So, when I called the Edmonton CNIB main
office, I was told that in order to purchase a new magnifier, Isabel would need
an updated eye report from her doctor or optometrist. Once CNIB had received
this, Isabel could make an appointment to be evaluated by the nurse at the
Edmonton office. Only then would she be able to purchase a hand held magnifier
that would be right for her sight. Isabel didn’t know the magnification of her
current magnifier and so it would be difficult to guess what would be a
stronger magnification and simply order a device online.
What expense is involved with this? Well,
Isabel doesn’t drive and so would need a driver for the approximately 220 kilometre round trip to the city. At the
government rate of 58 cents per kilometre, this would be $127.60 for the return
trip. Add to this the cost of parking in the downtown area of the city. Then
there is the cost of a meal for both Isabel and her driver – that is, if she is
even able to find a driver to take her. All this and then add in the cost of
the magnifier.
Isabel is 94 and when I explained this
procedure to her, she has more or less decided that she will have to live with
the inconvenience and frustration of a magnifier that doesn’t quite meet the
needs of her failing eyesight. It would have been so much simpler for Isabel to
find a driver to take her to the much closer Red Deer office and by trial and
error find a magnifier that would work the best for her. However, this is now
out of the question and it appears that we who live in rural areas like Isabel,
must now try to balance our needs for vision devices against the cost that is
entailed in the acquisition of these devices.
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