Don't let low vision impair your independence
Whether you suffer from low vision due to Diabetes, Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, or another disorder, one of the most challenging and frustrating aspects of the condition can be maintaining an independent lifestyle. Reading the newspaper, a prescription bottle, and the label on a package of food are just a few of the daily living tasks that, up until this point, you probably took for granted. You are not alone: although estimates vary, there are roughly 10 million people in the United States that have been diagnosed with low vision or blindness.
Thanks to modern innovation in low vision aids, people who are visually impaired can still lead independent lifestyles. While low vision aids typically will not perfect your vision, and are in no way designed to cure vision loss, they can certainly improve the your your ability to go about daily living tasks that many of us take for granted.
Low Vision Magnifiers for Use at Home
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Remember the old saying "Too much television is bad for you"? When you have a convenient low vision aid that plugs directly into your television to help you read, too much television is not enough! The Max Digital Handheld Magnifier, available in black and white as well as color, is easy to set up and uses the size of your television to magnify whatever you are reading. It plugs into the back of your television with only one wire, so it is easy to install, and is designed to work similar to a computer mouse. Simply move the Max Digital Handheld Magnifier over whatever you wish to read and the image is displayed on your television screen. Depending on the size of your television, the image can be magnified 15 to 30 times its normal size! Multiple viewing modes are available for each user's individual needs, including reverse black and white as well as high contrast black and white. The Max Digital Handheld Magnifier is great for reading envelopes, letters, bills, newpapers, and photographs.
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The Prisma Color Video Magnifier also uses a standard television for its display, but can be used for much more than just reading. Perhaps the most versatile of low vision magnifiers in terms of what can be done while using it, the Prisma features a powerful camera mounted above a small integrated table. The height of the camera is adjustable to increase or decrease magnification and to accommodate larger objects. The Prisma Color Video Magnifier is great for small art projects and crafts, but is also useful for reading books, magazines, and maps. It features multiple viewing modes to make reading easier based on your individual needs.
Are you unable to read your computer screen even after enlarging the text size as much as possible? The Clarity WinZoom CD allows you to see your computer screen with more clarity by enhancing images from 1.5x to 36x all the while maintaining crisp quality of enlarged images and text. Focus tracking helps the user identify the cursor, tracks your typing, and more. Used for a variety of visual impairments, the Clarity WinZoom CD can also read text to the reader (and reading speed can be adjusted). On a smaller scale, the Clarity WinZoom Lite Computer Screen Magnifier magnifies what is on your computer screen by up to 4x, it also enlarges the size of the mouse pointer on the screen. Both are affordable solutions for a variety of visual impairment levels.
The ColorMouse USB RM Electronic Magnifier Mouse Magnifier utilizes magnification on your computer screen in an all new way. Once you download the included software, click the software icon on the computer desktop, anything you run the ColorMouse over becomes a high quality, magnified image on your computer screen and can be resized to fit your individual needs. Anyone with macular degeneration or visual impairment will find the ColorMouse Electronic Magnifier great for everything from reading homework and office work to magazines and more!
Portable Magnifiers for Use on the Go
If you're off to a sporting event or a play, the Eschenbach MaxEvent Glasses give you a convenient way to magnify objects from ten feet away and further. More comfortable than most other head-worn low vision aids, MaxEvent Glasses feature flexible temples for an ideal fit and a mirrored coating that eliminates sun glare. Each lens is adjustable individually to accommodate your particular low vision needs. Eschenbach MaxEvent Glasses include a free carrying case so they can be protected when you are on the go.
If you want the benefits of a portable video magnifier without having to wear it, the Eschenbach Mobilux Portable Video Magnifier is perfect for you. The first magnifier of its kind to integrate Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED) technology, the Esenbach Mobilux delivers imaging 1000 times faster than LCD magnifier screens, and can be read clearly from any angle up to a 170 degree angle (LCD screen magnifiers lose contrast when viewed at anything other than a 90 degree angle). Everything about the Mobilux Portable Video Magnifier was designed to be user intuitive, completely frustration free, suitable for users with any level of vision impairment, and to provide unprecendented versatility and imagery on the go.
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Hand held magnifiers can be very useful when you are out an about, especially if you want to read the menu at a restaurant or check food labels at the grocery store. The Quicklook Zoom Portable Video Magnifier is a state of the art low vision aid that gives you the portable convenience of a handheld magnifier with features and reading power of a video magnifier. The Quicklook Zoom features a full color, 4.3 inch, high quality LCD screen with 5 viewing modes for added convenience in a sleek yet durable hard rubberized casing. The side-mounted digital camera can be swiveled for reading or writing and can magnify images up to an incredible 18x. You don't have to worry about replacing batteries: the Quicklook Zoom Portable Video Magnifier comes with its own integrated rechargeable battery and charger. It arrives ready to use right out of the box and includes a soft cleaning cloth, wrist strap, belt hook, and zippered carrying case to make traveling with the Quicklook Zoom convenient.
For many consumers, purchasing a portable video magnifier is out of the question because of the cost. While they do offer the highest level of convenience, many still find the price to be too much. The Clarity i-vu Portable Handheld Electronic Magnifier is the newest low vision aid of its type, offering the convenience of a portable video magnifier at a lower price than most. Pocket sized and lightweight, the Clarity i-vu offers multiple viewing modes, a freeze frame feature, and rechargeable batteries. The two inch LCD screen allows for magnification up to 20X so you can easily read prescription bottles, food labels, and menus.
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Hand Held Magnifying Glasses: Sometimes Old Fashioned Technology Works Best
For many, a standard magnifying glass is the ideal choice of all low vision aids. They are simple to use, have a large viewing area, and are now typically built with lightweight materials. The Donegan 3x Aspheric Hand Magnifier is a lightweight magnifying glass that features a rectangular shaped viewing area to make reading books, magazines, and menus much easier. The Donegan 3X Electric Lighted Handheld Magnifier offers the same magnification level and same viewing area, but adds the convenience of a small light to further illuminate the area. This lighted magnifier plugs into a standard oulet with the detachable cord and can also be stored in a purse or briefcase.
Watches for Low Vision
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Why worry about having to carry a magnifier with you when you can have one on your wrist at all times? The IBEAM Deluxe Magnifying Watch combines attractive styling with a flip up 3x magnifying lens and a powerful LED flashlight. This stylish low vision aid features a stainless steel case back, luminous hands, and a sapphire-coated scratch-resistant lens. The IBEAM Deluxe Magnifying Watch is available in both men's and women's sizes of gold and silver with bands of different styles. IBEAM watches also make great holiday, Father's Day, and Mother's Day gifts for friends and loved ones.
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Low Vision Aids are Designed to Make Your Life Easier
Whether you suffer from Diabetes, Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration, or another cause of low vision, a variety of products are available to help you maintain your independent lifestyle. While they will in no way cure your condition, and may not make your vision completely clear during use, they will do exactly what they are designed to do: make your life easier.
Originally published March 2008
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