Minneapolis-based public media consultant Ken Mills is back online after finding a new way to post his insights after dealing with a sudden loss of visual acuity.
Mills had published his “Spark News” since 2014 but was forced to go on hiatus last summer after an allergic reaction caused permanent damage to his left eye. He had already lost vision in his right eye due to a previous injury.
He worked with the Center for Applied & Translational Sensory Science at the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Services for the Blind to find new forms of technology.
“I was not prepared for almost total vision loss and I needed to learn the basics quickly. The folks at CATSS and Services for the Blind provided the help and the encouragement I needed,” Mills said.
One challenge to overcome was that his previous web platform does not work well for people with low vision. He’s now back online using Medium.
“Even the biggest blogging platforms are not accessible to people like me with low vision. Medium is easy to navigate and I will continue on that platform as a I develop my new site at SparkNews.org,” he said.
“I love writing about radio – its people, the stations and organizations that make it happen. I am grateful that I am able to continue this work.”
Items since the June relaunch have included profiles of public radio professionals and unique stations such as KBEM/88.5 (Minneapolis), as well as previews of the upcoming Public Radio Program Directors Conference.
Check out Spark News at americancommunityradio.medium.com.