macular degeneration, macular, diagnosis Technology; Apple – My Macular Degeneration Journey/Journal

Sue’s Toolbox Update 2023

Sue wrote most of this, of course. My comments are in [ ]. When you see any text that is a different color or underlined (varies by the device you’re using), you can choose it and go to a page with more information. It’s called a link.


Hi! Lin asked me to update my “toolbox” page. It has been three years so it might not be a bad idea. [Sue & some others call me by my ‘childhood name’ Lin, but I’m also Linda ::grin::]

Lighting!

I stand by most of what I said in 2020. Good lighting is essential. ​I was told to get LED lights when I started this journey. I have Ott brand lights and they work well. They also last forever. [You can often find the Ott lights on sale at the JOANN store.] The bulb in the light next to the bed has been going strong for seven years. The LED lighting is cool to the touch and reduces glare. If you have vision issues, you know how much “fun” glare can be! Not! Reducing glare is a real plus in lighting.

Magnify, Magnify, Magnify!

When you have advanced, age-related macular degeneration there are a few, simple rules: magnify, magnify, magnify!

I remember walking home from elementary school to find my grandfather trying to read the newspaper with a handheld magnifying glass. Same thing with my father several decades later. However, these days, it is not your father’s magnification any longer!

My workhorse is my closed-circuit TV magnifier (CCTV; also called video magnifier). They are expensive, but for me, they are indispensable. I take notes, pay bills, sort out my taxes, everything on that machine.

My CCTV is a portable model from Low Vision International. It has a sliding tray and a camera I can flip to view presentations and people across the room. I got the model you can hook up to a computer, but I have not used that feature yet. [Where to find these devices and other low vision aids? Check my section at the end ‘Finding Help to Create YOUR Toolbox!’]

Computer

And speaking of computers, my iMac is also an essential tool in my toolbox. I learned on a Mac, so that is my platform of choice. While Macs are relatively expensive compared to other brands on the market, they also come with a magnification feature built in. [Great resource for learning about using a Mac from Perkins School for the Blind ‘Getting Started on the Mac for Users with Low Vision.’]

This is as opposed to PCs that need you to add a magnification app. My magnification app for a PC I use is ZoomText. ZoomText not only magnifies, it also gives you voice over. Voice over is a “drive-me-crazy” feature that reads what you have put the cursor on and what you are typing. Right now voice over is enough to drive me insane, but it may be very helpful in the future. Either way, ZoomText is not free but is affordable. [Her reference to ‘voice over’ is not the same as Apple’s VoiceOver feature.]

iPad

I am typing this on my iPad. I purchase the BIG iPad with a 12.9 inch screen and I love it. My iPad not only magnifies but holds a number of apps that help me with the little inconveniences of being visually impaired. When I need a professional reference book, I buy a hard copy but also request a pdf version. I am on record with several publishing houses and they are required by law to provide those to me. Disability does have some privileges. Once I download the pdf version into NaturalReader, my iPad reads to me and I follow along in the book. [Hadley has great ‘how to’ videos on using an iPad.]

I can also “read” books on my iPad. Since I am legally blind, I am qualified to use BARD. BARD is great! There are hundreds of thousands of audiobooks available for free. Love that word free. [BARD is just one resource available from the National Library Service program ‘That All May Read.’ For those who qualify, there’s also an easy-to-use audiobook player with cartridges you can get.]

I go in spurts and stops with my “reading” any more, but I watch TV on my iPad regularly. There are a number of broadcasting companies that offer free apps. While they regulate what you can access for free, they do let you access more if you have a cable company and register. I like watching Tv on my iPad because I can “magnify” the picture by shrinking the distance to the screen. Another thing you might be interested in is audio description. I watched ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ on PBS and the audio description was helpful and not intrusive.

Other Tools for Magnification

Two more things before I go: magnification and magnification. I have a handheld, electronic magnifier that is good for restaurant menus and the like and a pair of telescopic glasses. My telescopic glasses are MaxTV glasses. I have a friend now who likes to go to the movies. I wear my MaxTV glasses and the 3-D glasses at the same time. Avatar 2 was stunning. [Her MaxTV glasses are from Eschenbach, a company considered to be one of the best for such products. There are less expensive products you can find through sources such as Maxiaids or Independent Living Aids. I don’t recommend you try the least expensive, though. Read the reviews and definitely make sure that you can return them for free if they don’t work for you.]

So there you have Sue’s Toolbox, 2023 version. I will be the first to admit the price tags on those things can be a bit shocking. Just remember the three important points: magnification, magnification, magnification. The same results can be accomplished in other ways. Hope this helped!


Finding Help to Create YOUR Toolbox!

Low Vision Therapy

Linda: We recommend that since there are so many options for these and other low vision aids, some of which are expensive, it’s best to find a low vision therapist, low vision occupational therapist, or a vision rehabilitation program where specialists will listen to what you want and need to do but can’t and will help you find what works for you. There is no ‘one size fits all.’

We recommend that to find low vision therapy near you, start by going to the VisionAware site to ‘Directory of Services’ (bottom or side of the page depending on what device you’re using) where you’ll enter your zip code (US) or province (Canada). In the UK, there are 2 great groups who can help: The Macular Society and the RNIB. You want to look for non-profit organizations, universities, or government resources where they’re not profiting from the sales. You can of course ask your eye specialist for organizations/specialists near you.

Vocational Rehabilitation

In 2016 when Sue became legally blind from advanced dry AMD/geographic atrophy/GA, she contacted Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Blind and Vision Services/BBVS because she wanted to continue to work. You can read about that here: A Human Doing. They provided some of the low vision aids such as the magnifiers, telescopic glasses including MaxTV glasses, the CCTV, software ZoomText and NaturalReader, a basic iPad, and a white cane. They also provided her with some training on some of the devices. She also had what’s called Orientation & Mobility training to help her get around safely. She did pay a fee based on a sliding scale of income. Every state will be different.

You can find your state or province vocational rehabilitation resources through the link to VisionAware above. You can also ask your eye specialist about it.

More Resources

A good resource for products and technology is VisionAware which is a not-for-profit organization with the APH (American Printing House). Check out this section ‘Helpful Products and Technology for Living with Vision Loss.’

Magnifiers and telescopic glasses that she refers to are called ‘optical devices.’ Here’s a good article about them with examples ‘What Are Low Vision Optical Devices?’


New March 19th, 2023

Sue on Assignment: Be My Eyes

Hi! She’s back! Lin said some of you have been interested in trying Be My Eyes but were having trouble. Guess what. I had trouble too!

Downloading the app and registering were not bad at all. For me. Remember I still have a lot of usable vision and I have some experience with technology. If your vision is very limited and/or if you are technologically challenged, get help. It will only take them about five minutes.

