• DIY for the Eye: Visiting the Low Vision Clinic
• Insight Update!
• Insight: A Low Vision Expo
• Client Story: Q & A with Author Claire Anderson on Thriving in Seattle with Low Vision
• New Store Favorite: AfterShokz Headphones
• App Central: TapTapSee

DIY for the Eye: Visiting the Low Vision Clinic

This month’s DIY for the Eye features tips on how to prepare for your visit to the Low Vision Clinic.

Engage each month in our unique low vision tips. If you have a tip to share, send it to us at prism@sightconnection.org. We may just feature your advice!

Insight Update!

Tatiana Kaminsky, PhD, OTR/L. will present our morning keynote from 10:00 – 10:45 a.m at Insight: A Low Vision Expo. Dr. Kaminsky teaches about adult neurological disorders and gerontology as a professor at the University of Puget Sound.  Her experience as an occupational therapist includes working with people with a wide variety of diagnoses including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disorders, and fractures due to falls or other accidents. She also has extensive experience working with people with low vision. Dr. Kaminsky will share how to overcome low vision symptoms that alter balance, blur environmental details, and obscure obstacles. Join Dr. Kaminsky’s keynote to discover preventative solutions to low vision fall risks.

Register for Insight

Now is the time to get your tickets to Insight: A Low Vision Expo 2013! Connect with the best assistive technology, local vendors, and low vision experts at the Lynnwood Convention Center on Saturday June 8th from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.

Empower yourself at Insight: A Low Vision Expo by discovering assistive technology to fulfill your needs in the AT Lab. Draw Inspiration from Insight’s keynote speech Splashes of Light: The Impact of Visual Impairment on Monet’s Artwork by Imran A. Khan, OD, MSc, MPH, FAAO. Meet vendors with the right services and products for your lifestyle. Speak your voice by participating in topic discussions in our Breakout Sessions. Bring a friend to Insight and make new acquaintances too!

Register for Insight here or call 1–800–458–4888. Event entry includes a box lunch and costs just $20 per person before May 31 and $25 at the door. For more details about Insight visit the Insight event page.

Client Story: Q & A with Author Claire Anderson on Thriving in Seattle with Low Vision

“It was wonderful. They just kept asking what they could do for me,” says Claire Anderson of her introduction to SightConnection staff in 2008 when she moved to Seattle with her guide dog DaVida to be closer to family. Legally blind from a rare optic stroke, Claire was able to learn skills from SightConnection that oriented her to Seattle before writing her book Sightless in Seattle: Adventures with my Guide Dog. Claire will lead the breakout session topic: “Navigating Life with Low Vision: Tips for Staying Active and Independent” at Insight: A Low Vision Expo on June 8th. In a Q & A with SightConnection, Claire shares on assistive technology use, her own low vision journey, and a sneak peek of her Insight discussion.

What did SightConnection Staff help you with when you first moved to Seattle?

“I wanted help to keep up with my writing; also, I needed help settling in to my new life and my new apartment. SightConnection staff placed tactile buttons on each row of my keyboard to help me find keys for faster typing. They taught me low vision everyday living tips such as organizing newer foods in the front of the refrigerator, operating my washing machine again with tactile buttons, connecting with other low vision community resources, and even how to access training for the Seattle bus system. Since I’ve moved here, I’ve continued to get my favorite products from the SightConnection store like the talking watches and talking scales. I also learn in the store or at Insight each year about new assistive technology products.”

Do you use assistive technology? If so, how does it help you navigate living in a full-vision conditioned world?

“It’s amazing! With the exception of driving, I can do practically everything a sighted person can with the help of training and assistive technology. The Victor Reader is a device I keep close to me all the time; I use it to listen to music and books and record my doctor’s instructions or notes from lectures I attend. I even use the Victor Reader as white noise to help me sleep. For my writing and emailing, I use the MAGic magnifier software because it’s perfect for those with low vision. I can select the parts of a text I want read to me again, rather than listen to an entire page till I find the part I’m looking for.”

Do you have any advice for those feeling daunted by learning assistive technology?

