SOME THOUGHTS ON SURVIVING MACULAR DEGENERATION
Underlying the management of everyday life with visual impairment are at least four fundamental needs. These are lighting, contrast, magnification, and organization.
Increased liqhtinq is an absolute necessity. Not only does vision require more intensity of light, but it must be focused on the task at hand and not in the eyes. The best light I have found for this purpose is the OTT -LITE. It is a counter lamp, eleven inches tall and four inches wide, that rotates on a five inch round base. The lid, that contains the light, flips up so the light is right angle to the table or counter so that light is focused upon the task on which one is working and not in the eyes. Light focused in this way is essential over a cutting board or for delicate tasks requiring vision. It also lights your dinner plate without annoying others. This enables one to better see the food on the plate and that somehow adds satisfaction to dining. I now have low vision stores scouting for a similar light that is battery powered and thus useful for travel or dining in restaurants.
Contrast enhances vision. Potatoes on an equally white plate may as well not be there, but on a dark colored plate such food is visible.
The use of white or black Velcro with the sticky side, cut and placed on appliance dials, computer function keys or hotkeys provides contrasting color to enhance vision and its texture enables one to identify by touch.
A cutting board with one side black, the other side white enables a visually impaired person to see most anything on one or other side of the board. Using colored napkins on a counter enables one to see and count medications for pill cups or other activities that require close up vision. Combining, light and contrast with magnification significantly improves vision.
Magnification plays a crucial role in managing sight as the Macular Degeneration progresses. It is essential for reading or writing. The closed circuit television is the work horse of magnification. It provides a revolving desk top for writing and reading. Whatever is on the desk top is projected on a screen and can be magnified from 2x to 16x. Because of the moveable desk top one can follow the line of reading or what is being written. The prices vary but all are expensive. They are guaranteed for the life of the original purchaser.
Also needed are hand held, lighted magnifiers. These come in sizes for use around the house, a purse size for reading menus and price tags. Care should be taken to test such a device to be sure it has the correct power to assist vision.
F or computer users, a magnification program is essential. The best I have found is Zoom Text from AI Squared. It magnifies up to 16x, has hotkeys to make quick adjustments. Also, it has a Document reader who reads lines, paragraphs or entire documents. A speaker also will read each word as it is typed or each letter as it is typed. There are many other features including cursor enhancement, automatic scrolling.
Organization offers no devices. It is your own common sense and personal logic that is needed for it is essential to simplify every living task and to do so while you have enough vision. For example, if there are items in your kitchen drawers or cupboards that you seldom use, clean them out. Your cooking becomes simplified anyway. Reorganize so you can find a pan or utensil without looking. The same is needed in your bathroom, bedroom, closets and your office if you have one. Friends can be helpful, but only you can make the decision as to what is stored where so you can find these items.
The Pantry is really tough. It is so easy to overbuy or under buy if you cannot see what is in the pantry. I used white cards that fit around a can, bottle or box with a rubber band and printed large with a black marker indicating the contents. Behind this marked item are placed others containing the same contents. Thus, there is a row of 2 or3 cans of Chicken Soup, for example. When the last can is used, the label is an indicator that the item needs replacing, thus eliminating over or under stocking the pantry. Also it enables one to find food items more easily.
Betty Mathews is a Doctor of Public Health and Professor Emeritus, Behavior and Health Education, University of Washington. Currently, she lives in Green Valley, Arizona with her dog Sasi, who owns the home they share.
A time was when seeing with my eyes made it possible to accomplish the goals of every day living. More often than not vision occurred without my awareness. It was as if seeing is being. As my vision dims, other than sight is required. More and more the mind comes to the rescue by finding new ways of achieving goals for which sight alone was used. Thus, the title FROM MY MIND'S EYE was coined.
© by Betty Mathews, DrPH 2004