‘Green’ Naturalight™ Lamps Help Low Vision Hobbyists and Readers

Those of us with prescription reading glasses know that the proper lenses enable you to see finer details and read more easily. But too many of us aren’t aware of the impact lighting can have on our ability to see. If lighting isn’t bright enough or is poor quality, your eyes will have to work harder. This may limit the amount of fine detail you see and can result in eyestrain. You’ll likely end up feeling tired sooner, thus reducing the amount of time you can comfortably spend working, reading or enjoying your favorite hobbies.

Verilux, specializing in providing naturally balanced lighting for better vision since 1956, has a new line of lamps that are earth-friendly and easy on the eyes. Naturalight™ 27w energy-saving lamps last up to 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs and produce a full spectrum light that reduces glare and eyestrain making close-up tasks like reading, writing and sewing easier.

The low wattage of Naturalight lamps equates to reduced power usage and the long life means that many fewer bulbs end up in our landfills. The end result of these factors that there is less of an impact on the earth (and on your wallet!)

Naturalight Hobby Lamps come in two models. The Naturalight Hobby Floor Lamp sits securely on the floor next to your favorite couch, chair, desk or workbench. The Naturalight Hobby Table Lamp is perfect for use on any desk, table or workbench. Both models feature flexible arms that can be adjusted into the ideal position to provide the light you need.

Also available is a compact and portable Naturalight LED Clip-On Light, which is currently being given away free at Maxi with the purchase of either the floor or table lamp. Please note that this limited time offer applies only to web orders placed at www.MaxiAids.com

Study Shows Kids with Arthritis Prone to Fractures

Children with arthritis and other chronic rheumatic diseases show an increased incidence of backbone or vertebral fractures, according to a study at conducted at Montreal Children's Hospital published in the Journal of Pediatrics.

Included in the study, as reported in Reuter’s Health, were 90 children with conditions including juvenile idiopathic arthritis and connective tissue disease who were attending the hospital’s rheumatology clinic. The study found that 19-percent of the children studied had a much higher-than-average incidence of fractures. It also showed that 44-percent of the children with backbone fractures had no outward symptoms.

These findings, according to lead investigator Dr. Meranda Nakhla, raise the question of whether children with rheumatic diseases should be regularly screened for fractures. Read the full story on Reuter’s.

STEP-HEAR Navigation System Uses Pre-Recorded Messages to Help Blind and Visually Impaired Users Avoid Hazards

Available at www.MaxiAids.com, STEP-HEAR is an information and orientation system placed at points where a blind person may need assistance navigating though an area or around a potential hazard. It’s easy to install indoors and outdoors, and is a low cost tool to help keep your blind and visually impaired patrons safe.

STEP-HEAR can be used as a temporary or permanent installation in numerous locations and situations, including in institutions (offices, schools, hospitals, etc.) public places (parks, restrooms, train stations, etc.) and commercial settings (malls, hotels, banks, etc.)

STEP-HEAR consists of two units, the Base and the Activator. Here’s how it works:

1. The Base is installed in key locations, with pre-recorded information stored in its digital memory.
2. The Activator, held by the user, vibrates when it enters within 12 feet of the base to alert the user that there is a STEP-HEAR nearby.
3. The user presses a button on the Activator to trigger the audible recorded information from the Base, which also indicates proximity and direction to the location.

For more information, see STEP-HEAR or go to www.MaxiAids.com.

200-Mile Bike Tour Raises Money For Special Olympics

The Bresnan Bike Tour is a 3-day, 200-mile New York-to-Vermont bike ride to raise money for Special Olympics NY - Hudson Valley Region and Westchester Region. This is the 20th anniversary of the tour, which has raised more than 3.75 million dollars since its inception in 1990.

Riders begin in Patterson, NY on June 12 and take a bicycle tour ending in Bennington, VT three days later. For information on the event, including opportunities to participate as a rider, volunteer, corporate sponsor, or individual donor, go to Bresnan Bike Tour.

Magnifico Plus 2x Small Screen Magnifier for Low Vision Featured in Plane & Pilot Magazine

Maxi-Aids' Magnifico Plus 2x Small Screen Magnifier, which was designed to make the small screens on cell phones, smartphones, GPS units and other handheld devices easier to see, was recently featured in Plane & Pilot Magazine. Magnifico Plus has proven to be very popular among pilots, who have found it useful in viewing their electronic and navigational devices.

Magnifico Plus is essentially a magnifying lens attached to 2 arms that pivot and telescope to allow the user to position and focus the lens to meet their individual needs. This assembly is mounted on a base plate on which the electronic device is placed. It can be used with a cell phone, smartphone, PDA, GPS, iPod, Blackberry or virtually any small-screen handheld device. A product reviewer for Plane & Pilot noted that Magnifico Plus "enlarges the screen significantly."

