Advice on Kindle Usage for those with AMD please

[CityGirl99]

My mother has quite advanced AMD and struggles to read anything with small to medium print. I have just purchased a Kindle Paper White thinking it may be the solution, but sadly she cannot read it either. I am not very good with technology so am unsure if there is anything I can try with it. I have tried the largest and most bold fonts and all brightness modes but nothing helped her. Someone else mentioned Kindle App on the I-Pad?? Can anyone please advise on their own experiences of the best reading methods. My mother is not interested in Talking Books. She wants to read! Thanks.

[Rosalyn-helpline Partner]

Dear CityGirl99,

I am copying a links below to information on apps:

henshaws.org.uk/wp-content/...

macularsociety.org/reading-app

In addition, you could contact AbilityNet on 0800 269 545. The are a free helpline and can advise on any form of assistive technology.

In addition, I am copying link to our booklet on Skills for Seeing:

macularsociety.org/sites/de...

We do free training in the eccentric viewing technique and steady eye strategy. This can be useful for individuals who have lost central vision in both eyes. The trainer can come out to the home. Training consists of three sessions, once a month for three months. This may well be beneficial to your mother. If she would like to be placed on the waiting list, please contact us.

Just to make you aware, we are currently offering free 6 month membership. This is a good way to keep up with current developments. Please ring us if your mother would like to benefit from this, or join via the following link:

macularsociety.org/6months

Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of any further help. The Macular Society helpline is open 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday on 0300 3030 111.

Alternately, you can contact us via:

[e-mail]

Kind regards,

[Bobbie915]

Hello CityGirl, At the moment, this is very much on my mind also. Having lost central vision last week in one eye, I am having some difficulty in reading. I am hoping my other eye will not go the same way but in the meantime I have been trying to figure out what I would do if it did. I can just about read on my Kindle with right amount of light I have a mini iPad with the Kindle App. Apple also preinstall iBook App. The one thing that has helped, is being able to reverse colours from black on white background, to white text on black background. I believe you would also be able to do this on Kindle Fire but not on their readers. Setting up the iPad for the best possible reading, I have not found very easy, I think you need good eyesight and some tech knowledge. Do you have an Apple store near you? Before spending serious money on equipment, I would go to one of their shops, explain the problem and ask them to show you what can be done. If it is suitable, I would imagine they would set it up for you with a new purchase. Hope this has been a little helpful.

If I lose central vision in both eyes, I think I would be very interested in the training Rosalyn has mentioned.

I am just going into the Apple App store and get the Reading App posted by Rosalyn.

[CityGirl99 in reply to Bobbie915]

Thanks for this advice! With the Kindle App on the I-Pad, is it possible to have any colour background? My mother thinks that white on a red background may work for her. Also, I am interested to know how you get on with the Apple reading app. Thanks again.

[Bobbie915]

Hello CityGirl, I have downloaded Macular App. The colour choice appears to be the usual white/black/grey combinations plus yellow on black or black on yellow. They list some of the old classic books out of royalty that can be read. If you download books they have to be DRM free and you have to choose to read in this APP at the time of download. Someone correct me if I am wrong!

Having set up some of the feature in the assessable settings on the iPad, I see that when I now open the iBooks (included with iPad) my books have changed to very large print - white on black. I have gone back into the settings to see what other colours there are, but, do you think I can find it!! Perhaps because I'm not seeing very well It also gives the choice of the normal, tapping to turn the page or continuous scrolling.

Other than text size and spacing, I don't think there is much you can change on the Kindle APP. I think colours are set up on the iPad settings. Maybe someone else knows better!

I bought the mini iPad because it is so light weight and I had no eye problems. I have been thinking maybe I should replace it with the bigger one, I also have a Mackbook Pro and change between them depending what I'm doing.

I don't know anything much about the Kindle Fire but I will have a look and see if it looks like a good alternative. We are big Apple fans!!!

[Bobbie915]

Hello CityGirl,

Update on the Kindle App. It is much better than I thought. As my mini iPad is so small, I have turned to my laptop which is much easier to see. I haven't looked at my Kindle books on laptop since I got the iPad. In the Kindle App, when you open a book, click on the aA and you can make the text very big. Change line spacing, change the size of the page, brightness and colour of text and background. Unfortunately red doesn't appear to be a colour any of them use! You haven't mentioned what equipment you have or what your mother would use to read. In my experience, I wouldn't go for anything with a small screen. The App is available to download from Amazon, for Windows and Apple. Just make sure you pick the one for the system you use. If you already have an account with Amazon you could download the App, pick out one of their free books to practice on. Another thing with Amazon, all your books are stored in Cloud automatically, so you don't have to clutter up your device with lots of books but can retrieve them any time through your account.

If I can be of any further help, please let me know. Good luck.

[CityGirl99 in reply to Bobbie915]

Thanks again. After all this research, I am sorry to say I don't think anything will work to the point that my mam can read comfortably. You see her AMD is not only advanced, but she also has Glaucoma is one eye plus Corneal Dystrophy. Everything is foggy to her. It takes so long for her to focus and once she loses focus, she has to start again! But I thought I would ask as I want to be sure I have tried everything for her. Good luck with it all yourself

[Bobbie915]

Here is a link to video of what you can do with Paper White. If you set it up properly, maybe it would be more suitable than you think. More options than I have on my old kindle reader.

youtube.com/watch?v=GF8aqBP...(Not working as expected?)

[sindia3b]

I really love my kindle and it is great u can magnify the print

[yotboy]

I suggest a windows laptop using the accessibility functions. One can increase the font size massively and have the advantage of a larger screen (as big as you want if you use a separate monitor). I'd be happy to detail this if you don't have a handy 10 year old around.

[Jmcfly]

I find reading on kindle so easy and pleasant as I can enlarge the font to my requirements but the problem comes when I need any instructions to choose a book or use any of the functions as the font for these can’t be enlarged or maybe I don’t know how to do it.