Living with low vision is frustrating but
fortunately there are tools and devices helpful for someone with low vision.
Technology has come a long way over the past few decades and if you are the
person struggling with partial sight, I think that it would be worth your while
to look into what is now available. This is what the members of our local
support group did at their October meeting. We invited Cheryl Heard, the low
vision specialist at the Edmonton CNIB office to be our guest speaker and to
bring with her a selection of these devices.
Cheryl set everything out on a long table
and explained how each gadget might be useful. There were monoculars set for
distance viewing. There were hand held magnifiers of varying sizes and magnifications.
There were portable electronic magnifiers for enlarging print. There were large
print calendars and other items from the CNIB catalogue. One of our members bought a talking weigh
scale and another purchased a computer keyboard with large black digits on a contrasting
yellow background.
Remembering what it was like when my own
sight first changed, I also remember being somewhat overwhelmed by how many different
aids were available. I also remember being very disappointed that none of them
seemed to work effectively for me. My sight didn’t lend itself to low vision
aids. I was torn between wanting to try everything and then being disappointed
that nothing fixed or restored my sight. I think that this is a caution for
anyone newly experiencing loss of vision. You can spend a fortune on low vision
aids – why even a basic monocular can cost around $300 – but if the item won’t
work for you, then it isn’t even worth a dime.
Now a question – did you take up the white
cane challenge I issued on October 2? If you missed out, it’s never too late to
begin such a conversation. (My thanks to KB for taking up the challenge.)
The picture below shows Cheryl
demonstrating some of the low vision tools. Standing from left to right – me, Dennis
and Ron with Cheryl on the other side of the table.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
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| Demonstration of low vision tools |
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