Low Vision Aids

WHAT IS LOW VISION???

Imagine for a minute what life would be like if your vision was permanently impaired and could not be corrected with eyeglasses, contact lenses or vision surgery. This is the situation many people find themselves in every day, suffering from what's called "low vision."

Types of low vision

-Central vision loss (not being able to see things in the center of your vision)

-Peripheral vision loss (not being able to see things out of the corners of your eyes)

-Night blindness (not being able to see in low light)

-Blurry or hazy vision.

- Reduced contrast sensitivity

-Glare light sensitivity

Can we correct low vision?

Low vision cannot be fully corrected. However, there are some  devices to help people with low vision, including tinted eyewear to help with light sensitivity and contrast, magnifiers (hand held and for digital or computer use), and large-print reading materials or audio recordings.

Low vision optical devices can be grouped into two basic categories:

1.    Near Optical Devices
These  devices are used for close-up, detail viewing, such as reading, writing, and sewing.

The most common devices in this category include:

-Stand Magnifiers

The simplest device for reading is the stand magnifier. When placed on the page, this type of magnifier is automatically in focus for reading.

- Hand-Held Magnifiers

A hand-held magnifier is especially useful for brief “spot” reading and for portable use, such as reading a menu in a restaurant, prices or labels in a store, or appliance dials at home. They can either be full size or a small pocket magnifier, and can also have a built-in bright light.

- Magnifying Reading Glasses

Magnifying reading glasses allow an individual to read for longer periods of time. They are also called “microscopes” because they produce magnified images of small words and objects.

- Clip-on Loupes

Loupes are magnifying devices. A clip-on loupe attaches to glasses, and allows a person to be hands free while viewing text, the computer screen, sheet music, or hand work. Stronger loupes (over +10D diopters) can be used only with one eye, whereas weaker loupes can be used for both eyes.

Telemicroscopic Glasses

Telemicroscopic glasses are telescopes that are made for tasks at near, rather than at distance, like most telescopes. They are available in many different designs. Telemicroscopic glasses, in contrast to strong magnifying reading glasses, allow more comfortable working distance when reading, using the computer, seeing sheet music, doing hand work, playing cards, and other tasks.

Distance Optical Devices

Distance optical devices can either be hand-held, clip-on, or mounted in a frame to be hands-free. They can be used for brief spot-reading tasks, such as reading a sign, menu board, or the white board in school. They can also be used for longer viewing periods, such as watching television, seeing a movie or ball game, viewing a play or program, and enjoying scenery.

  Hand-Held Telescopes

A hand-held telescope is called a telescopic “monocular,” because it is used with one eye and has a single eyepiece. Generally, it is used for short viewing periods, such as reading a street sign, house number, menu board in the restaurant, aisle number in the grocery store, or white board in school. Some people may also use it for tasks that are fairly close, such as reading the bathroom scale, or a price on a shelf in the grocery store.

  Spectacle-Mounted Telescopes

Spectacle-mounted telescopes are permanently attached to the lens of your eyeglasses. Therefore, they can be used for longer viewing periods, like viewing television, a program, ball game, or movie, as opposed to a monocular, which can be tiring to hold and difficult to hold steady.They appear to bring things closer and magnify things nicely.

  Bioptic Telescope

Bioptic telescopic glasses are a type of spectacle-mounted telescopic glasses. They are mounted in the upper part of eyeglass lenses.

How to Council low vision people?

It's also important to realize that it  takes time, patience, practice,  much encouragement and support to learn how to use all types of low vision optical devices successfully. Family and friends can play an important role in encouraging you to be patient and to keep trying. They can also help you experiment with lighting, including different types and positioning, and to use the devices correctly, as you were trained to do with the low vision specialist
Give them a hand and light up their life.

 A few easy adjustments to the living areas of a person with low vision can improve visibility and reduce the risk of a fall:

-Make sure their home is well  with high-wattage light bulbs and additional lamps or task lighting. The kitchen, bathroom and work areas all should be fully and evenly illuminated. Remove unnecessary household clutter. Offer to help with organizing important items and packing up others.

-Create a list of important phone numbers in large print on bold-lined paper. Include doctors, transportation and emergency contacts, and put the list in a convenient place.

-Mark stairs or slopes with brightly colored tape. Eye-catching colors that contrast with the flooring work best.

-Suggest purchasing a large-screen television that produces high-contrast images.

- Technology and aids such as magnifiers, correct lighting or screen reading software to assist you to stay organised, keep in touch, get things done, browse the internet, relax with a book and more.

-Support that develops your confidence and skills to get out and about safely and independently. You can learn how to use a white cane or be matched with a Seeing Eye Dog.

-Telephone and centre-based activities as well as excursions to support you to continue or find a new hobby, interest or sport.

-Support to prepare for, gain and stay in meaningful employment.

-Recommendations and training on appropriate technology to help you to stay in your existing job as your vision changes.

-Learning to read braille or other ways of accessing information, such as audio, electronic text or large print.