Adjusting to Vision Loss With New Assistive Devices

Macular Degeneration has a way of taking over my days sometimes. Be it the beginning of a day and struggling to get the clasp lined up on a necklace or setting up the coffee pot in a semi-lit kitchen, seeing clearly is a challenge.  Sure, switching on an overhead light quickly eliminates the troubles of the task at hand, but it is always in the back of your mind: “I cannot see this.”

The outside world

Another great influence on what I can see at any given time is my outside view of the day before me. On a good day, there are blue skies with plenty of sunshine showing through any room I am in. I dutifully open all the blinds throughout the house, letting in that brilliant light.  

As the day wears on, there are times that this brilliance can actually be too much, the sunlight creates a washed-out view and I again go around adjusting blinds accordingly. Too much of a good thing, huh? 

Finding the perfect lighting (or not)

The day-to-day changes in the weather in Midwest USA are as fickle as a feather, bringing with it a variety of weather patterns. The beautiful blue sky days can oftentimes be followed by some very dark and dreary ones that play havoc in the recesses of our home. No matter how many blinds I can open, proper lighting is elusive, making it necessary to not only undo the curtains, shades, and blinds, but also to turn on as many lights in the house to improve my sight as much as possible.

Accessibility tools

I feel very fortunate to be able to accomplish so much even as I face these challenges of diminished vision. I have always been a voracious reader and am thrilled to be able to still enjoy this pastime. The large print books from our library bring the stories I enjoy to life without having to struggle while reading them.   

Reading assistance

There are times, with that one certain book I’m desperate to read is not available in large print. Thus, being able to load these same library titles to my kindle app has been a great discovery. Not only can I adjust the font to the appropriate size for reading, but I can also adjust the lighting, making this even better.   

Large screens aren't just for TVs

I also spend many hours creating art pieces, be it sketching, coloring, or painting. I am always looking for the next piece to work on and if you saw my inspiration folder on my phone, you would see quite an array of ideas saved there. Capturing these ideas this way makes it possible for me to work on them with ease.  I simply upload my chosen subject onto the desktop computer and there I can enlarge the photo for clarity.

My newest acquisition is a nice, big computer screen, it is a whopping 27 inches of viewing splendor. Working this way has lets me clearly see the subject at hand, and helped me capture it in color.

Remaining thankful for this lifestyle

I truly do remain thankful for it all, and despite everything, my personal journey has not been too difficult with the advantages of these assistance that I have mentioned. Every day I look to see what is out there that might further help maintain the lifestyle that I enjoy to this day.