Anyway, I registered and got the email confirmation. However, the link in the email did not work. Spinney, spinney, spin but no go. I finally just went back to the app I had downloaded on my iPad. It worked!

My call only rang for about less than a minute. It was answered by a very nice gentleman named Ron. Ron was able to tell me the expiration date on my ricotta cheese, and he said nothing about views of my kitchen which really needed to be cleaned up. Ron is a good guy.

Ron also had no problems with submitting to a quick interview. It turns out my first call was also his first. He had signed up a little over a month ago. He said calls sound a tone on a number of phones and we, the users, get whomever can answer first. Ron had had a few other possible calls but he was driving and wisely did not answer.

Ron is in the States. Be My Eyes seems to match calls to volunteers in the same regions. I did not ask where he was specifically, but his accent was not far off from my own.

Ron volunteered because of his grandmother. She had Macular Degeneration as well. He also works for an eye doctor (sorry, I forget which kind) and he has seen a lot of people with serious vision issues.

All told, it was a very positive experience from this end. I was very pleased with how things went. The only glitch, as I mentioned, was getting from the email back to the app itself.

If you are able, you might want to read the piece that is included with the app. It seems this “microvolunteering” project is the brainchild of a man in Denmark, Hans Jorgen Wilber who needed a way to limit his dependence upon friends and family. He felt like a burden, constantly asking for help (or at least “constantly” in his mind). Although they first thought it would be difficult to get sighted volunteers, that did not prove to be the case. There are almost a million volunteers! They speak more than 180 languages and can be found in more than 150 countries. In other words, the chances are pretty good, wherever you are, they will be able to find a “Ron” just for you. Cool.

So, there you go. If you cannot go from the email to the app after you register, just go back to the app. No biggie. It worked just fine from there for me.

Thanks, Ron!

Written November 29th, 2018

Go back to the list of “On Assignment” pages

Tech Tuesday: App Spotlight – Be My Eyes

Have you heard about all the smartphone and tablet apps but think you have to be a ‘computer geek’ to learn how to use them?  I’ve got the app for you!  It’s called Be My Eyes.

The article Be My Eyes: Get This App And Help The Blind explains it well and has photos to show you what you should see on the screen when you use it. The article says, “Many iPhone users with visual impairments use a video FaceTime or Skype call with a friend for a brief session of sighted help—to find a hotel room door, for instance, or to help set the controls on a washer or dryer. But what if your friends or family members are not available when you need assistance? Or maybe you call the same person again and again, and you worry you might be overstaying your welcome?”

Be My Eyes pairs sighted volunteers with visually impaired people who could use another pair of eyes.  The app is free both to download and to use.  It’s available both for Apple (App Store) and Android (Google Play) devices – smartphones AND tablets.

After you download the app, you basically click on it and follow the instructions:

  • You’ll be asked to choose from:
    • I am sighted
    • I am blind
  • If this is your first time using it, you’ll be asked to create an account and be asked to allow the microphone and the camera to work with the app.
  • If you’re calling for help, you’ll be told that you are waiting for the first available helper.
  • You will hear the helper’s voice. They’ll hear yours and will see what your forward-facing camera is pointed at. The helper may ask you to move the phone or tablet a bit so they can see what you want. They may tell you to turn on the light on your device so they can see better.
  • The uses are really unlimited!
    • Do you want to know the instructions on a can of soup?
    • Do you want to see the expire-by date of something in the fridge?
    • Shopping and can’t find something?
    • Can’t find socks that match?
    • Did you drop something
    • More ideas here–>https://www.bemyeyes.com/get-started

Here’s are some GREAT videos with demonstrations.

Sue’s Toolkit – 2 Years Later – Part 2

Hi. Sunday and the snow is coming down! All day I have been fighting “it’s snowing! I don’t have to do my work! We will have a day off tomorrow!”

That’s me, by the way. There are no school-aged kiddos in this house. I have been fighting procrastination ever since the snow started around noon. Did manage to get some of my ‘homework’ done. One report written. I don’t want to think about how many more to go!

So, taking time to write a quick page before going on to report #2. I got one of my mymacularjournal.com ‘homework’ assignments back from Lin. Full of ‘red marks’! “Did you mention this? How about that?” Good grief!

I told her I would blame my having to do this page on her.? So there. [Lin/Linda: What can I say…we have high standards here. ::grin::]

Here we go…what has survived the test of time redux.

First of all: these are not advertisements. There are plenty and PLENTY of other products that mostly likely work as well. These are the ones I tried and they worked for me. I have no investment in any of this stuff. If you use other things and like them better, make a comment, write a page. We want to hear. Also, caveat emptor. If you buy something and “hate it!”, it’s not my fault. These are not recommendations.

Now that that is out of the way…my CCTV is from Low Vision International. The model is the Magnilink Zip 17. The 17 is for the screen size. Lin wanted me to tell you what I have and like but, remember, there are probably dozens of others. The big selling point for this one is it is portable. Maybe about 20 pounds including the case. It goes to school. It goes to the office. It goes home. Good deal. Don’t need portable? Maybe this one is not for you.

Lin also wanted me to mention the iPad with the Justand. I seldom use it but if you cannot get someone to plop down $3500 for you to get a CCTV?  The iPad on the Justand is a viable alternative. [Sue wrote about the inexpensive Justand that holds the iPad above what you want to look at. You can see the image on the screen and can enlarge it as needed.  Her page Good Stuff Cheap.]

Why do I seldom use it? I have a portable CCTV. Using my iPad as a magnifier means it is not available for anything else.

Like watching TV for example. Lin asked how I watch TV on my iPad. (I think she knows. It’s a test.? She wants to see if I really know!) I went to the app store and searched for some of my more favorite networks. I have CBS, NBC, PBS and FOX apps on my iPad. You have to ‘subscribe’ (read ‘buy’) if you want the good stuff. By good stuff I mean prime time and current, but sometimes they throw you a bone and you can watch your shows for my favorite word: free. Most of them require you watch the commercials, but sometimes the commercials are the best part! [You can also subscribe to services such as Hulu and Netflx and watch their programming on the TV or on your tablet.  If you are an Amazon Prime subscriber, you can also watch TV shows and movies on the TV or tablet many are free, some have a cost.]

And when I say require, I mean just that. You cannot fast forward through them. But you can go to the bathroom or get something to eat if you want.?

Oops. This is getting long. Catch up on the rest of the questions later! I gotta get something to eat. (Bet you thought I was going to say something else!?) Bye!

Written Feb. 1st, 2018

Continue reading “Sue’s Toolkit – 2 Years Later – Part 2”

Sue’s Toolkit – 2 Year Later – Part 1

Allow me to start this page with a statement of fact: I am not normal. I do housework under duress. If God wanted me to cook, he would not have invented Chinese buffets and frozen lasagna.

