Architecture and Design for the Blind Client

Designing for the blind and visually impaired is an example of the concept of accessible design. Architects who embrace universal design understand that the needs of the blind and the sighted are not mutually exclusive. For example, orienting a structure to provide optimal light and ventilation has been advocated by architects from ancient Roman times all the way to more recent designers, such as Frank Lloyd Wright. Key Takeaways Architects can design with texture, sound, heat, and smell to define spaces and functions.Tactile cues, such as differences in floor textures and changes in temperature, provide landmarks for persons who cannot see.Universal design refers to design that meets the needs of all people, thus making spaces accessible to all. Blending Form with Function The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) went a long way to increase awareness of the importance of function in architecture. Great architecture for the blind and visually impaired is just like any other great architecture, only better, notes San Francisco architect Chris Downey, AIA. It looks and works the same while offering a richer and better involvement of all senses. Downey was a practicing architect when a brain tumor took his sight in 2008. With firsthand knowledge, he established the firm Architecture for the Blind and became an expert consultant for other designers. Likewise, when architect Jaime Silva lost his eyesight to congenital glaucoma, he gained a deeper perspective on how to design for the disabled. Today the Philippine-based architect consults with engineers and other architects to manage projects and promote universal design. What is Universal Design? Universal design is a big tent term, encompassing more familiar methods such as accessibility and barrier-free design. If a design is truly universal—meaning its for everyone—it is, by definition, accessible. In the built environment, accessibility means designed spaces that meet the needs of people with a wide range of abilities, including those who are blind or who have limited vision and associated cognitive difficulties. If the goal is universal design, everyone will be accommodated. Physical accommodations for a wide variety of needs is the common denominator in all universal design, which is why universality must begin with the design itself. The goal should be to incorporate accessibility into design rather than try to retrofit design to suit limitations. The Role of Blind Architects Communication and presentation are important skills for any architect. Visually impaired architects must be even more creative in getting across their ideas and are extremely useful to any organization or individual desiring to focus on inclusivity. With no prejudice with regard to the way things look visually—sometimes referred to as aesthetics—the blind architect will choose the most functional detail or material first. How it looks will come later. Accessibility and Self-Driving Cars. Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images Understanding the Continuum of Visual Abilities Functional vision includes two areas: Visual acuity, or the corrected used of central vision to see details such as facial features or alphanumeric symbols.The field of vision, or the extent and capacity to identify objects peripheral to or around the central vision. In addition, difficulties with depth perception and contrast sensitivity are vision-associated problems. Vision abilities vary widely. Vision impairment is a catch-all term that includes people with any visual deficit that cannot be corrected by wearing glasses or contact lenses. Visual impairments have a continuum of identifiers specific to the laws of specific countries. In the United States, low vision and partially sighted are general terms for a continuum of functionality that may vary from week to week or even hour to hour. Legal blindness is not necessarily the same as total blindness. Legally blind in the U.S. is defined by corrected central vision being less than 20/200 in the better eye and/or the field of vision being limited to 20 degrees or less. That is, having only one eye does not make a person blind. Totally blind is generally the inability to use light, although the perception of light and dark may or may not exist. People are said to have light perception if they can detect light and determine from which direction the light is coming, explains the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). Another type of blindness is called cortical visual impairment (CVI), which is a neurological disorder, pointing out that vision is a process involving the eye and the brain. Colors, Illumination, Textures, Heat, Sound, and Balance What do blind people see? Many people who are legally blind actually have some vision. When designing for the blind or visually impaired there are a number of elements that can be included to enhance accessibility. Bright colors, wall murals, and changes in illumination can help those whose vision is limited.Incorporating entryways and vestibules into all architectural design helps eyes adapt to illumination changes.Tactile cues, including different floor and sidewalk textures as well as changes in heat and sound, can provide landmarks for persons who cannot see.A distinctive faà §ade may help distinguish the location of a home without having to count and keep track.Sound is an important directive for people without visual cues.Smart technology is already being built into homes, allowing intelligent personal assistants to help occupants with numerous tasks. Sources ï » ¿American Foundation for the Blind. Key Definitions of Statistical Terms. Blindness Basics. American Printing House for the Blind.Silva, Jaime. Personal Narratives: Whats Disability to Me? World Health Organization, June 2011Downey, Chris. Design with the blind in mind. TED Talk, October 2013Downey, Chris. Profile. Architecture for the Blind. Goben, Jan. Architect is visionary for the blind. AFriendlyHouse.com. McGray, Douglas. Design Within Reach: A blind architect relearns his craft. The Atlantic, October 2010 Design Guidelines for the Visual Environment. The Low Vision Design Program of the National Institute of Building Sciences, May 2015