“Learn something new every day. Even if you don’t know anything about technology, push through it; or if you do know some, then challenge yourself to try something new. I would say it’s just the same as trying to take on a new recipe or knitting pattern. You go through the instructions and practice until you know it by heart. I’m learning all the “ingredients” of the iPhone by practicing on the iTouch before I buy one. Not only am I learning how to make calls but I want to learn how to use all the apps that are out there. I think others can find, as I have, that they will get a great sense of accomplishment from doing something they’ve never done before.”

Why should your low vision peers attend SightConnection’s Insight: A Low Vision Expo?

“I learn something new every year I attend Insight. I particularly take advantage of the Expo to learn about the new technology available. I tend to find a new gadget that could be critically important to my life. People who are interested in coming should attend Insight; because, they may not know what resources are out there or find out about it any other way.”

You are going to be one of our breakout discussion leaders; can you give us a sneak peek to your talk?

“The talk is called ‘Navigating Life with Low Vision: Tips for Staying Active and Independent’ I would say it is about what I think are key steps to happiness no matter what, whether you have low vision or not. I will be sharing about my life, my low vision rehabilitation, and topics from my book Sightless in Seattle.”

What advice would you offer to those facing low vision?

“Push through the hard things and don’t give up. There was a time when I wasn’t sure if I could make it across the living room let alone cross a street. It took me about a year to be willing to ask those around me for help; I was afraid of no longer being independent and becoming a burden. I’ve found that when I ask for help or learn something new it takes me another step towards freedom and independence. When I’ve asked for help, I’ve never had someone turn me down. I find that I’m not a burden and they are delighted to help me because they know they’re doing the right thing.”

What are your tips for traveling in Seattle safely with low vision?

“Don’t be shy about using a walker, cane, dog, or friend to get around. My walker made me self-conscious at first even though it helped me feel cracks in the sidewalk and kept me from tripping; so, I put streamers and a bicycle bell on it — it’s about adding joy to life.

Use your intuition when walking in Seattle. Don’t go down a dark alleyway that doesn’t feel safe and walk in the opposite direction of people yelling aggressively (even if it’s the wrong direction).”

Know your route before you go. Ask for a friend to go on a path with you before you try it on your own. Don’t be afraid to ask for directions, help, or a sighted guide.”

To meet Claire Anderson in person, register for Insight: A Low Vision Expo at the event page

New Store Favorite: AfterShokz Headphones

Originally designed for sports safety, AfterShokz headphones rest on the ears and transmit sound waves to the eardrum via the bones in the skull. These headphones don’t plug your auditory canal so you can simultaneously hear the content you’re enjoying and the environmental noises around you like a car horn, a passing vehicle, or an emergency siren. Our store team recommends pairing the AfterShokz headphones with your iPhone to make calls on the go or navigate safely with an audio GPS app.

Visit the SightConnection store for more audio accessories

App Central

App Reviews by Lan Nguyen SightConnection’s Assistive Technology Specialist.

TapTapSee

TapTapSee is a free IOS app for your iPhone or iPad and it uses your device’s built-in camera to recognize objects. It’s easy to use. You need only to point the camera at an object that you want to identify; listen for a beep sound which indicates that the camera is focused; and then tap on the “Take picture” button. The iPhone’s standard VoiceOver screen reader announces the object after TapTapSee recognizes it. TapTapSee is a really handy tool for the visually impaired because it can be used to recognize things like CD’s, food packages, money and more.

Engage each month in our unique low vision tips. If you have a tip to share, send it to us at prism@sightconnection.org. We may just feature your advice!

Insight: A Low Vision Expo arrives June 8, 2013 at the Lynnwood Convention Center! Come visit the Insight Vendor Fair where vendors will display products and services helpful to low vision individuals.

Meet our participating vendors:

AARP Washington

CaptionCall

CRISTA Senior Living

EARL

En-Vision America

Eschenbach

HOPELINK Mobility Management

Law Offices of Julianne Kocer, P.S.

The Oral Hull Foundation for the Blind

Quail Park of Lynnwood

Right at Home

The Seattle Public Library

Senior Services of Snohomish County

Tape Ministiries

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

UW Pharmacy Cares

Washington Access Fund

Washington State Department of Services for the Blind

Washington Talking Book & Braille Library

To participate in a two hour study, email uccoord@microsoft.com with “access” in the subject line. Include the information below.