In short, if you are looking for tips and equipment that will make cleaning and cooking easier for someone with a visual impairment, this page is not the place.

That place IS MaxiAids. They have a fantastic collection of adapted materials. Many of their products are designed to help with domestic drudgery…ah, chores. If you are in need of those sorts of products, MaxiAids is wonderful.

Oh, and by the way, none of these are advertisement or recommendations. All of this stuff I either use or, in the case of the MaxiAid stuff, had pointed out to me as a valuable resource. What fits my needs may not fit yours.

Also, if you want to buy any of those types of products, use them and write reviews, welcome guest authors! It just ain’t going to be me doing it.

[Lin/Linda here with a very red face! After all Sue’s fuss about my ‘grading’ her page, she caught me!  I’d forgotten to publish THIS page first.  Whoops!  There are a lot of things I could blame it on but I’ll spare you all.  Sorry, Sue.  You can fire me anytime.  ::grin::]

What I am going to do is do a brief rundown (apparently better than a run-over) of what I have used that has stood the test of time. What technology am I still using two years later?

Let us start with what I just ordered: mini monoculars. Yes, I have had several. The problems with them are 1) they don’t survive water – especially salt water – well and 2) they are not built to be chew toys. The last one I had got chewed to bits. Puppygirls strike again. The one immediately before that fell off a paddle board in the Bahamas. Several times in fact.

When not being gnawed or submerged, the mini monoculars are great for surveying your surroundings from a distance. They are good for street signs and identifying what is running across the field towards you. Yikes!

I bought a larger monocular. I also bought a small pair of binoculars. They were both too heavy to wear around my neck all the time.

What I would recommend more than anything is an iPad. My iPad may be my prize possession. With the zoom feature I can do scads of things! It is onto my iPad that I have downloaded all sorts of free apps including apps for major television stations.

I am not a big television fan. If it doesn’t have NCIS somewhere in the title, I probably don’t watch it. However, when I do want to watch a program, I can often stream an episode of something or other for free.

The really good thing about watching TV on the iPad is your ability to move the screen as close to your nose as you need to. Remember relative distance is a way to magnify. Also with the iPad you can replay a scene if you don’t quite get what happened.

I have talked about all sorts of apps that are on my iPad. Honestly, I may use the KNFB Reader occasionally and NaturalReader occasionally but not all that often. My eyes are still strong enough I can use the iPad camera with a free magnifying app to read menus and other short stuff. [click here for a good article about the features of the iPhone and iPad that make them so good for those with low vision.]

If I want to read a book, I use BARD, also an app on my iPad.  Remember you have to be declared legally blind to get BARD. If you are not legally blind you can buy e-books and zoom them. [Read more about BARD and e-books in Sue’s Page Around the World of Books.]

I am over my 500 words so I will just quickly mention two other things. The first one would be Zoom Text. If you are working on a desktop computer – or at least using a large monitor – ZoomText makes life much easier. Navigation can be a bear since half the page is off the edges, but at least you can see the half that is on the screen.

Last but not least is my CCTV. I use that nearly every day. Without it, I feel like I lost an arm. I can write checks and notes using it. I can read articles for pages. It gets used.

Once again, my CCTV was $3500. Mine was paid for because they wanted to keep me working. You may not have that opportunity. However, spare $3 or 4K? The investment, in my mind, would be worth it. [There are SO MANY CCTV products that we can’t review them at this time.  Search the Internet, ask your Low Vision Specialist or other resources.]

That is it. That is barebones what I actually use after two years being a VIP. Hope the info helps.

Oops! PS I forgot my Max TV glasses! No TV but they are great for doing classroom observations, seeing my students in class and watching movies and live theater performances.

written Jan. 31st, 2018


Next: Sue’s Toolkit – 2 Years Later – Part 2

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Underwhelmed

It appears the only time I get to write anymore is when I am waiting for my ride. I may have to leave this and dash out the door at any second. Or dash upstairs and grab a new pair of pantyhose. Whatever possessed me to put on stockings with two ankle biters (literally! ) in the house is beyond me.

Speaking of my puppygirls, I cannot believe they are zeroing in on four months of age and 30 pounds each! They are totally, TOTALLY! a formidable demolition crew. They are now tall enough to reach the tops of tables and nothing is safe.

Finding a matching pair of gloves or slippers is also a challenge. Yesterday I had on one slipper sock and a slipper! Who cares if they matched? We are all friends here!

I have been aware I need to write the final page on Seeing AI. I have been using the scene option on and off with mixed results. Etta Puppygirl was NOT pleased to be called a cat! Basic scenes such as a Christmas tree at the Y are dealt with a little more efficiently. The Christmas tree was identified correctly. However, a rack of little girls’ gymnastic leotards was identified as papers on a shelf.

It appears they have backed off from attempts at being exact in their descriptions. When I tried taking a photo of a coffee maker I was told it was something indoors. I also got some responses that suggested the machine was not sure what it was. I find it refreshing when a machine admits its shortcomings!

I guess my final word on all that is something along the lines of “Great progress but still a ways to go.” I am a ridiculously hard critic, I am aware, but I would not depend on the app at the level of accuracy I have gotten from it. Maybe if I were blind and getting 50% accuracy I would be thrilled. With the vision I have, I am sort of underwhelmed.

On to the person recognition feature. I admit, I tried it one time. I recently cannot get my act together. Work, pups, researching retirement, etc, and it is bedtime. The one time I did try it, the thing thrilled my 54-year old gym buddy. It estimated she was 33! It also said she was happy. My buddy has a great smile.

Not much of a review, I admit. Anyone else want to take on the assignment? I am a very harsh critic and some of you may be more pleased than I have been.

I still see scenes and I use other clues to recognize people. Remember to use setting, body type, posture and walk not to mention voice to identify people. In two years I have succeeded in training one – that was 1 – person to tell me his name when he starts to speak to me. In other words, don’t hold out hope most people are trainable! Another option is to buy a monocular and check out faces that way.

That is it for now. Gotta roll!

Written January 12, 2018


Next: Let Us Try

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Battle of the Apps: Part 3

Waiting for exercise class after a very busy day. You would think things would calm down but they haven’t! I got lunch at 3:45.

Back to Seeing AI while I have the chance. I tried the currency reader next. Right now all I have is U.S. and Canadian. I cashed in all of my Euros when we traveled the last time.

Seeing AI identified $1, $5, $10 and $20 from both sides of the bill with no problems. ( I don’t often have $50s or $100s. Sorry!) That is no problems as long as the bills were fairly flat. Crinkles were not read well. Sort of like a money reader in a vending machine.

The Canadian bills I have are probably twenty years old. They did not read at all. It would appear the currency reader only works with more recent issue bills. Anyone in Canada want to check it out?

Same request for pound notes and euros as well as any other currency the system is said to support. I am curious how it might do.

