Assistive Technology
The world of assistive technology for low vision has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years.
Do you have questions about what's available? Want to share about a product you use and love? Would you like to hear other's opinions on the new cool gadget? Here's the place!
Driving safely with AMD is my biggest challenge, especially on overcast days. My Optician suggested wearing
Polarized sunglasses. I wear the ones that fit over your own glasses and it makes an amazing difference for me.
Hi, I use floor stand lighted magnifying glasses with bendable goose necks that my son gave me for Christmas one year and I liked it so much that I ask for another one the next Christmas, and one the following Christmas. Now I have three. One at my desk, one at my recliner, and one next to my couch. They use LED lights. And I use them frequently for reading frozen food labels, or canned labels, for my apartment newsletter, and mail. I think to myself I would be lost without these magnifiers.
When I went into a restaurant with my family recently it was “romantically lighted” Meaning it was dark to me. My 12-year-old niece put her arm through mine to lead me to the table. But there were 12 people talking and discussing what they wanted to eat and I couldn’t even see the menu. Then I remembered The Blind Life YouTube channel suggested using your phone to take a picture of a menu and then enlarge it so you could read it. Everyone was excited that I was able to read the menu myself. Just think of having to read an Italian menu out loud to someone who’s never been at this restaurant before. Pretty intimidating to anyone reading all the selections…so I use that technique now every time I go to a restaurant day or night. Then I don’t have to remember to take a lighted hand magnifier, I always have my phone with me. I say thanks to Sam at The Blind Life YouTube channel.
My third most valuable tool is Siri and Alexa. Alexa can answer almost anything I want to know, they can read my audiobooks and remember the last sentence before I stopped, play my iTunes music and even remember the music I have played the most and put it into a group of “my favorites”. Siri helps me with TV commands to move channels. I’m just now learning all that Siri can do.
@rifenbc Connie, not only can you learn from others, but others can learn from you too, so thank you for being in our community. I took my first Uber ride recently just to familiarise myself with it. I also ordered an UberEats during our current COVID-19 Sydney lockdown for the same reason. The technology to help us when we need it is amazing. I hope you can have a new "trick" to show your nephew next time you meet. Wishing you all the best, Wendy, Advocate.
Connie thank you so much for all the information that you shared with me. Thankfully, I do not live alone but with my husband. We live 15 miles from the nearest town. My daughter and brother both live there and are wonderful about taking me to my doctor appointments that are 100 miles each way. We only have one small grocery store, really more like a convenient store. I am still able to drive within the county where I live. It is so sparsely populated we only have two traffic signals in the entire county. I order Staples online from Walmart, Sam’s Club, and from Amazon. These are wonderful services that make my life much easier. I have a library card and I get my library books online. So far my vision is Good enough that I can still read on my iPad where I can enlarge the text. They do have audiobooks when I get to that point. Thank you once again for sharing so much valuable information. Best wishes, Sharon Moore advocate
Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful tips! I really enjoyed reading this story and can just imagine you at the restaurant choosing your own meal just like everyone else. I hope you enjoyed your food 😀. It's amazing what Siri and Alexa can do. You've encouraged me to look into this more. Very best wishes to you. Wendy, Advocate.