1. Name/Phone:
2. Job Title/Company (if not working, that’s ok):
3. Age:
4. What applications and software do you use regularly?
5. Do you use and accessibility software (JAWs, Windows Eye, speech recognition, etc.)?  If yes, which?
6. Please describe your visual impairment:

Microsoft User Research will give you a call if you look like a match for this study. If you are selected and participate, you’ll get a choice of Microsoft software, hardware, or games as a thank you.

Now, you can engage in our unique low vision lifestyle advice, tips, and tutorials each month. Pass on the tips you like best to friends or family and then share your own with us at prism@sightconnection.org! We just may feature your advice.

• DIY for the Eye: Reading with Talking Books
• Inside the Low Vision Clinic
• Low-Vision Technology Open House
• Save the Date! Insight: A Low Vision Expo
• New From Our Store
• Another Great Resource: Described TV

DIY for the Eye: Reading with Talking Books

Engage each month in our unique low vision tips: share your favorites with everyone you know and send us your own advice at prism@sightconnection.org. We may just feature your advice!

Inside the Low Vision Clinic

By Dr. Marianne Welling, OD

After a low vision diagnosis, many patients feel scared and powerless over the deterioration of their vision. They want to know what their options are and where they can get help. They sometimes think that life as they know it is over. This is the point where we come in. When we first see a patient they often aren’t sure how the low vision clinic is different from their regular eye examinations. I tell them that our low vision clinic can be like physical therapy for vision in that together we make the most of their remaining vision. Here’s what to do to prepare for your visit.

Before your appointment, think about those things that are the most difficult to do since your vision has changed and what your visual goals are. Make a list and be as specific as possible. For instance, if your reading ability has changed, let us know what print you want to read as not all materials look the same. Please bring your glasses, whether you are using them or not, and any magnifiers you are using. Also, bring a sample of something you want to see better such as your favorite novels, newspaper, magazines, your mail, or the labels on foods and medications.

Your low vision appointment will be very functional in nature. We will not dilate your eyes or measure pressure, which are tests part of many of your other eye examinations. We will concentrate on your functional vision goals and how we can help you to attain them. Keep an open mind about new ways to do things. The clinic will expose you to many ways to accomplish your goals. It will be up to you to decide what will work best for you. In almost every case, you will need to make a change in the way you do something. For instance, you may find that glasses that magnify are helpful; we may suggest holding printed materials much closer to your eyes than what you are used to.
After your appointment, you will be asked to go home and practice new skills and techniques, very often using new adaptive aids such as a high power magnifier or a telescope. It may not be easy but usually your ability to do a task will get easier with practice. We generally schedule a follow-up appointment for two weeks but if you have questions at home, we are available by phone. Sometimes when patients get home they have difficulty applying the techniques learned in the clinic; we are able to review the process with them over the phone. We are always with you throughout your low vision rehabilitation.

Low-Vision Technology Open House

Join us Saturday, April 20th, 2013 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at SightConnection for this FREE event featuring hands-on demonstrations of the latest technology available for people with low vision. Learn at our Low-Vision Technology Open House how low-vision technology can help you read, write, see loved ones and enjoy hobbies again. A local Enhanced Vision representative will be on hand to answer questions. A Pebble Mini portable video magnifier will be raffled at 2:00 p.m.! Call 800-458-4888 or email to RSVP!

Save the Date!

Our Insight: A Low Vision Expo arrives June 8, 2013 at the Lynnwood Convention Center! Our keynote speaker, international eye-care humanitarian Dr. Imran A. Khan, will present Splashes of Light: The Impact of Visual Impairment on Monet’s Artwork. Save the date and get ready for our Q&A sessions, all day assistive technology learning lab, and the best local vendors. To find out the latest Expo developments reach us at 1-800-458-4888 or events@sightconnection.org. Join the Insight: A Low Vision Expo Facebook Event Page!

New from Our Store

This store favorite has a new WiFi feature! Wirelessly download books on to your Victor Reader Stream: New Generation device and easily take it anywhere you go with its new compact, light-weight design. Older versions of the Victor Reader without WiFi are available at a discount in our store. Learn hands-on how to use the Victor Reader at this year’s Insight: A Low Vision Expo!

Another Great Resource

Audio descriptions of background actions and visuals in TV shows help low vision TV viewers follow along with their favorite TV programs. Use the American Foundation for the Blind’s Described TV Listings to find available shows.

Read more about Described TV