What assistive technologies do you find mo... - Macular Society
What assistive technologies do you find most useful?
Hi,
I know everyone's eyes are different and we all lead different lives, but here are my favourite assertive technologies...
1. Pocket Magnifying Glass. I always have one with me and now I'm never stuck unable to see prices in supermarkets, timetables posted at bus stops, the temperature the washing machine is set to.
2. On the computer, the full-screen magnifier built in to Windows 7. It is built in and free to use. In the past I've installed software packages from third parties costing £££, but now Microsoft have it built in to Windows 7 as standard. It is fast, easy, reliable and didn't screw up my graphics driver like some third party software did. Don't get me wrong, these large expensive packages have options and features that the built-in magnifier doesn't - but I can live without them.
3. Lamps. Everywhere. Got a lamp on my desk, a down lamp by the armchair where I do soduko puzzles, under-cupboard lamps in the kitchen and tiny l.e.d. lamps/bulbs in my pocket magnifying glass.
4. iPad. You can make the screen zoom-in (double tap on the screen, with 3 fingers) - great for emails, twitter, youtube, games, BBC iPlayer...
5. Smartphone with transport apps installed. I installed an app which tells you train times and most importantly which platform to get the train from. Another app which tells you which buses run from bus stops, what time the bus arrives and where it goes to. FANTASTIC!
Cheers,
Geoff
As Geoff says above, we are all different. If I just refer to non AMD conditions (used to be called juvenile MD), I have friends who still have driving vision many years after diagnosis and others who have very poor vision. People with a common diagnosis often experience different levels of sight loss with time.
I have been registered blind for a number of years and have no central vision in either eye. Below is what I use to get by.
1. Eccentric Viewing. Essential for my way of life over the last 25 years. Without it there is no eye chart or wall to hang it on.
2. Magnification. Like Geoff I always have a hand magnifier in my pocket. Quiet often two, a x6 and a x10. Also I have magnifying glasses (spectacles), x2.5 base in prismatic, clear half eye for eating. x3.5 base in prismatic, dark tint full eye for computer use. x6 single lens clear for reading printed material and x8 single lens clear for using my touch screen phone. When travelling I used to need my monocular telescope but that has largely been replaced by a smart phone, though I still carry it as backup. Useful for street names.
3. Sun Glasses. Blue blocker, base out prismatic to help with my double vision. Not just for sunny days. I wear them on the underground as the lighting is too bright.
4. Smart Phone. How did we manage to travel without? This is the subject for a future article or three. Suffice to say that if you need a screen reader then the only choice is which iPhone to buy. I don't need a screen reader so I have an Android which is cheaper and more configurable to my preferences.
That's it really. I don't need third party magnification software on my PC but sometimes use a x4 hand held magnifier as well as my computer glasses. Only using sufficient screen magnification to fill the screen width saves all that horizontal scrolling.
Please remember although registered blind using eccentric vision I still have nearly 6/60 vision in one eye.
Happy to respond to questions.
AlanM
Peterborough Group Leader - Macular Society
Hi
For me:
1. For the computer, I find a combination of magnification and speech output is most helpful. Zoomtext level 2 is my favourite, although I have also used Dolphin products such as Supernova.
2. Magnifiers! I carry a x6 and a x10 everywhere. I have a large x6 with a light for home use and a pocket x8 with light for out and about in dark places.
3. Max TV glasses. I can watch the TV from the comfort of the sofa rather than standing right in front or perching on a bean bag.
4. Victor Reader Stream - I use it mostly to listen to RNIB and Calibre talking books plus those I download from Audible. It gets me through the daily commute!
Having heard rave reviews for smart phones and iPads, I've booked time at the Apple store this week to learn the basics... So excited!
My wet MD is only in one eye, but it was my 'good' eye - the other being very lazy and the vision poor to start with.The legion in my right eye continues to leave my vision in that eye very distorted as well as 'muddy' and with a central blind spot.
Because this distortion gets mixed into what I see with my left eye, I find the best bit of assistive tech I use is an eye patch. Seriously, it's worth all the 'you look like a pirate' comments I get, as it prevents the distorted vision from interfering too much with what I actually see.
Other stuff I couldn't live, or at least continue working, without includes:
Accuratus 'monster' keyboard for the computer -very big yellow keys with black text.
Large touchscreen monitor.
Pocket blue illumination magnifier (cheap, battery operated thing).
Magnifier and light app on my iPhone.
Daylight task lighting on my desk.
Kindle app on an iPad 2 - allows me to continue reading my Kindle e-books. The Kindle itself didn't offer enough by way of contrast and text sizing options, the Kindle app on the iPad does. I would be truly lost without this, reading is so important to me. Being a journalist and author (20+ books published to date) this should not come as a surprise.
