What is low vision?
Low vision refers to a loss of vision that cannot be corrected with prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses. Low vision does not mean complete blindness. However, there may still be some sight that can be corrected with visual aids.
Low vision can refer to a variety of levels of sight loss. These range from poor night vision and blind spots, to complete sight loss. Low vision is defined by the American Optometric Association into two categories.
- “Partially-sighted” refers to a person who has visual acuity of between 20/70 & 20/200 using conventional prescription lenses.
- “Legal blind” refers to a person who has a visual acuity of 20/200 or less with conventional correction.
Vision is measured in the ratio measurement. This measures visual acuity or sharpness at 20 feet from an object. To put it another way, 20/70 vision is the equivalent of seeing at 20 feet what a normal person can see at 70.
What are low vision aids?
High-quality Aids for Low Vision: Enhance your Work and Your Life with the Latest Technology in Assistive Devices. It can be hard to decide what product to start with and where to end. This list will help you understand the current market, and make informed decisions about which products are best for you.
For people with visual impairment, reading is one of the most difficult things. Reading is no longer a simple, enjoyable pastime for people with poor vision. It has become a tedious task that requires planning and lots of adjustments. Reading has become a tedious chore.
Low Vision Devices
Low-vision optical devices are designed to assist low-vision individuals in reading, observing distances, and other everyday tasks. These devices include magnifying glasses, a stand, magnifying reading glasses, magnifying magnifiers, telescopes, loupes, and strong loupes. These devices offer 60X magnification power and can have different optics than normal glasses.
There are many low-vision optical devices available. They can be used for a variety of purposes. One can be used to read, watch television and see faces. The third is used to sew. Your doctor might recommend glasses to reduce the glare and protect your vision from ultraviolet (UV) light.
Prescription eyeglasses for low vision are not enough to complete both close and distant tasks. To aid you in different tasks, you may need to use other optical equipment.
People with poor vision need different glasses to see from different angles. They might be different from the ones you used to see in the past, when one pair of glasses (like eyeglasses), was capable of handling close, intermediate, and farsighted eyes.
Many low-vision devices can make reading more enjoyable for people with different eye diseases, such as macular and retina pigments, tunnel vision, and macular degeneration. These devices include:
- Magnifiers Magnifying glass for Reading is one of the most affordable low-vision devices. Some models are equipped with light sources to make it easier to see the print. Other models can be adjusted in height and supported by bands that wrap around your neck.
- Reading glasses
These glasses can be used to aid blind people to read the small print. You can choose from single vision or Bifocals. These glasses are more durable and should be used for a few days before you feel comfortable. You must be closer to the material that you are reading. It’s worth the tradeoff. - Reading Telescopes
Reading telescopes can be attached to glasses’ lenses. Devices that require low vision to read may need some instruction, but once they are mastered they can be a great all-rounder. You can also get the exact same device using a hand-held version. - Video magnifiers
ZoomText, or Video magnifiers for the visually impaired, is something you may have heard of. These magnifying glasses allow you to enjoy the same level of intimacy and images that are displayed on a large video screen. To suit your needs, you can adjust the brightness, magnification, contrast, and color. - Portable Electronic Magnifiers
There are many sizes and shapes available for electronic devices that look similar to iPads. You can place them by a reader to get a better view of the text on the LCD screen. - You can transfer the text to voice devices
People with visual impairments have many options, including OrCam Read. OrCam Read can recognize text in books, phone screens, computers, and other devices. The device will then convert the text to a spoken version which can be read aloud by a computer’s microphone.
Conclusion
To find the right devices for you, it is a good idea to visit an eye doctor who is a low-vision specialist. Some doctors recommend that you start with one device to get used to it and learn how to handle it.