The barcode reader gave me the same problems as the currency reader. Just like the barcode readers at the store. Basically folds and crinkles stopped it cold. Flat, clean barcodes were read beautifully.

The other barcode reader I have is Digit Eyes. Digit Eyes does have more features than the barcode reader on Seeing AI. For example, there is an option for product information such as ingredients and nutritional value. You can also make a shopping list from what you are scanning. Digit Eyes appears to be more oriented towards the whole shopping experience.

It would be cool if it would send you to a website selling the scanned product so you could reorder but I did not see anything like that. Software designs? You can have that idea for free! Go at it!

Remember Digit Eyes also has a feature that allows you to make and read audio labels for things that do not come with a barcode. So, for example, if you made too many cookies and need to freeze some, an audio label and Digit Eyes can later help you distinguish the molasses from the peanut butter. No actual reading needed.

Next up is the Seeing AI handwriting reading option. I took a photo of some conference notes. It was my printing, which is highly legible according to most people. The notes read:

(page) 4 visual images on the brain
Mirror neurons
Memory consolidation- memory brought from various parts of the brain. Recall is reconstruction. “Process of Light” – book
Mix new neurochemicals with it to create memories, etc.

Yes, I agree my notes are not exactly English. The Seeing AI version was not exactly English either. I apparently centered it badly because only the left half was scanned. There were lots of half words. The read text was gibberish. The visual image created from my printing was not bad.

Maybe a better centering option? If I cannot center it easily with the functional vision I have, someone with a more serious disability could have more problems.

It is nice to see this technology, even in its nascent form, getting into the hands of needy consumers for exactly the right price. Free. It appears Microsoft is intent on bringing these apps, in regularly improved forms, to those in need. Kudos.

Written December 29th, 2017 Continue reading “Battle of the Apps: Part 3”

Battle of the Apps: Part 2

Alright. So we are making a little progress. I took a photo of the business card with the camera app and found something that said ‘recognize’ with Seeing AI. I turned it on. It said ‘processing’ and that is as far as it got. How to get it to the Seeing AI app? No clue.

Before, I forgot to get NaturalReader into the mix. I was not able to take a photo of anything and have it read on NaturalReader. I wasn’t. Does not mean you cannot. It just means it is not obvious about how to do it. NaturalReader does allow you to type your own short message and have it electronically read back to you. It also allows you to cut and paste a short electronic message into the works and have it read.  That appears to be its short document function.  [Don’t confuse this with an app called Natural Reader (space between the words) which is a text-to-speech reader for Windows 10.  The one that Sue is writing about is NaturalReader and is available for Apple and Android. There is a free version which is what Sue uses but also one for $9.99 with many more features – not sure what they are.]

In addition NaturalReader allows you to download books from out-of-copyright book sites and webpages. On NaturalReader you can get page after page of text, entire books in fact, without having to take a photo. It does, of course, have to be in digital form first. NaturalReader can read all of your email and blog posts.

I have not read digital files using KNFB Reader but there does appear to be a way to download things from Dropbox. Do I know how? Not a clue. If it is not obvious and intuitive it does not happen for me. If anyone wants to figure that one out and pass on the info, I am all ears. I am not only not Becky Home Ecky, I am not Becky Techy either.

Looking at Seeing AI, I discovered there is a feature that tells you how to center a page but it did not activate when I took the photo. Maybe. About the closest I got to a correction was a voice that kept repeating “no idges visible”. I took that to mean no images but could it really be no idges? That might have been it. [Lin/Linda here: ‘idges’ is not a typo, that’s what Sue heard.]

Bottom line on the document function for me is this: for digital data, I like NaturalReader. NaturalReader is free, by the way, so having that in addition to Seeing AI should not be an issue.

For short documents I like KNFB reader because the camera is right there on the screen and there is no futzing back and forth between apps. That is if you have to use the camera for menus or whatever. For digital data, I am back to NaturalReader for even the shorter stuff. It loads easily. All you do is go to the little plus sign and click it. Find webpage and enter the name of the webpage. It will then read it to you. It also works with Dropbox and a few other things.

It generally takes me a long time to master anything like this, especially if I am trying to figure it out all on my own and especially when I cannot see so well. I may very well be missing important details and shortcuts. That means you may be as well. Pooling our resources on this may help. Anyone else using these apps? Thoughts? Pointers? Let us know. We could use some help here. We? I could use some help here!

Written December 26th, 2017 Continue reading “Battle of the Apps: Part 2”

Battle of the Apps: Part 1

Good morning! On to my assignment! Lin wants me to check out Seeing AI. That is version 2.0. [Seeing AI is available for Apple IOS but not Android.  It’s now available in 35 different countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, Hong Kong, and in all of 28 countries of the European Union.]

OK. I lied. I am going to start with the light perception section of this app. I am still in bed, or rather back in bed, because my throat feels rather raw. The light perception part of the app is something I can check out lying here.

Focusing on windows, dark corners, etc. I found it works well. The tone was high when looking out the window and much lower when focused in the corner. Exactly as advertised.

Now this feature is only for a limited number of the visually impaired. The great majority of the visually impaired retain light perception. It is when the entire eye is absent or when the entire retina has been destroyed that you lose light perception. Those of us with AMD generally don’t have to worry. It is, however, a nice feature for those of us who don’t perceive light.

My iPad has iOS 11.2.1 as an operating system. That is important because my old color ID app, aptly named Color ID, is not supported In iOS 11 or higher. I cannot compared it to Seeing AI if I cannot open it. Seeing AI wins by default!

Seeing AI does well with the basic colors. Red, blue and pink were identified easily. Chartreuse was identified as green and in low light, navy blue was seen as gray.

Seeing AI will also identify two colors on a screen. A white tissue on a red couch was said to be brown and gray. A little off due to the light levels. Seeing AI warns about low light so you need to make sure you have good lighting before using the app.

Now moving on to short text. I used a business card from my travel agent and compared the reading by KNFB Reader to the Seeing AI reading of the same card. Remember KNFB Reader is $100 or so so if money is a serious issue, that may make your decision for you. Seeing AI is free. [Lin/Linda: KNFB Reader is on sale occasionally.  Sprint is now offering it free for those who use their wireless service!  I recommend that you follow it on Facebook; at least check out their FB page before you go to pay for it. KNFB Reader is available for Apple, Android and Windows 10.]

With KNFB Reader you take a photo and the text is read to you. Seeing AI does not allow you to photograph the Short Text. Seeing AI app started to read and pretty much jumped around on the card as it read. Was that my inability to keep the iPad still? Maybe. Lin said she had no problems and what she read in the help option was the Short Text feature will read what is clearest first. It is also possible that with my eyesight I did not get a clear fix on the material. Check it out and see what happens for you.

