Archive for the ‘Devices’ Category

How smartphones and apps are liberating the blind and visually impaired

Posted on: August 18th, 2015 by lowvision

Have you found any great apps or computer programs to help assist you or a loved one with your day to day activities?

The San Jose Mercury News published a great article listing some of the available resources for living–and computing–with low vision.

Ruben Morales, a blind 59-year-old retired engineer who lives in Morgan Hill, has used a specialized screen-reading program for years to write and run spreadsheets on his desktop computer.

But just this month, he figuratively cut the cord to his desktop and joined the mobile revolution. Morales was visiting the Veterans Affairs Department’s Western Blind Rehabilitation Center in Menlo Park learning how to use an iPhone’s features for vision-impaired people.

“It’s pretty amazing.” Morales said, demonstrating how he can call up a song and play it with a few taps. “Whatever I can do on the computer I can basically do it on the iPhone. It has the same capability.”

Click here for the full article

Help for people with low vision

Posted on: February 11th, 2015 by lowvision

Currently, 4.2 million Americans ages 40 and older are visually impaired. Of these, 3 million have low vision. By 2030, when the last baby boomers turn 65, the number of Americans who have visual impairments is projected to reach 7.2 million, with 5 million having low vision.

For the millions of people who currently live or will live with low vision, the good news is there is help. Vision rehabilitation can make a big difference to a person adjusting to vision loss and should be considered a key part of a patient’s overall care.

But first, what is low vision? Low vision is when even with regular glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery, people have difficulty seeing, which makes everyday tasks difficult to do. Activities that used to be simple like reading the mail, shopping, cooking, and writing can become challenging.

Most people with low vision are age 65 or older. The leading causes of vision loss in older adults are age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataract, and glaucoma. Among younger people, vision loss is most often caused by inherited eye conditions, infectious and autoimmune eye diseases, or trauma.

For people with low vision, maximizing their remaining sight is key to helping them continue to live safe, productive, and rewarding lives. The first step is to seek help.

“I encourage anyone with low vision to seek guidance about vision rehabilitation from a low vision specialist,” advises Paul A. Sieving, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Eye Institute (NEI), one of the

National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the federal government’s principal agency for vision research.

What is a low vision specialist?

A low vision specialist is an ophthalmologist or optometrist who works with people who have low vision. A low vision specialist can develop a vision rehabilitation plan that identifies strategies and assistive devices appropriate for the person’s particular needs.

“A vision rehabilitation plan helps people reach their true visual potential when nothing more can be done from a medical or surgical standpoint,” explains Mark Wilkinson, O.D., a low vision specialist at the University of

Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and chair of the low vision subcommittee for the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP).

Vision rehabilitation can include the following:

  • Training to use magnifying and adaptive devices
  • Teaching new daily living skills to remain safe and live independently
  • Developing strategies to navigate around the home and in public
  • Providing resources and support

There are also many resources available to help people with low vision. NEI offers a 20-page, large-print booklet, titled What You Should Know About Low Vision, and companion DVD, featuring inspiring stories of people living with low vision. This booklet and DVD, among other resources, are available at www.nei.nih.gov/lowvision.

With the aging of the population, eye diseases and vision loss have become major public health concerns in the United States. NEI is committed to finding new ways to improve the lives of people living with visual impairment. Aside from making information and resources readily available, NEI has dedicated more than $24 million to research projects on low vision, including learning how the brain adapts to vision loss; strategies to improve vision rehabilitation; and the development of new technologies that help people with low vision to read, shop, and find their way in unfamiliar places. Research like this will help people with low vision to make the most of their remaining vision and maintain their independence and quality of life.

Tell Your Story

Posted on: September 24th, 2013 by lowvision

If you are one of the millions of Americans living with low vision, you have a story to tell. Your world has changed as your sight had changed. You are forced to change the way you do things, adapting your activities of daily living to accommodate for your vision changes. Low vision devices are instruments that you can use to help navigate this new world. But, which low vision device is right for you?

As with so many questions today, the answer is: it depends. It depends on your needs, wants, activity level, and allotted budget. One answer is certain, however, it all starts with your eye care provider. If your eye care provider is not a low vision specialist, ask them to recommend one. Alternately you can look at our doctor locator here to find one in your area.

When you go to see the low vision specialist it is important to TELL YOUR STORY. This includes sharing:

  • Medical history—optical health is related to overall health
  • Previous eye injuries
  • Current level of activity
  • What you want to do that you are having trouble doing because of diminished vision

The first three items are easy to explain. The fourth may require a bit of a reality check. Your vision is no longer perfect, and even with the best low vision devices on the market, you will not be able to see 20/20. But there are devices that can accommodate your specific wants and needs if you tell your specialist your story. For instance, if you love knitting, but stopped when your vision began to blur, there are low vision devices for that. If your passion is watching movies, there are devices for that as well. And if you want to be able to ride a bike or drive, there are even devices for this, depending on your visual capabilities and the laws in your state. There is a good chance that you will have to choose a few activities—you can’t have it all!