Things Fall Apart Character Analysis - 824 Words

Chinua Achebe’s novel, â€Å"Things Fall Apart† is an extraordinary example of life lessons and internal battles characters can face. The novel show cases that sometimes characters can have struggles within themselves and that it does don’t necessarily have to be a person. Throughout the novel the audience gets to meet Okonkwo, the main character who is quite hard to read. As the book progresses the true Okonkwo is discovered. Okonkwo is faced with this immense pressure he puts on himself and soon we see this character self-destruct. Okonkwo’s complex character and internal struggles is what makes him such a strong and relatable character because of this everyone can formulate an Okonkwo in their life. Okonkwo has this prestige masculine†¦show more content†¦He was a man without a tile in the village of Umuofia, and he could not endure the sight of blood.† (Achebe). Biologically, he was a male, but among the Igbo, he was never a man. So, pe ople laughed at him. In order to become a hero, Okonkwo felt he must overcome this public image that the public held of his father. In the beginning of the novel, Achebe made the following remarks about Okonkwo: â€Å"His father rested on solid personal achievement’s.† â€Å"He had no patience with unsuccessful men† (Achebe). â€Å"His whole life was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness† (Achebe). Although Okonkwo wants to be nothing like his father, he is and the audience get glimpses of that side of him. As much as he tries to be nothing like his father the audience witness scenarios in which he is a caring man. â€Å"Achebe told us that down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man.† (Nnoromele). Okonkwo’s relationship with his daughter Enzima is an example of where he breaks from this masculine image he upholds. â€Å"A typical example of this happened on the night when the priestess of Agbala came to take Enzima, Oko nkwo’s daughter, for Agbala’s blessing. In spite of his inexorable commitment to support and defend the laws of the land, Okonkwo felt the natural pull to resist established social order. He was expressively unapproving of the untimely visit by the Priestess. He perceived her arrival as an intrusion to his family’s domestic life.†Show MoreRelatedThings Fall Apart Character Analysis1564 Words   |  7 Pagesstory of â€Å"Things Fall Apart† is three part story that tells the life of Okonkwo. The main character in the story to which he is much known in nine villages. In part one of the story it shows us the way on how Okonkwo rose to power and becoming a very valuable person. He is very well respected on how hard he worked to get at the top. The struggles Okonkwo went through as a young child was pretty tough. His father Unoka was a failure. He had owed money to every neighbor he lived around. One thing that UnokaRead MoreThings Fall Apart Character Analysis1071 Words   |  5 PagesIn life, we all have fears whether it’s spiders, darkness, or even death. In Things Fall Apart, we see the fears of many of the main characters being shown especially in Okonkwo. Okonkwo was not born into power and wealth and it was up to him whether he was going to make something out of his life. His choice was to disregard his father’s ways and work as hard as possible so that he can become one of the most powerful men in his village of Umuofia. His work ethic and passion for success drive himRead MoreThings Fall Apart Character Analysis1568 Words   |  7 Pagesof â€Å"Things Fall Apart† is a three part story that tells the life of Okonkwo. The main character in the story to which he is much known in nine villages. In part one of the story, it shows us the way on how Okonkwo rose to power and becoming a very valuable person. He is very well respected for how hard he worked to get at the top. The struggles Okonkwo went thro ugh as a young child was pretty tough. His father Unoka was a failure. He had owed money to every neighbor, he lived around. One thing thatRead MoreThings Fall Apart Character Analysis1130 Words   |  5 PagesPower â€Å"No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his women and children (and especially his women) he was not really a man† (Chinua Achebe 53). This quote from Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart demonstrates the power of men as it is presented throughout the novel. Things Fall Apart is the story of Okonkwo’s struggles in society, and his search for power throughout his life. During his exile, cultures clash and chaos erupts in the Igbo village. Okonkwo’s father, his exile in MbantaRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart917 Words   |  4 PagesEA 3.2 Literary Analysis: character analysis The introduction of a new culture to another culture can be quite a challenge, as well as life-changing for those individuals who decide to assimilate the new beliefs and customs. The arrival of the missionaries to Nigeria affected the the Ibo culture and introduced its people to a new set of religious beliefs and westernized customs. Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, portrays the contrasting reactions of people to the new culture brought to theirRead MoreThings Fall Apart: Okonkwo Character Analysis Essay856 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel Things Fall Apart, strength and pride are very important aspects of the main character, Okonkwo, however, these traits may sound like excellent traits to possess but because of the way he was raised, Okonkwo harbours many of his emotions under an outer shell of violence, strength and pride. His traits can be shown by looking at where he has come from in his life, for example, Okonkwo has acquired a large amount of wealth in his life because of his hard work and dedication which he alsoRead MoreEssay Character Analysis of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart541 Words   |  3 PagesIn the novel Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is portrayed as a respected and determined individual whose fatal flaw eventually works against him. Throughout the novel the readers are shown that Okonkwo has many of these Characteristics because he is obsessed with the idea of becoming just like his father. This becomes his flaw in the novel that puts him into exile and makes it hard for him to adjust to the changes that were made with in his village. Okonkwo is portrayed as a respected individual inRead MoreThe Analysis of the Main Characters and the Impact of Colonialism in Things Fall Apart and Avatar1868 Words   |  8 Pagesnatural resources, all the while disrupting your way of life. The only thing that you can do is react, maybe you choose to fight back, or maybe you learn to accept these new ways as your own. The Navi from Avatar and the Ibo from Things Fall Apart are both under the attack of an imposing nation, although the way that the natives and the invadors handle the situation are very different. Okonkwo and Jake Sully, the main characters from these two stories, have a huge impact on the outcome of the nativesRead MoreWork1068 Words   |  5 Pages2013 Things Fall Apart: Character Analysis Research Paper In the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the main character Okonkwo has only one tragic flaw; he has raised himself so that looking weak or effeminate is the worst thing to him that he could do. Okonkwo is a model clansman based on his success. However, he is more alienated from his culture based on his lack of respect for it. In this research paper, I’ll walk through a character analysis of Okonkwo. The protagonist of Things FallRead MoreAnalysis Of Feminism In Things Fall Apart1070 Words   |  5 Pages The analysis of feminist theory in Things Fall Apart presents reason for the sexism that is continuously portrayed. Sexism and problematic gender roles within the novel are repeatedly depicted throughout a number of scenes and characters. With this, we are able to see how sexism exists in various cultures and how the implementation of sexism is detrimental to society. Although, as feminist theory states, rebelling and challenging the patriarchal system is necessary to halt gender roles and sexual

Syphilis Screening and Treatment Integration †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Syphilis Screening and Treatment Integration. Answer: Introduction: Syphilis is a venereal disease caused by Treponema pallidum. It is an infectious disease that is transmitted through sexual contact with infectious lesions (Chow et al, 2017). It can be transmitted from the mother to the fetus in the uterus, through blood transfusion and through contact of a broken skin with an infectious lesion. The first sign of the infection is appearance of a small, painless sore on the sexual organs, the rectum or in the mouth. This sore is commonly known as a chancre (Uslu et al, 2017). Syphilis is classified in 4 stages if not treated. The first two stages are considered to be the most infectious stages. They include the primary stage, the secondary stage, the latent stage and the tertiary stage. T. pallidum penetrates the mucous membrane in acquired syphilis and enters the lymphatics and becomes a systemic infection. The average incubation period from the time of exposure to development of lesions is 3 weeks. The primary stage involves the development of painless chancre after incubation at the site of transmission commonly on the external genitalia (Tuddenham Ghanem, 2015). This stage occurs between the third and the fourth week of infection by the bacteria. The secondary stage occurs 4-10 weeks after the primary stage. The spirochetes spread throughout the body with variable manifestations of the lesions. When systemic, the manifestations include fever, malaise, lymphadenopathy, rash, weight loss, hair loss, and aching joints (Taylor et al, 2017). Histologically, the reaction from the inflammation is similar to the primary chancre but less intense. These symptoms usually go away with or without treatment though the treatment will still be present without treatment. Another stage is the latent syphilis where the secondary features have resolved. The infectious skin lesions recur from the secondary stage (Handsfield, 2015). If untreated, the latent syphilis develops to tertiary syphilis after many years of infection. The final stage is tertiary syphilis which when it occurs, it affects the cardiovascular and the central nervous systems damaging the tissues. This stage can be life threatening and can cause outcomes such as blindness, mental illness, memory loss, destruction of soft tissue and bone, deafness, neurological disorders such as meningitis, heart disease and neuro-syphilis (Kenyon et al, 2017). Congenital syphilis occurs when the treponemes cross the placenta and infect the fetus which causes spontaneous abortion and stillbirth. Assessment and Management of Syphilis Syphilis, in most cases, poses