KNFB Reader has a feature – the icon is an eye – that will tell you how well centered you are on the page. I did not see that on Seeing AI. Doesn’t mean it is not there. I just did not see it.

In both cases there are computer voices with pretty bizarre pronunciations doing the reading. It is too bad they cannot make some of these trainable as they have with speech-to-text. Those of us in fields with specialized vocabulary would find that helpful.

Anyway, barring someone telling me an easy way to get to the camera and a way to keep your image still for short text I prefer the KNFB Reader.

Back again later for the other features!

Written December 25th, 2017

Continue reading “Battle of the Apps: Part 1”

Bake It Out

Greetings from Chaos. The last few nights the puppygirls have had me awake two and three times each night. Lack of sleep is a stressor. Stressors increase cortisol and cortisol damped immunity. Bottom line: I’m sick.

I went to exercise anyway. Creating an artificial fever is a good way to fight infection. (See Vasey’s article in InnerSelf if you don’t believe me.) Athletes – and athlete wannabes like me! – do it through sustained exercise.

I also came home and took a hot bath then curled up for a nap, covered in blankets. My mother used to suggest I ‘bake’ it out of me and she was right.

However, it is not just the heat fighting the germs. There is scientific evidence that certain types of immune cells do better in a warm environment. In a December 13, 2011 article in ScienceDaily it was reported CD8+ cytotoxic T cells ‘like it hot’.

T cells are macrophages, ‘big eaters’. There are a number of different types of T cells and I don’t believe CD8+ cytotoxic T cells have a thing to do with AMD as other T cells have been suspected to.  Of course, I could be dead wrong. However, it is a good way to get me back on the topic.

Oh! Another detour: I am taking turmeric for the inflammation in my rotator cuff tendon (killing me now because I ramped it up in yoga. Someday I might learn.) Searching the combination turmeric + age-related macular degeneration I discovered turmeric is an antioxidant. It is recommended by all sorts of websites with natural, earth, sun, alternative, etc. in their titles. The take home message on this is: it is a supplement and has not been proven to do anything for AMD. It is helping my tendonitis. Sample of one. Take it for what it is worth. Do your own research. Pay your money and take your chance.

Since I am still feeling a little rough, I will probably just introduce the topic Lin wants me to cover and come back to it later. The topic is Seeing AI from Microsoft. I had the 1.0 (or whatever) version on my iPad and got very very strange results. This was with identifying people and scenes. I did not use any of the other programs contained in the app because I already have programs to do much of that stuff on my iPad. Basically, I did not need the redundancy.

I am proposing I look at all of the new things 2.0 does and compared their performances to the performances of the apps I already have. Sound good? Can we make this a class participation project? I would like to hear what you think?

The first positive thing I noticed was the app upgraded automatically. That was a plus! Let us look at short text and see what we think.

Written December 23rd, 2017 Continue reading “Bake It Out”

BlindSquare App

When I was at the Summer Academy a couple of people mentioned they were navigating with an app called BlindSquare. They asked if I used it and I was almost sheepish to admit my vision is still good enough to navigate with plain old Google Maps.  It is surprising how social norms change from place to place.  I felt like being blinder would have given me more ‘street cred’, but what the hey, I got by.

BlindSquare appears to be the app VIPs (Visually Impaired Persons) in the know use to navigate. According to its advertising BlindSquare is the “world’s most popular accessible GPS-app developed for the blind and visually impaired.” It is said to describe the environment, announce points of interest and also alert you to street intersections as you travel.

The home page says BlindSquare is self-voicing and has a dedicated speech synthesizer, whatever that means. There is an audio menu that can be accessed with the buttons on the side of your phone. Seeing the screen is not required.

BlindSquare announces your progress towards your destination. It marks your spot (sounds like Beastie Baby!) and can lead you back should you want to return. The app opens with voice over. BlindSquare ‘understands’ a variety of languages. These include many of the most ‘popular’ European languages as well as some others like Finnish and Romanian. The farthest east they go looks to be Turkish. The farthest south they go looks like Arabic.

Reading the comments it seemed to me the developers of BlindSquare are awesome people. They responded in the affirmative to just about all of the suggestions and have been adding languages right along.  Updates are added regularly.

Now for the bad news. BlindSquare is $40.00 in the App Store. There is a free version called Blindsq Event  available in the App Store but it is seriously pared down from the for a fee version. The pay version featured three or four pages of options and Blindsq Event featured one. I would say what  do you want for nothing, but my answer would be ‘the World!’ so I know better than to ask that question.

I just downloaded the free version and will play with it later. As always, I would love to have others’ opinions. Please download it and let us know what you think.

Those who have the pay BlindSquare, please chime in!

written August 2nd, 2017

Continue reading “BlindSquare App”

A Cat Eating a Shoe

Slowly getting my stuff together. The change in phone carriers and the accompanying set-up have been accomplished. Even with ‘plug and play; I am just about hopeless to begin with and then add a visual impairment. Oy vay. The pool that was green because the pump was down is blue again and six days into the two weeks left to live prediction, Beastie Baby is acting like she never got the memo. [Sue wrote this in July.  Beastie Baby has since passed away.]

Not arguing with it. It is often good to be unmindful of coming sadness. If she can enjoy short walkies and cheeseburgers (yes, spoiled dog), why not?

If there is no averting disaster I see nothing wrong with dancing on the deck of the Titanic. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die.

Planning my next ‘adventure’. Since the dog is elderly, etc. we really don’t want to leave her with a sitter when I go to Penn State. That means my husband drives me down and comes right home. I get to get a bus home. Happy, happy, joy, joy. My choices are taking eight hours – including a 3 hour layover – to travel 100 miles and end up at the bus stop in town here or riding the bus two hours to a town 45 minutes away and having my husband come rescue me there. I vote for option #2!

“You can’t get there from here” may not be a totally accurate statement but it seems pretty close. I will let you know how I do. I would like to say America allows freedom of movement for all, but I have a feeling things are not going to be that easy.

Lin asked me to download Seeing AI. Apparently it is all the rage right now and everyone is all atwitter about it. That said, apparently I am not that easily impressed. Seeing AI seems to combine the functions of several different apps into one. It does a better job describing scenes than some other apps, but bottom line once again is, it needs work.

Seeing AI did a nice job on identifying things on the fridge door as “food in a refrigerator” and the Beastie Baby truly was a “brown and white (and black!) dog on a bed”. Beyond that, we had some problems.

Two pairs of my husband’s shoes were “a cat eating a shoe”. Giggle. The app identified the concrete around the pool but failed to note the black inner tube or the pool just beyond. If I were totally blind I could have easily expected clear sailing, tripped over the inner tube and gone for an unexpected swim! Although the examples in the ads were things like “a 20 something girl smiling”, Seeing AI identified my colleague, a 30 something smiling girl, simply as “a person”.