Magnifico Plus sells for $49.99, plus as a bonus if you mention Plane & Pilot Magazine, you’ll get free shipping! For more product information, visit the Magnifico Plus Product Page at http://www.maxiaids.com/ or call 1-800-522-6294.

Cimzia Approved for Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment

The drug Cimzia, already being used for treating Crohn’s Disease, has now been approved to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis according to a press release from UCB, the Belgian drug company that makes it.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease characterized by inflammation of the lining of the joints. It can lead to joint damage, resulting in chronic pain, stiffness, loss of function and disability.

The most commonly reported side effects of Cimzia, which is administered by injection, include headache, upper respiratory infections, urinary tract infections and rashes at the injection site.

Walk to Cure Diabetes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF), as many as 3 million Americans have type 1 diabetes, a disease most often diagnosed in childhood that strikes suddenly, lasts a lifetime, and carries the constant threat of deadly complications, including heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and amputation.

JDRF's mission is constant: to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Thanks to dramatic research progress, a cure is now within our reach. The Walk draws people together in a healthy activity for a worthy cause, raising money to help find a cure for diabetes. It's fun for families and builds camaraderie among company employees. Above all, it's an event you will feel good about being a part of.

There are upcoming walks in Fresno, CA, Denver, CO, Springfield, MO, Leesburg, VA or see a list of JDRF-sponsored walks by state

Maxi-Aids Products for Independent Living carries an assortment of products for those with diabetes, including blood glucose monitors, insulin cases and coolers and diabetic socks.

Maxi-Aids Chooses May Winner in Their $10,000 Keep That Catalog Contest

Congratulations to Diane from Jacksonville, FL, winner of the Maxi-Aids 'Keep That Catalog' Contest for the month of May. Diane’s name was chosen at random from the contest entries received, and in a phone call she was able to successfully answer a question about our recently released catalog.

During the contest, which is running throughout 2009, there will be a total of 10 winners, who each will receive a $1,000 shopping spree at Maxi-Aids (www.MaxiAids.com.) Diane, a current Maxi-Aids customer, is the mother of two blind children, so she undoubtedly will be able to put her $1,000 Shopping Spree to good use.

There are still seven monthly $1,000 shopping sprees to be given away in the Maxi-Aids "Keep That Catalog" Contest. Anyone wishing to enter may do so by clicking I Want To Win or by visiting www.MaxiAids.com and following the contest links. There is no purchase necessary to enter or win.

Newly Separated Maxi-Aids and Hear-More Blogs Give Readers More Focused Content

Beginning this week, Maxi-Aids Products for Independent Living and Hear-More Products for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing will each have their own separate blog. This separation of the formerly combined Maxi-Aids/Hear-More blog will allow more targeted news items and product updates to be provided to the blogs' respective readers, according to Maxi-Aids’ president and founder Elliot Zaretsky.

The former Maxi-Aids/Hear-More blog will continue at its current location and will now be known simply as the Maxi-Aids blog. The newly created Hear-More blog, which can be found at http://hearmorenow.blogspot.com, will focus on content of interest to the deaf and hard of hearing.

While the Maxi-Aids blog will touch on the needs of the hearing impaired, it will continue to provide a broader range of content. Readers will see news and information relevant to members of the varied special needs communities, including the blind, those with low vision, the arthritic, the diabetic and those with mobility challenges. In addition, attention will be given to topics of interest to senior citizens and baby boomers.

The aim, says Mr. Zaretsky is give readers more of what they want to see, and to keep the blogs strategically in line with the types of products featured, and the interests of the loyal customers served, at www.MaxiAids.com and www.HearMore.com

May is Arthritis Awareness Month

The month of May 2009 is Arthritis Awareness Month, a designation intended to bring attention to this significant and still growing problem in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, arthritis in 2005 affected an estimated 46 million (one in five) U.S. adults and nearly 300,000 children. By the year 2030, it is expected that arthritis will affect 67 million adults and it remains the most common cause of disability in the United States.

This year the focus is on the benefits of physical activity for persons with arthritis. For adults with arthritis, physical activity can reduce pain, improve function and reduce the risk for disability, in addition to lowering the risk for heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

View a selection of Maxi-Aids Assistive Devices for the Arthritic or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website to see further details on Arthritis Awareness Month.

Giving New Meaning to ‘Spring Cleaning’

Traditionally, spring is a time when people tap into their energy reserves and get motivated to clean virtually everything in sight following the dreary winter. Windows are washed, carpets shampooed, rugs shaken out and floors thoroughly scrubbed.

Now, a unique line of products promises to give your home an added measure of cleanliness. Verilux Sanitizers use UVC light waves to kill dust mites, viruses, bacteria and 99.9% of household germs. As an added bonus, these products use no chemicals, so allergy and disease-causing microbes are eliminated without leaving any chemical residue.