a challenge in its diagnosis as one may be infected and show no symptoms for quite some time, even years. Blood and urine samples are collected to run tests and also a thorough physical examination is conducted (Navale et al, 2014). Syphilis diagnosis is mostly done by dark-field microscopy when an active chancre is present. The lesion is cleansed and abraded with a gauze pad. On appearance of serous exudates, it is placed on a glass slide and examined under a microscope with a dark-field condenser. The spirochete is characterized by a corkscrew appearance. For a lesion for T.pallidum to be considered negative, negative examinations are necessary on three different days (Klausner, 2017). The screening of syphilis widely uses qualitative nontreponemal tests. Their usefulness is however limited by decreased sensitivity of primary stages of syphilis and the latent stage. Nontreponemal tests become nonreactive after proper treatment of syphilis. Treponemal- specific tests are also used to detect antibodies produced on the onset of T. pallidum antigens. This test is used on patients whose nontreponemal test is reactive. The center for disease and prevention (CDC) recommends penicillin G that is parenterally administered for all stages of syphilis. A single intramuscular injection of Benzathine penicillin G of 2.4 million is ministered to cure syphilis (Klausner, 2017). Treatment by penicillin kills the bacteria but does not repair the damage done on the skin. Doxycycline is considered is one the best alternatives in treating early and latent syphilis (Lithgow et al, 2017). Patients under treatment should abstain from sexual contacts until the sores are fully healed. In any stage of treatment of syphilis, acquiring other STIs should be taken into account. In the initial evaluation, HIV testing is necessary for all syphilitic patients (Mller, 2011). Screening for other diseases like hepatitis B and C, chlamydial infection and gonorrhea should also be considered. After administration of proper treatment, follow up with quantitative nontreponemal test titers in order to establish treatment response. Whe n syphilis remains untreated it can cause damage to important organs in the body like the heart and the brain thus the need for early treatment. Ethical and legal issues with regard to STIs have been raised by therapists. The first issue raised is patient safety which requires that a patient must be thoroughly examined before prescribing medication to ensure that the right infection is being treated and to avoid any allergic reactions (Lago, 2016). Examination also allows the patient to inquire more about the infection, treatment and also present relevant medical history. Secondly, informed consent is mandatory. The patient has the right to get information on the symptoms, complications, disbursement of treatment and the risks that come with the treatment so that he/she is able to make informed decisions concerning the management of the disease (Klausner, 2017). Another important aspect is the need for confidentiality. In this regard, information on a patients condition should be kept private and confidential and only revealed with the consent of the patient and can only be breached when the infection is of public health concern (Lithgow et al, 2017). Therefore, confidentiality of a patients health de tails is protected by the law because disclosure can cause harm to the patient. Lastly is equity which requires that health care resources be distributed according to peoples difference in need, worth and ability to pay. Laws have been made to ensure there is no discrimination based on ones health status. For example, discriminating one in employment based on his/her health status. Role of Sexual Health Teams To effectively manage syphilis interventions, a multidisciplinary care team is recommended. The sexual health team would include nurses, pharmacists and doctors with behavioral skills. They play the various roles in the management of Syphilis (Lago, 2016). The first role of the team includes patient based care. This involves planning and delivering care to the patient. It starts with protocols that define the assessment and treatment that are of quality care. The required steps for the delivery of the interventions are delegated to the team members according to their specified duties (Klausner, 2017). The treatment plan should come second. The treatment team knows and should provide the most preferred treatment required by the patient with regard to the disease and the medical history of the patient. Thirdly there is need for clinical management. This would be best done by nurses who would monitor the progress of the patient as he takes on the treatment. They should be able to monitor any effect of the treatment on the patient. Another role performed is to provide self management support. Educational interventions often support patients to change risky behaviors or help them became better self-managers (Handsfield, H. (2015). This helps reduce the risk of re-infection and possible transmission to others. It is therefore advantageous to have a nurse trained on behavioral counseling since most doctors neither have the skills nor the time to do counseling on behavior change. Lastly, there is need for sustained follow up. Close follow up is necessary in the management of syphilis so as to monitor problems in compliance, inability to respond to treatment, detect adverse effects of the treatment (Mller, 2011). Telephone follow up is commonly done by nurses. Therefore, to manage syphili s, various groups have to work together as a team to merge the different skills such as counseling, pharmacology, diagnostic skills and patient care. Education needs to prevent