Once your low vision specialist knows your story—who you are, where you came from, and where you want to go—he or she will be able to help you select a low vision device that is right for you, and offer the proper training so you can use the device to optimize your remaining sight to accomplish your desired tasks.

To find out more about some low vision devices available, you can look on our website, here. This link shows some options that assist people who want to accomplish near tasks, intermediate-distance tasks, and long-distance tasks.

Sunglasses and Macular Degeneration

Posted on: June 21st, 2013 by lowvision

Summer in underway, and that means people are starting to think about sunglasses and UV (although really, you should think about it year-round). UV radiation can cause damage to the cells of the retina, and too much light can actually reduce your ability to see properly, especially in sunlight. Sunglasses protect the cells of the macula from being damaged by UV radiation. But darker does not mean better. The darkness of sunglasses does not protect the eyes from the ultraviolet radiation. What the darkness does is reduce eye discomfort for those who are very sensitive to the bright light. UV coatings are applied to lenses and are colorless—in fact, standard glasses and even goggles very often have UV protection. The tint of sunglasses provides comfort; the UV coating provides the protection.

The amount of light needed by each individual to see differs, and the use of sunglasses that are too dark can actually contribute to unnecessary distraction and falls. Many people with macular degeneration have not been prescribed specialized sunglasses by their eye doctors. This means that their vision is not being used to its greatest potential AND their eyes are not as protected as thy should be.

When in doubt, ask, right? To find out about lens options and tints available for your specific low vision situation, ask your eye care professional. Prescription sunwear is available in all different shapes, sizes, and fashions. If prescription sunwear is not for you, there are even sunglasses that you can fit over your regular eyeglasses.

Many people with macular degeneration have reduced color vision and reduced contrast vision. The use of yellow, amber, and brown lenses can improve contrast vision and make it easier to see, especially in bright light—natural light or light that comes from bulbs.

Light sensitivity is also prevalent in people with aging eye diseases, particularly macular degeneration. This is because the macular cells regulate how the eyes adapt to various lighting conditions. When the macular cells are damaged, being in bright sunlight can be uncomfortable. Eyeglass frames that block the light from the top, bottom, and sides will reduce the discomfort of the eyes. Low vision eye care specialists will often use a grey, plum, green, or blue lens to reduce the glare discomfort and some of these lenses may be coated with a mirror to reduce the amount of light that enters the eyes.

So, no matter how your vision has been affected, there is a sunwear option to fit your needs—and allow for more comfort in sunlight…or light of any kind.

 

May is Healthy Vision Month

Posted on: May 10th, 2013 by lowvision

Your eyes are the windows to your health. Did you know that your eye care professional—through an eye exam— can observe blood vessels that show whether or not someone has diabetes, high blood pressure or small blood clots, has heart disease, might have had a stroke, and even some signs of some types of cancer?

This is why a comprehensive eye exam is important when you discover changes in your vision. If you are over the age of 60, an eye exam can help to determine the cause of your low vision. Low vision is a big problem with little awareness—currently, more than 2.9 million Americans suffer from low vision; it is most prevalent in people age 60+.

Low vision is a condition often coupled with a diagnosis of an aging eye disease—such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, cataracts –or other systemic and neurological diseases. With early diagnosis and treatment, many cases of low vision can be tremendously slowed or stopped in their tracks.

Individuals, their family, and friends should take notice when any vision loss begins to interfere with activities of daily living (ADLs)—cooking, driving, recognizing faces. Or if these individuals stop participating in a hobby—reading, knitting, crosswords—that they once loved due to a lowered ability caused by progressive loss of vision.

Whatever the level of decline, individuals with low vision can be helped to make the most use of their remaining vision, which leads to improving their quality of life, increased socialization, and even prolonged life span through vision rehabilitation and use of low vision devices (hi tech magnifiers).

So take some time during the month of May to evaluate your vision. If you find that it is changing, schedule an eye exam—your health depends on it.

For more information on Healthy Vision Month, dilated eye exams, or the National Eye Institute, visit http://www.nei.nih.gov/healthyeyes/.

 

Welcome to the launch of the Low Vision Blog

Posted on: December 11th, 2012 by lowvision

Welcome to our low vision blog! We hope to bring you accounts of people living with low vision, their strategies, coping mechanisms and success stories. Although low vision cannot be reversed, with healthy practices and conscious effort, living with low vision can be fulfilling and satisfying. You can regain independence and confidence that you may have lost with your diagnosis.

Enjoy this website! If you or someone you care for has a story about living with low vision, please share it with us.

Wishing you well,

Erin Hildreth
The Vision Council