The Verilux CleanWave UV-C Sanitizing Light Wand is an all-purpose handheld model for home and office use; the Verilux UVC Sanitizing Sweeper provides a floor sweeper and sanitizer in one; and the compact Verilux UVC Sanitizing Travel Wand can help keep the germs away from you when you’re away from home.

The Future is Now: Ray Electronic Mobility Aid Gives the Blind a Hi-Tech Alternative to a Cane

Imagine a blind person moving around their home or office, or running errands around town, a long cane held out in front of them, moving from side to side, tapping the ground to help identify potential hazards.

Now imagine that same person navigating flawlessly around those locations, able to identify and avoid all of the same hazards. But rather than a traditional cane for the blind, they are instead holding a small device that fits in the palm of their hand. This incredibly compact (4.72” long by 1.1” wide) and ultra lightweight (only 2.1 oz.) device is called the Ray.

Ray Electronic Mobility Aid for the Blind

Ray was designed to provide a handheld, lightweight and compact alternative to traditional canes for the blind. Using an ultrasonic emission similar to the cone of light of a flashlight, Ray senses obstacles and alerts the user by emitting audible or vibrating signals (or both.) Obstacles up to a distance of 9.35 feet (2.85 meters) away will be recognized and announced to the user via an audible or vibrating signal.

To find out more, click the above link, or visit www.MaxiAids.com to see more products for the blind and visually impaired.

Shake-N-Lite Vibrating Alarm Clock…The Perfect Travel Companion for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

You’ve planned the perfect vacation, but are worried about making that ‘crack of dawn’ flight home. You absolutely cannot miss that morning business meeting. Maybe you just need an effective, reliable alarm clock to get you up for work every morning.

Whatever you have to be wake for, the Shake-N-Lite Vibrating Alarm Clock will get you up and on your way. Its strong vibration alarm is great for the deaf and hearing impaired, but it also offers an audible alarm.

Other features include a soft green backlight for easy nighttime viewing and a locking mechanism to prevent accidental time changes. Find out more by clicking the above link, or visit www.HearMore.com to see more items for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Study Shows Sleep Habits Affect Risk of Diabetes

People who get too little, or too much, sleep stand a greater risk of developing diabetes, according to a study published on the website of the journal Sleep Medicine.

Researchers at Canada’s Universite Laval who studied the habits of 276 volunteers over a six-year period determined that those who didn’t get seven to eight hours sleep a night were two and a half times more likely to develop a blood sugar abnormality that has been linked to type 2 diabetes.

Scientists were not able to determine the exact cause behind the findings of the study.

Read Sleeping too much or too little increases your risk of diabetes as reported on the China Daily website.

FDA Approves Monthly Treatment for Three Types of Immune-Related Arthritis

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a monthly treatment for adults with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, active psoriatic arthritis, and active ankylosing spondylitis, according to a report in HealthNewsDigest.com. All three of these conditions are characterized by pain, limited movement and pain which occur when the body’s immune system attacks joints.

The drug Simponi, which is administered via an injection under the skin, is intended for use in combination with the immunosuppressant drug methotrexate for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. It may also be used with or without methotrexate for psoriatic arthritis and on its own to treat patients with ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory arthritis of the spine. In clinical trials, patients who received Simponi for one of the three conditions showed improvements in the signs and symptoms common to their form of arthritis.

To read the full story, click FDA Approves Simponi for Arthritis Treatment

Reizen 12-Digit Talking Calculator Announces All Entries and Calculations

Ideal for the Blind and Visually Impaired, the Reizen 12-Digit Talking Calculator announces all keys pressed and math calculations in a clear female voice. A repeat key allows you to hear all entries and results spoken again. It also offers a 12-digit display for calculating larger figures plus a time display mode and an alarm with your choice of beep sound melody.

Click the above link for more information about this product. Visit www.MaxiAids.com for more great talking products.

Protecting the Blind from Hybrid Vehicle Dangers

A bill recently introduced by Senators John Kerry (D) from Massachusetts and Arlen Specter (Republican-turned-Democrat) from Pennsylvania would require the Department of Transportation to conduct a study to determine how to protect the blind from silent vehicles, as hybrid vehicles are at times when the engine is off and they are running solely on electricity.

These vehicles can be very dangerous for the blind, who rely on engine noise to judge the distance, speed and location of cars as they make their way around town.

The study is particularly important given the increasing number of hybrid vehicles currently in production, and considering the prospect of there being entirely electric vehicles on the road in the future.

Ray LaHood, the Secretary of Transportation, will be responsible for securing funding the study and for overseeing it.

Read the full story on the Kicking Tires blog at cars.com

Margie and Luke Make Finals of The Amazing Race

Margie and Luke, the hearing mother/deaf son team, finished second behind brother and sister Victor and Tammy in last night’s leg of The Amazing Race, securing a spot as one of the three teams advancing to the final episode to compete for the $1,000,000 prize.