further STIs The education needs for individuals at risk of contracting or those already with the condition are based on the basis that the STI is a very contagious disease which spreads majorly through sexual activities. Thus one of the needs includes information on the pathophysiology and how the disease is transmitted from an infected person to another. From research, it is spread from sores and lesions on the skin of infected person to another when they come in contact during unprotected sexual intercourse (Callander et al, 2013). Secondly, there is need for education on the symptoms and signs of the condition for people to seek early medical attention. There is need to however emphasize that a lot of infected persons are always not aware of being infected and therefore, they easily unknowingly pass the infection to their sexual partners. Thirdly, educational approaches should focus on prevention measures against syphilis. Among them is that the STI can be prevented majorly through self care. This helps in lowering the chances of getting infected or re-infected with not just syphilis but other sexually transmitted infections. Practicing safe sex is one of the ways of preventing syphilis (Ahmed-Jushuf, 2010). Limiting oneself to one sexual partner and ensuring that your partner does not get involved in risky sexual behaviors. Another preventive measure is the use of condoms during sexual intercourse (Handsfield, 2015). Condoms reduce the risk of contracting STIs but only if it covers the lesions and sores. Educational and coaching approach should also focus on emphasizing the need to avoid drug abuse. Abuse of alcohol and other hard drugs may cloud ones judgment which may lead one to unsafe sexual practices (Taylor et al, 2017). Abstinence from sex as a preventive measure should be emphasized as an educational need, since it is considered to be the surest ways of avoiding any STIs. Syphilis has no vaccine and is transmitted through sexual contact with an infected person. It is also important to regularly get tested for STIs as a way of keeping oneself healthy. A further important educational need includes the diagnosis, management and treatment of syphilis. Individuals should be taught on these particular issues to ensure that they seek medical attention early enough before the progression of the disease gets worse. According to Ahmed-Jushuf (2010), health promotion to individuals at the risk of contracting such STIs as syphilis should focus on addressing poor health-seeking behavior so as to enlighten the community on the need for attention to healthcare. References Ahmed-Jushuf, I. (2010). Standards for the Management of Sexually Transmitted Infections.Sexually Transmitted Infections,86(3), 160-160. Callander, D., Baker, D., Chen, M., Guy, R. (2013). Including Syphilis Testing as Part of Standard HIV Management Checks and Improved Syphilis Screening in Primary Care.Sexually Transmitted Diseases,40(4), 338-340. Chow, E., Callander, D., Fairley, C., Zhang, L., Donovan, B., Guy, R. et al. (2017). Increased Syphilis Testing of Men Who Have Sex With Men: Greater Detection of Asymptomatic Early Syphilis and Relative Reduction in Secondary Syphilis.Clinical Infectious Diseases. Handsfield, H. (2015). Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Infections, and Disorders.Sexually Transmitted Diseases,42(4), 169. Kenyon, C., Osbak, K., Van Esbroek, M., Lynen, L., Crucitti, T. (2017). What Is the Role of Paired Rapid Plasma Reagin Testing (Simultaneous Testing of Acute and Convalescent Samples) in the Diagnosis of Repeat Syphilis and the Follow-up of Syphilis?.Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 1. Klausner, J. (2017). The Evidence That Increased Syphilis Testing Controls Syphilis Is Compelling: What Is Needed to Act?.Clinical Infectious Diseases,65(3), 396-397. Lago, E. (2016). Current Perspectives on Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of Syphilis.Cureus. Lithgow, K., Hof, R., Wetherell, C., Phillips, D., Houston, S., Cameron, C. (2017). A defined syphilis vaccine candidate inhibits dissemination of Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum.Nature Communications,8, 14273. Mller, H., Eisendle, K., Bruninger, W., Kutzner, H., Cerroni, L., Zelger, B. (2011). Comparative analysis of immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction and focus-floating microscopy for the detection of Treponema pallidum in mucocutaneous lesions of primary, secondary and tertiary syphilis.British Journal Of Dermatology,165(1), 50-60. Navale, S., Meyerson, B., Ohmit, A., Gillespie, A. (2014). Understanding Sexually Transmitted Infection Screening and Management in Indiana Community Health Centers.Sexually Transmitted Diseases,41(11), 684-689. One-visit ICS testing dominates in prenatal syphilis screening. (2008).Inpharma Weekly,NA;(1661), 3. Repeat Syphilis Cases Point to Need for Comprehensive Prevention. (2013).JAMA,310(14), 1438. Research theory suggests HIV treatment may be increasing syphilis rates. (2017).The Pharmaceutical Journal. S, D. (2016). Withering Syphilis Management.Journal Of Medical Science And Clinical Research,04(12), 14509-14510. Taylor, M., Kamb, M., Wu, D., Hawkes, S. (2017). Syphilis screening and treatment: integration with HIV services.Bulletin Of The World Health Organization,95(9), 610-610A. Tuddenham, S., Ghanem, K. (2015). Penicillin is the drug of choice to treat all stages of syphilis despite a paucity of clinical trials data for the treatment of some stages, pregnant women and HIV-infected people.Evidence Based Medicine,20(2), 63-63. Uslu, U., Heppt, F., Sticherling, M. (2017). Secondary syphilis infection under treatment with ustekinumab.Clinical And Experimental Dermatology.