I guess I have to say excellent start, good attempt, but I would not want to depend on this app to interpret my world for me. Too many chances to trip over inner tubes and end up swimming.

The app is absolutely free in the Apple App Store . The price is certainly right! Download it and try it for yourself. [It isn’t yet available for Android.  It was originally only available in the US and Canada but has recently been made available to people in the UK, Ireland and Australia.]

Check out a good review by Sam of The Blind Life on YouTube.

written July 19th, 2017

Continue reading “A Cat Eating a Shoe”

Timeline Part 1: Advances in Treatment & Care for People with Macular Degeneration

It’s Lin/Linda.  I created this page to go with Sue’s page Not Your Parents’ AMD.  Like some of you, I had a loved one with AMD.  It was my father who was diagnosed with AMD in 2005 at the age of 82.  At the time, I was living 700 miles away and I did not know much about the disease or at what stage he was diagnosed.  He progressed to geographic atrophy (GA), that much I knew.  He was the sole caregiver for my mother who had Alzheimer’s Disease.  He continued to drive (not safely), take care of her and the house.  He was never referred to vision rehabilitation or offered any help other than being told to use handheld magnifiers.

I wondered how things have changed since then which led me to do this timeline review.  Not only have there been advances in the medical end of the field but also in the technology that is allowing people to remain independent for as long as possible.  That is if a person learns how to use the various devices and apps available.

I’ve based the categories of time on an article Age-Related Macular Degeneration
1969 –2004: A 35-Year Personal Perspective by Stuart L. Fine, MD published in 2005.  He says “In 1969, patients with AMD constituted a small part of a typical ophthalmic practice. From 1969 to 2004, the prevalence of AMD has increased, and the methods of evaluation and treatment have changed dramatically.”

I know I have missed many events that have been critical to the history of the treatment & care of AMD.  There is SO much information out there and I’ve tried to use the most significant dates I could find.  Have a suggestion of what to include? Did I get a date wrong? Let me know in a comment or send me an email at light2sight5153@gmail.com.

1st Era: 1969–1979
  • Emergence of fluorescein fundus photography: test used in diagnosis of retinal diseases
  • Development of ‘hot’ (high power) laser photocoagulation, first treatment for wet AMD
  • Relationship of drusen to age-related macular degeneration
  • Other developments:
    • 1976-1977 first personal computers affordable for home use
    • more low vision aids:
      • 1960s large print books became available
      • 1976 large print calculators became available
      • 1969-1970 CCTV (closed caption TV) for reading aid
2nd Era: 1980–1994
  • Clinical trials to evaluate new treatments, especially laser photocoagulation (1979-1994)
  • Development of risk factor data from large and small epidemiologic studies (epidemology is looking for patterns & causes)
  • mid-1980s term ‘senile macular degeneration’ becomes ‘age-related macular degeneration’
  • Other developments:
    • 1982 Vitreous Society was founded; 1983 first meeting attended by 44 retinal specialists
    • 1991 OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) test used in diagnosis of retinal diseases
    • mid 1980s name changed from ‘senile macular degeneration’ to ‘age-related macular degeneration’
    • 1992 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
    • 1983 first cell phones
    • 1991 World Wide Web for ‘surfing’ the Internet with easy-to-use browsers
    • low vision aids:
      • MaxiAids catalog of aids for orders from people with low vision & other impairments
    • technology/low vision aids:
      • 1982 DragonSystems founded Dragon NaturallySpeaking, speech to text
      • 1988 ZoomText was released which is software to magnify text on a computer screen
3rd Era: 1995–2003
  • Evaluation of radiation therapy for neovascular AMD, not proven to be effective
  • Assessment of pharmacologic interventions for neovascular AMD; Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) “cold” (low power laser) with Visudyne (first drug treatment;  2001)
  • Prevention trials: results AREDS released 2001
  • Other developments:
    • 1995 Amazon sells books online (1998 expands beyond just books; e-books 2000)
    • 1996 Google released
    • 1998 first e-book reader The Rocket
    • 2000 GPS available for civilians; 2001 personal navigation systems available like Garmin and TomTom
    • 2000 Microsoft & Amazon sell e-books
4th Era: 2004 – 2017
  • Completion of ongoing trials for neovascular AMD: FDA approval: Macugen 2004; Avastin 2004; Lucentis 2006; Eylea 2011
  • Earlier identification of eyes at risk: regular use of OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) and other diagnostic tests
  • Prevention trials: results AREDS2 released 2013
  • Increased number of retinal specialists: eg, American Association of Retinal Specialists (ASRS), formerly Vitreous Society (see 1982 above), has 2700 members representing 60 countries.
  • Other developments:
    • 2011 First baby boomers turn 65
    • 2004 Facebook
    • 2013 first ‘bionic eye’ retinal implant, Argus II approved by FDA
    • technology:
      • 2007 Amazon Kindle e-reader; iPhone & Apple IOS
      • 2008 Android 1.0 & Android phone
      • 2010 Apple iPad
    • technology/low vision aids:
      • 2005 Apple VoiceOver for Mac users
      • 2009 VoiceOver added to iPhone IOS
      • 2010 FDA approved implantable telescope
      • smart glasses/wearable technology
      • 2014 KNFB Reader app for Apple & Android; 2017 for Windows 10
    • ongoing research areas:

Lions & Tigers & Bears…Oh My!

Home from ‘the City’ safe and sound. I was really no help with sign reading. None at all! However, I was able to program the phone’s GPS and help in areas I did know. I was also able to read site maps with my reader. [Lin/Linda: ‘the City’ is New York City.]

At The Met Cloisters I could use my telescopic glasses to look at the art ‘close up’. Beautiful tapestries, paintings and carvings.

I talked to one of the guards about whether they would be more handicapped accessible any time soon. The Cloisters is built on multiple levels and my companion for this jaunt has hip and heart problems. As far as vision is concerned, the descriptions were still on printed signs.

Many museums are going to QR signs. QR stands for quick response. They are the little ‘barcode’ squares you can scan with an app on your iPad or iPhone and get amazing amounts of information, even videos! Since you don’t have to actually stick you nose against a sign – your iPad will tell you the information – the system is much more low vision friendly.

Museums using the QR system include the Smithsonian and the National Museum in London. There are also a number of more local museums using the system. You can get the QR reader app from the Apple app store. I was going to try mine yesterday but The Cloisters is not fitted with the system. [Lin/Linda: there is a QR Code Reader for Android from Google Play.]

Since the rain was coming down in buckets – so much for that forecast!- we opted for the Bronx Zoo rather than the gardens. Unfortunately the zoo does not yet have the QR system either. However, for you who also have mobility issues, the zoo is very handicapped accessible and allows scooters and wheelchairs.

I saw the lions and tigers and bears, oh my! We also saw the gorillas who were incredible. With the more humane construction of zoos, I several times could not locate a creature in the foliage. Telescopic lenses helped some with that, but not a lot.