In what Margie and Luke will likely consider a fortunate development, sisters Kisha and Jen, with whom they had developed bad blood had developed over the past couple of episodes, were eliminated, narrowly losing out to former cheerleaders Cara and Jaime.

The final episode should be interesting! It’s titled “This is How You Lose a Million Dollars” and ends in Maui, Hawaii.

Top 12 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Special Needs Moms Includes Low Vision Watch, Amplified Photo-Dial Phone and Magnifying Lamp

MaxiAids Products for Independent Living www.MaxiAids.com has released its list of Mother’s Day gift ideas. Although billed as ‘Top 12 Mother's Day Gift Ideas for Special Needs Moms’ because of the company’s large and faithful following among the blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, arthritic, diabetic and other special needs communities, the list contains items that many senior citizens and baby boomers will find useful.

MaxiAids’ founder and president Elliot Zaretsky has noticed an increase in business leading up to Mother’s Day 2009 that he attributes to the fact that many people are choosing, either out of necessity or the simple desire for practicality, to steer clear of extravagant gifts and seek out items that will make a difference in their moms’ lives.

For example, the Royal Tel-Time Bi-Color Talking Watch with White Dial is great for moms who may not be able to see a watch face easily. It features time announcement, alarm, calendar and timer and stylish gold and silver tones.

The Serene 30dB Amplified Photo Phone is great for those with mild to moderate hearing loss as well as those with memory loss, including Alzheimer’s patients. It amplifies incoming sound up to 30dB and in addition to a full number keypad has 9 buttons with slots into which photos may be inserted, allowing the user to simply touch a person's picture to dial their number. It’s also hearing aid compatible and is powered by phone line, so no batteries or separate power supply are needed.

Click to view the Press Release Top 12 Mother's Day Gift Ideas for Special Needs Moms

MaxiAids Showing Products at Associated Blind Bazaar in New York City

Come down and visit MaxiAids’ booth at the Associated Blind Bazaar at Selis Manor in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. This indoor event promises to draw a diverse crowd including members of the blind, visually impaired and hard of hearing communities.

MaxiAids will have on display and for sale a variety of products for independent living including: talking scales; digital recorders; handheld, stand and electronic magnifiers; Braille playing cards; and talking watches.

When:
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Hours: 10:00am to 5:00pm

Where:
Selis Manor
Auditorium/Lobby Level
135 West 23d Street (between 6th & 7th Ave)
New York, NY 10011

MaxiAids to Display at Annual Meeting of Blind & Visually Impaired Entrepeneurs

MaxiAids Products for Independent Living will be showcasing a selection of products for the blind and those with low vision at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind & Visually Impaired Business Enterprise Program Managers.

When:
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Meeting hours are from 8:00am to 3:30pm
Products will be showcased from 10:30am to 12:00pm

Where:
The Hyatt Regency Hotel
2 Albany Street
New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Among the low vision products on display and available for purchase, will be the Money Talks Talking Money Identifier, which reads and announces the value of all US paper currency between $1.00 and $100.00, and the Talking Color Detector which allows the user to check everything from the color of clothing when getting dressed to the ripeness of fruit while shopping.

Meeting attendees will also be able to try out MaxiAids’ popular Reizen Talking Atomic Watches that synchronize themselves with the NIST atomic clock and never have to be set.

Click Money Talks Press Release to view a press release about Money Talks.

Visit www.MaxiAids.com or call 1-800-5226294 for more product information.

Swine (H1N1) Flu Concern Spurs Sales of Antibacterial Soap, Hand Sanitizer, Protective Masks and Sanitary Gloves

In response to the continuing spread of the H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu), the World Health Organization on April 29, 2009 raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 5, a strong indicator that a pandemic is imminent, and the United States Government has declared a public health emergency in the United States. As of today there have been 109 confirmed cases of H1N1 Flu reported across the country, with one resulting death in Texas.
According to a communication posted today on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, the CDC… “continues to send antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak.” Read Message on CDC Website

In his speech this past Wednesday, Barack Obama asked the American public to take the same measures to guard against swine flu that they might with any other flu, including keeping hands washed. By all indications, many Americans are already taking steps to protect themselves. News reports indicate that pharmacies and other medical supply stores are scrambling to maintain stock on antibacterial soap, hand sanitizer, surgical masks and latex exam gloves.

Elliot Zaretsky, founder and president of MaxiAids Products for Independent Living, has seen his sales for these supplies spike in the past week. He notes that the general public, to protect their families and prevent the spread of germs, is now purchasing many products traditionally used mostly by medical and dental professions. Among the many products MaxiAids carries are No-Rinse Hand Sanitizer and Antibacterial Wash Cloths, in addition to Exam Gloves, Isolation Face Masks and Procedural Face Masks.