Skip to main content

Christina Ha: The Blind Cook Who Turned Master Chef



If you watched season three of Fox TV’s reality cooking show “MasterChef,” you remember the big smile that lit up Christine Ha’s face every time she impressed the judges with her bold flavors—and especially when her three-course meal of Vietnamese comfort food won Ha the “MasterChef” title.

What casual viewers may not have realized right away is that the amateur cook from Houston, Texas, is blind. In 2003, Ha was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a rare neurological condition that deteriorates the optic nerves and spinal cord. By 2007, Ha had lost most of her vision. But she had regained her love of reading, with help from the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS).

“[NLS] reignited my love for literature. It was what kept me sane when I went through my first bouts of NMO,” says Ha, who also authors the blog theblindcook.com. “When I went through some of my worst health issues in 2003—complete paralysis from my neck down due to spinal inflammation, and complete blindness—all I could do was lie in bed and listen to NLS audiobooks.”

NLS, part of the Library of Congress, oversees a free reading program for U.S. residents and citizens living abroad who are blind, have low vision, or cannot hold a book because of a physical disability. NLS patrons may choose from tens of thousands of books and dozens of magazines in audio and braille—including dozens of cookbooks, such as “O, the Oprah Magazine Cookbook” and titles by Julia Child, James Beard, and other famous foodies. NLS also loans the portable playback equipment needed ato read its audiobooks. Computer-savvy patrons may access books online through the NLS Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) service.

Ha, who is pursuing a master of fine arts degree at the University of Houston, always has a book checked out from NLS. Recently she was reading Gail Caldwell’s “Let’s Take the Long Way Home” in braille. And she currently is working on her “MasterChef” cookbook, which is set for a spring 2013 release.

To learn more about how the NLS program can help you, a loved one, or a friend, go online to www.loc.gov/nls or call 1-888-NLS-READ.

Thanks: NewsUSA

This may be the time to consider Logo Design. Think over!! You may also like Postach and Instapaper
Labels:
Location: Singapore

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Surprisingly, Older Americans Are Coping Best During the Pandemic

( NewsUSA ) – Older Americans have actually been coping far better than younger ones during the coronavirus pandemic, according to new research.The Edward Jones and Age Wave Study goes where few have ventured before in focusing exclusively on how different generations have held up emotionally and financially in the months since all the lockdowns began. And some of its findings are at least as startling as how quickly even 70-year-olds came to love Zoom."COVID-19’s impact forever changed the reality of many Americans, yet we’ve observed a resilience among U.S. retirees in contrast to younger generations," said Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D., the founder and CEO of Age Wave, a leading research think tank on aging, retirement and longevity issues.While acknowledging upfront that the virus itself disproportionally struck aging adults, the five-generational sampling of 9,000 people age 18 and over revealed more than a few surprises. Among them:* While 37 percent of Gen Zers, 27 percent o...
Post a Comment
Read more

Audiobook Service Helps Blind Vets Recover Independence

In December 1967, a young soldier lay in a hospital bed after sustaining severe eye injuries from a land mine in Vietnam. Tom Miller, now executive director of the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) in Washington, D.C., was blind, and his mind raced over all of the things he’d never be able to enjoy again. “I’ve spent the past 44-plus years erasing that list, or finding new things I can do.” Miller says he owes many thanks to the talking-book program of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), part of the Library of Congress. “The program is a godsend,” he says. Veterans—and any U.S. resident or citizen living abroad—are eligible to become NLS readers if they are blind, have low vision or have an illness or disability that prevents them from handling a book or printed material. According to a 2011 report by the National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research, 16 percent of the wounded soldiers evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan battle zones have suf...
Post a Comment
Read more

Take Time for A Moment That Matters: Tire Safety

Have working batteries in your smoke alarms? Done. Has your oil been freshly changed in your car? Done. Is there a new water filter for your refrigerator? Done. But when it comes to regularly checking your tires? Like most people, there may be some room for improvement. As fall travel and winter weather loom, taking a moment to check your car tires can make a difference in keeping you safe on the road. This year, Cooper Tires is encouraging drivers to mark Labor Day weekend on their calendar (and the first of every month) as a tire check safety moment, to make a habit of checking tires, especially as seasons change. “Just as we regularly take a moment to check our smoke detector batteries when we change our clocks in the fall and spring, we need to designate a moment to check tire safety as well,” says Jessica Egerton, Director of Brand Development at Cooper Tire & Rubber Company. Ensuring the overall condition of your tires is easy and important for your safety on the r...
Post a Comment
Read more