2019:
Dave Steele, a singer, songwriter, blogger and poet, who is nearly blind from a genetic eye disease called Retinis Pigmentosa, has scheduled a book tour that will bring him to America from Manchester, UK to promote his books and call attention to living with low vision and blindness. Steele will promote his Stand By Me RP poetry series as well as his children’s book series, due out in the spring of 2019, thanks to a sponsorship from Low Vision Specialists of Maryland & Virginia (LVS).
Steele lost most of his vision over the course of the last four years to Retinis Pigmentosa, a hereditary disease that has no treatment or cure. It involves a breakdown and loss of cells in the retina – the light sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye. Generally, the disease begins with decreased night vision and later progresses to loss of peripheral vision. Sometimes it also reduces central vision, leaving the individual legally blind.
The genesis of the idea for the tour came from his friend and fellow RP sufferer, Barb Calhoun. The inspiration and hope she gained from reading Steele’s books motivated her to become the driving force behind the world tour with the goal of helping others who suffer from the disease.
“I want to reach more people and erase the misconceptions that hold people like us back,” said Steele. His writings help those who are blind and living with low vision to know they are not alone and to help loved ones understand how they feel. “People continually tell me about the enormous impact the nearly 200 poems and songs I have written over the last two years have had on them,” he said. “It’s time to replicate that impact in other parts of the world.”
“Our mission is to educate the public about living with low vision and blindness,” said Bari Azman, Vice President Marketing & Technology for LVS. “We believe that advanced low vision technology can help individuals with low vision and blindness to maintain an active and independent lifestyle. Each individual has different levels of low vision and medical devices can enhance sight appropriately and effectively.”
Steele’s tour will help to call attention to the realities of living with low vision and blindness and the capacity of technology, navigational support and wayfinding systems to enhance vision, improve quality of life and independence.
Visit the USA Book Tour Homepage to learn more.
My eyes will soon be blind but that won’t stop me being bold
Each day I’m making memories
This worlds beauty’s mine to hold
I’ll show the ones who doubt,
that there ain’t nothing stopping me
For I can do amazing things despite that I can’t see@PrideofBury #BlindPoet— Dave Steele The Blind Poet (@TheBlindPoetX) September 23, 2018
About Low Vision Specialists of MD & VA
Low Vision Specialists of Maryland and Virginia (LVS) is a leader in providing professional clinical care, cutting edge technology, navigational support and wayfinding systems to enhance vision, improve quality of life and independence for those living with low vision and/or who are blind. LVS clinical practice and its technology division provide wearable technology like IrisVision , microscope and telescope glasses, and cutting- edge orientation and mobility technology including Sunu Band and RightHear. In its unique business approach, LVS partners, and collaborates, with researchers and tech entrepreneurs to bring their low vision innovations to market as quickly as possible. LVS works directly with businesses and the public sector to implement low vision enhancing systems to improve ADA accessibility, facility/public space navigation, access and inclusion for the visually impaired.