Bottom line on this? We had a successful day in the city. People were incredibly kind and friendly and we struck up conversations with maybe a dozen people. The museum and zoo have ways to go to become more accommodating for us with disabilities but all together it was not too bad. Since my companion had to do all the driving, I paid for gas and lunch.

Would I go back? Yes. Probably not The Cloisters because that was my second trip there and it has sort of ‘been done’ for me. We only got through about half of the zoo. I did not see the snow leopard or get my camel ride! Those things can happen another time. The Botanical Gardens could be that day, too. Some day it is sunny and pleasant.

What have been your experiences with different venues as a low vision person ? Any praise or pans for a place? Any suggestions for a traveler? Let us know!

written June 18th, 2017

Continue reading “Lions & Tigers & Bears…Oh My!”

App Update

Back to the Daniel Roberts article. Actually sort of back to Roberts himself. I just watched a video of him using the LowViz Guide.  [Lin/Linda:  we published Sue’s page Comparison Shopping on June 5th, 2017, where she talked about Dan Roberts.]

The LowViz Guide was basically Roberts’ brainchild. It is an indoors navigation system. Can’t find your way around the hospital or the cruise ship? The LowViz Guide may be able to help.

I say maybe because the venue – be it conference center, hotel or hospital – has to have been tricked out with iBeacons. Your smart device ‘talks’ to the iBeacons, the iBeacons talk back and your device tells you where to go.

(I find that only fair since I have told my devices “where to go” on numerous occasions!)

In the video Roberts demonstrated the app has not only VoiceOver capabilities but also gives you ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ signals. The ‘cold’ signal is very irritating as, I guess, befits a message that is saying “wrong way, buddy!” It would make me want to go the proper direction just to shut it up. (A perfect example of negative reinforcement for you psychology students.)

There is an informative article on the LowViz Guide on the American Federation of the Blind website. It does not say where the iBeacons have been installed and I got the impression the cost of installing these things is not small.

The LowViz Guide app is downloadable for free from the app store. [Lin/Linda: I don’t see an Android version yet.] If you can get a list of places with iBeacons and you are actually going there it might be fun to see how it works.

Another new technology I found interesting was Aipoly. The ‘Ai’ in the name stands for artificial intelligence, of course. Funded by Google, according to Natasha Lomas in a 2015 article, Aipoly uses computer vision and machine learning technology to recognize what is going on in photos you take with your device. Aipoly is supposed to be able to identify multiple objects in a scene. It is also reported to be able to identify the relationships between things in the photo. For example, Aipoly would say something like girl eating ice cream. It is sort of like Be My Eyes minus the thousands of volunteers.

The whole process can take as little as five seconds to have a scene described. The longest time is said to be about 20 seconds.

The most seriously cool feature of Aipoly -and one that will undoubtedly interest our readers in Massachusetts – is the system has the beginnings of the ability to identify facial expression!

As of the writing in 2015, the system was starting to be able to recognize very exaggerated facial expressions! It is not yet ready to describe subtle expressions but there is hope.

Be aware this system does not work in real time, but they are trying to get there. They are also trying to get it into as many hands as possible. I am downloading a free version from the App store even as I am writing this. They have also come out with an Android version. Not sure if there is a cost for that or not. [Lin/Linda: It is free, too.]

I will let you know how it works later. Taking some time to load. And, by the way, I don’t have to be the only product tester. Feel free to download it and experiment yourself. Continue reading “App Update”

How Many Favors?

One of the problems with being a cockeyed optimist and a Pollyanna is I always expect good things and relatively easy sailing. When that doesn’t happen, frankly, I become perturbed. I HATE to be thwarted.

Last evening I started downloading Golden Prey (book by John Sandford) from BARD. It has stopped several times since then.

I think it has to do with too much in my iPad memory. My ability to clutter up my environment extends to technology and cyberspace!

Another case of “do as I say, not as I do”. Deleting books you have already listened to is fine. You can always get them again. FYI for you non-technical savvy folks, your devices will run faster if you do.

My schedule is changing for the summer and I have to figure that out. Transportation will only pick up until 7 pm. After that my coach turns into a pumpkin! (Of course, for some of the ‘lemons’ I have ridden in, that would be an improvement!)

I have been picking up signs a woman who has dutifully transported me up for the last 15 months has gotten tired of it and needs a break. Changing my schedule so that I can ride my bike at least some of the time and take up some of the rest of the slack with transportation should work. I also have a co-worker who has started to take some of the same classes and who has offered to haul me. Also another gym friend.

People truly are wonderful and generous but they are not saints. Problem becomes they hate to let you down and will keep on helping even when it is no longer convenient.

I am starting to think I need some sort of rotation system. I already try to limit how many times I impose in one week. I try to keep it under three rides – counting someplace and back as two – a week for any one person. Except my husband, of course. He drew the short straw when he married me!?

Once again there needs to be some sort of etiquette book for this! Any ideas about the ride dilemma? How many favors for the old, visually impaired chick is too many?

Still haven’t got the new pool liner. Got that call at 7 am as the rain poured down.

And my frustration that you may actually care about….Aipoly, or at least the free version I downloaded, did not live up to its hype! My diet Pepsi bottle was “a wine bottle” (however, that is a thought!) and my glare glasses were “one string of headphones”. I got too close to my sandal when I took the photo so that was “a basket” although when I pulled back and tried again, Aipoly got it right.

Now, in all fairness, I am cheap. The word free can be music to my ears. There is an Aipoly version for slightly less than $5 per month. That one is supposed to be much ‘smarter’. Since I am cheap and not in need of such a service yet, and since I can never remember to cancel those damn ‘free’ trials, I’m not downloading it. If you are in need of such a service and can remember to cancel a free trial, try it and get back to us please.

Type at ya later! Continue reading “How Many Favors?”

Parts Is Parts

Today was sort of an ‘eye day’. Spent most of my day talking about vision or dealing with my ‘toys’. “Mama said there would be days like this.” [Lin/Linda: I don’t know if Sue intended this but this song came to mind!]

Toys first: my CCTV is broken again.

Apparently when they say portable they don’t mean what I mean: hauled everywhere and set up and torn down twice or three times a day. I lost another pop rivet so my document tray does not slide properly.

Also, my vertical hold comes and goes. Remember Outer Limits? “We will control the horizontal. We will control the vertical.” Whoever is controlling this is not me. It gets flipping enough to make me sea sick!

For future reference should you have this problem, we think it might be a loose wire. When I flipped the camera to distance viewing and brought it back, the flipping stopped.

Needless to say, it is going into the shop. It is going into the shop as soon as I get a loaner; that is…..Oh, and I am not paying the $50 diagnostic fee either. The cursed thing has a two-year warranty.

