Low Vision Aids

Low vision aids can help people with partial vision loss function at higher levels. Low vision aids do not restore sight but make it easier for people with vision loss to take advantage of their remaining abilities. These visual devices fall into three categories:

Non-optical aids, optical aids, and electronic aids.

Non-optical aids

• Lighting - Adequate lighting is the most important aid to good vision. Use high-intensity, adjustable lamps to allow light to fall directly on the items to be viewed and not into the eyes. If vision is better in one eye than the other, position the light source over the shoulder of the better eye. Curtains and window blinds should be adjusted to allow daylight to fall on your work as well.

• Make sure lighting is adequate, day and night, in key areas:

• outdoors
• garage
• storage areas
• stairways
• work spaces
• favorite reading places

• Keep flashlights in your car and in a bag for unexpected situations.
• If your vision is best in the morning, schedule your reading and detailed work accordingly;
• If your ability to see in the dark is diminished or you have increased sensitivity to glare:

• Use caution when walking near traffic.
• Drive only on well-lit roads.
• Keep your windshield, headlights and glasses clean.
• Wear anti-glare glasses.
• Consider avoiding driving at night.
• Consider not driving at all.

• Typoscopes - A typoscope is a dark piece of matte cardboard with an oblong slot cut from the middle. When placed over text, the typoscope frames a visible section, eliminating glare from the surrounding white space. The cardboard is slid across text to read it. Although sold at low-vision resource centers, typoscopes are easily hand-made.

• Reading stands - A reading stand raises reading materials so that low-vision sufferers do not need to stoop over their work.

Optical Aids

• Magnifiers - Magnifiers come in all shapes, sizes and strengths. From hand-held pocket sized to those with tabletop stands, some models enlarge text up to 15 times. Rectangular shapes are better for reading, round for spotting items.

Magnifying lenses can be fit over your glasses or on a headband. Some people find these difficult to use, as text must be held very close to the lenses. These may be used in conjunction with hand-held magnifiers.

Whether hand-held, stand-alone, or eyeglass-mounted, strong magnifiers will distort images unless they have curved lenses. The stronger the magnifier, the smaller its field of view.

Illuminated magnifiers are available for use in poor lighting.

• Telescopes - For spotting street signs or checking airplane departure time, hand-held or eyeglass-mounted telescopes can be invaluable tools. Monacle (fitted for one eye) or binocular (fitted for both eyes) telescopes may help people with low vision work at distances greater than arm's length

Electronic Aids

• Closed circuit televisions - Closed circuit televisions (CCTV) are available to alter images electronically, improving their contrast, brightness and magnification.

Reading matter is electronically input by a scanner or video camera, greatly enlarged, and displayed on a television screen or computer monitor. Some plug into a normal television set. With some models, the reader moves the scanner back and forth over across the text. Other devices use a full-page document scanner. CCTVs are stationary units, usually set up on a desk at the home or in the office.

• Head-mounted displays - Head-mounted displays are wearable electronic magnification systems - in essence, portable CCTVs. These capture images through a video camera, then transmit them at higher magnification to a head-mounted display unit. Many units cannot display animated images. Some users may find head-mounted displays to be heavy or uncomfortable.

Not all low-vision aids are appropriate with everyone with partial vision loss. Each person's needs vary. Several factors influence the successful use of the various low vision aids, including proper training, comfort and ease of use. Your eye doctor and low-vision specialists can help you select suitable devices and learn how to use them to their full potential.