Living With Low Vision

This week I met my niece for supper who ran her first Boston Marathon. A cross country runner in high school and college, running is one of her passions.  Although she is fully sighted, did you know that many visually impaired people run the Boston Marathon?  In fact this year’s 2017 Boston Marathon marks the […]

When preparing a home for a person with a visual impairment, it’s just as important to know what not to do as it is to know what to do. Sometimes in working to prepare a home, people make too many changes or over correct too much. The result can be too much lighting, too little […]

Ms. Ima Hapenow was devastated by the news that her ophthalmologist gave her last summer that she has macular degeneration and she is considered legally blind. In the past six months it has been such a disappointment to not be able to do all those things that she has always taken for granted. But today […]

You have a new roommate, who is visually impaired. Perhaps they have been so their entire life, or maybe his/her visual impairment occurred more recently, becoming a burden for them to face alone. It’s a good idea to take some time to try to understand what it’s like for this person as you accept them […]

Fluctuating vision is a common concern for those with chronic eye diseases.  One day your vision may be sharper and clearer than normal and the next it’s blurred and the clarity seems to have disappeared.  “My vision fluctuates from day to day” or “ I notice differences from day to day and some days my […]

Recently my husband and I decided to take an afternoon to explore a new housing development that included 11 model homes with the latest in home decorating from window treatments to flooring to light fixtures.  As we walked into any room the lights automatically turned on and when we left, they automatically turned off.  The […]

When there is a loss of vision, the natural tendency is to want to restore what’s been lost through better prescription glasses, higher magnification, or improved lighting.  All of these strategies are certainly helpful for seeing better but they are not the only strategy for maintaining independence for those with low vision.  My father-in-law has […]

When vision is diminished and the ability to see and read fine print or the ability to perform daily tasks becomes challenging use touch instead of sight.  Peggy R. Wolfe has had wet macular degeneration for many years and shares her insights in her book Vision Loss, Strategies for Living with Hope and Independence.  She […]

Glare, bright lights and light sensitivity is a common symptom for those with retinal diseases.  Terri Cyr, OD and author of Insight Into Low Vision writes,“Because of the way light sensitive neurons in our visual system are wired, those with retinal diseases may find the sunshine or bright lights exceedingly bright and have difficulty adapting […]

One of the most common symptoms for those with macular degeneration is the need for more light. The Macular Degeneration Partnership explains why this need occurs.  “As you age, the amount of light entering the eye is reduced, causing a reduction in vision, contrast and color. The type of lighting and its intensity, color and […]