Low vision eyeglasses are the most commonly prescribed low vision aid. Patients often arrive at their low vision eye examination believing that they have the strongest bifocals or reading eyeglasses available and that new glasses will not help. Special reading glasses and bifocal lenses can be made up to 20X power. Rarely do patients need that much power for reading. If you can see print through a magnifier, reading glasses can be made to help you read.

Advantages of low vision reading glasses

• Hands-free to hold reading material
• Widest field of view this will help with speed reading
• Cosmetically acceptable resembles regular glasses
• Good for prolonged reading

Optelec's PowerMag Stand Magnifier.

Hand and Stand Magnifiers

Magnifiers come in many styles and powers, and are useful for reading or performing other near tasks. It is common to hear patients say that they have tried magnifiers in the past and that they simply do not work. Using the wrong power magnifier is similar to wearing the wrong prescription in your eyeglasses, you will not see clearly. A good selection of magnifiers can only be found in a low vision resource center or at a low vision eye doctor’s office. Here the correct power magnifier needed to perform a task is determined and the patient is taught how to use the magnifier correctly. Keep in mind, the stronger the magnifier, the smaller the lens of the magnifier. To read easily and with greater speed, most magnifiers should be held close to the eye. Most people with low vision need good direct light when reading. Therefore, an illuminated magnifier is a good choice. Magnifiers can have incandescent bulbs, halogen bulbs or LED illumination and can run on batteries or have an electrical cord.

Advantages of a hand or stand magnifier:

• Conventional, inexpensive low vision aid
• Allows a greater working distance than most reading glasses
• Portable for easy use in public
• Stand type magnifiers that rest on a page are great for people with hand tremors or arthritis

To learn more information about the Optelec PowerMag+ Illuminated Magnifers series of LED Hand-Held and Stand magnifiers, visit Optelec online. Products are only available through the ShopLowVision professional eye care network or select Optelec Authorized Dealers and cannot be purchased without a prescription.

Telemicroscopes

Spectacle or eyeglass mounted telescopes can be made to focus at any working distance. Compared to strong reading glasses, a telemicroscope allows a person to work at a more normal working distance. This can be important when viewing the computer screen, knitting, playing music or when or performing any task that is uncomfortable when done at a close distance. Telemicroscopes are mounted on an eyeglass frame to keep hands free while performing the near task.

The Designs for Vision Telemicroscope magnifies print and allows reading at a comfortable distance.

Electronic Video Magnifiers / Closed-Circuit television (CCTV)

A Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) or personal reading machine is a form of electronic video magnification. Electronic video magnifiers have radically changed low vision rehabilitation and maximized what people with a visual impairment can do.

A video camera is directed at an object and the image is projected on a television monitor (similar to a computer monitor). A person reads by placing the reading material on a tray and moving the tray back and forth under the camera while reading. This is the easiest low vision aid to use when a patient needs greater than 3X magnification. A visually impaired person can read, look at recipes, do paper work , look at pictures, cut their finger nails, knit, and perform many tasks easily with this low vision aid. Video magnifiers, such as the Optelec ClearView+,  come in both black and white, color and high-definition models.

Optelec's ClearView+ Desktop Video Magnifier

When used in the home and in the office, they play an important role in the lives of visually impaired individuals. For any one with a moderate to severe vision loss, they also allow a more comfortable reading posture and allow a greater working distance from the reading material. For people with a mild visual impairment they offer a wider visual field for viewing reading material as compared to a magnifier. Video magnifiers help people accomplish their daily activities leading to independent productive lives.

Electronic low vision products are available in a variety of portable and desktop models. The portable models are light weight and are used by people on the go. Some desktop models are computer compatible and can interface with mainstream technology to make access to information and connection  with others effortless.

Advantages of a video magnifier:

• Newer models are very easy to use, even for the elderly.
• Zoom ranges from 1X – 75X magnification, whereas reading glasses and magnifiers can only be made up to 15X-20X power.
• Contrast enhancement makes print easier to see.
• Glare control the background of any reading material can be made black with white print eliminating glare.
• Good working distance a person can read with a great deal of magnification and still be at a comfortable distance from the reading material.
• Good posture a person can sit comfortably in front of high-quality CCTV images.

The electronic video magnifiers, such as the Optelec ClearView+, are available through an Authorized Dealer Distribution Network. For more information and to find a local representative, please call 800.826.4200, email info@optelec.com, or visit www.optelec.com.

Daily Living Aids

To help establish a better practice model for visually impaired solutions, ShopLowVision.com, a sister company to Optelec was formed. ShopLowVision.com is a resource and eCommerce website offering a wide range of industry-leading low vision products for both the professional and consumer. Solutions include, daily living aids, magnifiers, optical products, and professional tools. It is the first ever low vision e-commerce store with business to business, business to consumer, and business to professional interface all-in-one. Most of all it is the first e-commerce site aligned with best practice model for low vision rehabilitation (AOA, AAO, AOTA, AER).