For lots of people, February feels like the perfect time to fall in love. Between Valentine's Day and the cold weather, this time of year makes you want to cozy up with someone special.

Beyond Tinder: charity hackathon produces dating app for the blind The visual web may be leaving behind some of the most vulnerable members of society, with most blind and partially sighted young people excluded from 'normal' dating apps like Tinder. 3 single people get matched anonymously without seeing the other personDate #withme #stayhomeCredits: out m.

Fortunately, in this digital age of ours, finding love is easier than ever. In fact, that Mr. or Ms. Right might only be a few clicks away. So here are some tried-and-true tips for finding love online…

Choosing your dating site

If you're interested in stepping into the online dating world, the first thing you need to do is decide which dating site or mobile app you want to try first. Luckily, there are hundreds of sites and apps to choose from – it's just a matter of what feels right to you.

JAWS users report that Plenty of Fish works well with screen readers and it's also free, so that might be a good place to start.

If you'd like to meet someone who also has sight loss or another disability, there are dozens of dating websites you can try that are catered specifically for people who have sight loss or a disability, like visuallyimpairedsingles.com, dating4disabled.com or whispers4u.com.

Writing your profile

The key to successful online dating is writing a strong profile that really captures the essence of who you are and what you're all about. Easier said than done though, right? A lot of people have trouble writing about themselves, but try not to overthink it too much. Just be honest and write from the heart. If you're not sure how to get started, ask and answer the following questions:

What's my favourite thing to do in my free time?
What's the best thing about me?
How do my friends describe me?
What makes me laugh? How would I describe my sense of humour?
What am I looking for? Marriage, a fun flirtation, a long-term relationship, or just whatever comes my way?
What kind of person do I want to meet?

Here's one last tip for writing your profile: Consider being upfront about your sight loss or blindness. You don't want to meet someone whose got hang-ups about sight loss, right? So think about mentioning it in your profile. That way you know that anyone who shows interest in you is accepting of your blindness – just as they should be – and they won't be wasting your valuable time.

Setting yourself up for a good first date

So let's fast forward a bit. You've met someone online. You like them and they seem to like you too. Congrats! Now it's time to take the big step and meet them for a first date. Here are a few tips for making that first meeting go well:

Make it a quick date. Avoid committing yourself to a long date like dinner and a movie. Instead, plan to grab a coffee or a quick lunch. This way you don't have to spend several hours on the date if it isn't going well. And if it IS going well, you can always extend the date by suggesting another activity afterwards – like going for a walk or doing some window shopping.
Pick a place you're comfortable with. If you're blind or have low vision, you know that sometimes going to a new place can be a bit of a challenge – and that can be even more disconcerting if you've already got those first date jitters to deal with. You probably don't want to be worried about logistical problems like finding a new place, locating the bathrooms, figuring out how to read the menu, etc. when you're trying to focus on this new (and hopefully fantastic!) person you're meeting. So if possible, try to suggest a meeting place for your first date that you're familiar with, like a favourite coffee shop or restaurant.
Think about conversation topics ahead of time. Now you definitely don't want to have a scripted conversation on your first date, and hopefully the conversation runs smoothly on its own. But let's face it: it can sometimes be tough to chat away with someone you've never met before, and there may be times when those awkward silences start to creep in. That's why it's a good idea to think about a couple of easy talking points you can turn to if the conversation runs dry. For starters, try asking them to tell you more about something they wrote in their profile, like their job or their hobbies.
Be yourself! Remember, this person wanted to go on date with you because they liked what you said in your profile and they liked chatting with you online. Point being, they like you! So don't try to be someone else. Just be yourself – your regular, amazing, oh-so-lovable self!

Enjoying the ride

They say you've got to kiss a lot of frogs before you'll find your prince (or princess). And although some people find love on their first go around the online dating game, most people have to wait a while for that perfect Mr. or Ms. Right to come along. Don't get discouraged! According to Statistics Canada, there are more than 14.5 million single Canadians out there, playing the dating game. And chances are, one of them is just perfect for you. Until you meet them, enjoy the ride – get out there, have a few dates, have a few laughs and maybe you'll even make a few friends along the way.

Read more articles from the February, 2019 issue of Insight:

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Netflix released the trailer for its new, strange dating show, 'Sexy Beasts,' which has many viewers scratching their heads.

According to the preview, the bizarre new dating series will see singles go out on a series of dates with other singles. However, in an effort to prove that looks aren’t everything, they’re eliminating them from the equation by having every participant receive movie-quality prosthetics to hide their appearance and make them look like animals.

According to Variety, the show is based on Lion TV’s original British series for the BBC Three that premiered in 2014. Each episode will see one single person looking for love go on three dates with potential matches, all in professional makeup. At the end of the episode, the single person will choose their favorite of the three before they’re allowed to see what they look like without the prosthetics.

Netflix debuted a new dating show called ‘Sexy Beasts’ in which singles get professional makeup ahead of a blind date. (Netflix)

Netflix has ordered two, six-episode seasons of 'Sexy Beasts' with 'Catastrophe' star and comedian Rob Delaney as the host/narrator. In total, 48 unique makeup designs were created by Kristyan Mallet, a leading FX artist who has worked on projects like 'Mission Impossible' and 'The Theory of Everything.'

The trailer showcases some of the looks crafted for the show. Viewers will get to see people dressed as pandas, lions, bears, fish, bulls and much more see if they can spark chemistry on dinner, bowling and theme park dates. While some seem excited at the prospect of dating without looks being part of the game, others lament not being able to fully know if they’re physically attracted to the person they’re experiencing chemistry with.

'Making ‘Sexy Beasts’ for Netflix has been an incredibly exciting process. With an international cast featuring some truly brilliant characters, a host of prosthetics which look extraordinary in 4K and with Rob Delaney narrating, the viewers are in for a real treat,' said creator and executive producer for Lion TV, Simon Welton, in a statement to Variety. 'I hope the show puts a smile on peoples’ faces as they play along to discover who’ll fall in love with who, and what our cast all really look like.'

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Dating App For Blind People