What can I say? I am hard on parts.

[Lin/Linda: if you were wondering about the title, when I read the above sentence, my mind went to the Wendy’s TV commercial where the catchy line is “parts is parts”.  Click here for the commercial.]

Today was also the vision loss support group. As anticipated, I was the youngest one in the group. I was also the most informed. I am half ashamed to admit that I ‘held court’ and lectured on my toys and some of what I considered to be AMD basics. The ladies – and they were all ladies – seemed receptive and asked me back.

I was a bit disturbed that several of the ladies admitted to owning iPads and having shoved them in a drawer!  They have no background or understanding of computers and they are afraid of them. The lack of knowledge about basic electronics – especially things that can make your life 100 times easier – was scary.

When I said you could get things in the app store I was asked if that was in this town or a town nearby! Oh my….

Which made me think some of you may be in the same boat.

The App Store is a blue and white icon on your desktop. It has a big A right in the middle.

Touch the icon/symbol and you will get a page of whatever apps they are featuring, often games. In the upper right hand corner there is a gray box that says search. Touch that and you should get a keyboard. Type in a keyword or phrase and then touch enter. Examples of keywords might be magnifiers, low vision apps, or knfbreader. Remember many apps are free but some like the knfbreader are for a fee. The ones for a fee you will need an Apple account. Actually, I think you need an account no matter. I always have to put my password in to approve the download. Lin, what do we have about opening an Apple account? [Lin/Linda: I’m posing that information below.]

That is about it for now. I have to email the group leader and remind her about passwords. Next month they are bringing their iPads!


Click here for a good place to start learning about your iPad.

Click here for instructions on how to create an Apple ID.

Click here for the ‘Dummies’ series For Seniors: Use the iPad Online User Guide.  There are also topics on this website about iPhones and Android devices (smartphones & tablets).

Continue reading “Parts Is Parts”

Can An Old Dog Learn Braille?

A reader made a suggestion I could learn Braille. At first it sounded sort of fanciful. I am 63 years old and she wants this old dog to learn new tricks! I am sure it is REALLY hard. I am sure it will take me FOREVER.

Then I thought I should practice what I preach. Turn the mind and be willing. I could at least look into it….besides, it is good for a page and I am running out of ideas. Anyone else out there willing to share? I could use a little more, wonderful help like we got from Lara, Jennifer, Rick and Andrea.

VisionAware has a page on All About Braille. They tell us Louis Braille invented the system in France in the mid-1800s. Braille ‘cells’ are made up of two columns of three rows. Each letter and symbols is made up of a pattern of one or more dots.

The letter ‘s’ is dots in the second column-first row, 1-2 and 1-3. U is 1-1, 1-3 and 2-3. E is 1-1 and 2-1. There! I spelled my name!

I probably would want to learn alphabetic Braille first. That is letter by letter Braille. There is also a form called condensed Braille in which whole words are represented by one cell of dots.

Being part of the special education system, I know a little bit about sign language for the deaf. American Sign Language is not just standard English you ‘speak’ with your hands. It is its own language with its own rules and specialized characteristics. Condensed Braille reminded me of that. It is also just one of a number of systems, just like ASL.

Problems with learning Braille as an older adult include finger sensitivity. Some people are blind because of complications of diabetes. Diabetic nerve damage may interfere with learning Braille.

Right now, I really don’t see Braille as an option for me. Not totally because it would be difficult and time consuming to learn, although those are factors. The major reason is right now I have options that work for me just fine.

I have magnification through my CCTV, reader and iPad, as well as ZoomText on my work PC’s. My computers and my phone also have options that allow me to be read to. I don’t use those options simply because they are so dang irritating! However, if I get to the point I cannot navigate around my desktop or my phone, I may be happy to have them.   [You can review how Sue uses these by going to her pages A Day in the Life and A Day in the Life: Work Day.]

And speaking of being read to, don’t forget my KNFB Reader. Then there are BARD books and the newspapers on my phone.

If I want to write as opposed to read, I do have a few touch typing skills. Speech-to-text is also available to me. Of course, we all know some of the things that happen there.

For example: I tried to speech to text the text “we find our adventures where we can” and the message my friend got was “we find our dentures where we can.” Took a while for her to stop giggling.

OK. Gotta go. I have a staff party tonight and I still have no idea what I am going to wear. Could be worse. At least I don’t have to find my teeth!

Click here for an article on how Braille is useful on the job in case Sue changes her mind. ::smile::

Continue reading “Can An Old Dog Learn Braille?”

About the ADA

There was an interesting comment this week on the website in response to my page One Year Anniversary: Part 1 What I’ve Learned.  I was asked why I would have to quit my job when my vision got worse. The reader asked if the school was not obligated to accommodate me. She cited ADA.

The answer to that question is yes, and no. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” to employees with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are defined as “necessary and appropriate modifications and adjustments that do not impose a disproportionate or unfair burden upon the employer.” The burden can either be financial or it can be in efficiency of getting the job done.

On the job I am already being given reasonable accommodations. If you look back in the pages, you will discover I have accommodations in pretty much all aspects of the job. When I do classroom observations, I wear telescopic glasses. I use my CCTV to do file reviews and learn my kids’ educational histories. When I test, I have my testing manuals loaded on an iPad so I can zoom in and read the questions easily. The tech department took days to do that for me! I use my CCTV again to record answers on the answer sheets. When I write reports with the assessment results I use ZoomText. Lots of reasonable accommodations in my work day!

When I become unable to see my kids to do observation, unable to read test questions to them or record their answers, I will have to stop working. Requiring the school to hire someone to do all that for me so I could ‘sort of’ do my job would be an unfair burden. I would not be doing my job, my helper would and the school would be paying two salaries. That is not fair not appropriate.

In basic terms, ADA does not require an employer to carry the dead weight of a disabled employee when she cannot do the job. What it does is allow those who can still function pretty well to keep working by changing just a few things.

The reader asked if learning Braille would not allow me to keep working. That is an intriguing idea and I may research and write a page on learning Braille as an older adult. Braille, however, would not let me keep my school job. Braille will not help me see what types of mistakes Johnny is making on his math papers. Braille won’t allow me to see how Susie is daydreaming in class. Those are integral parts of my job that require sight.

So, to summarize, ADA moves barriers off the playing field so the disabled worker can run down the field himself. Under his own power. ADA does not require the employer to carry the employee down the field on his back. I have reasonable accommodations per ADA but when I cannot fulfill my job duties using them, I am done. ADA cannot help me.

The learning Braille in my 60s idea? I will get back to you on that.

Continue reading “About the ADA”

A Day in the Life: Work Day

Sunday evening and I am getting ready to start another week. Wow. I was always told time goes faster as you get older but sometimes it is ridiculous!

I was also told time flies when you are having fun, so I guess I am having fun! And, yes, it is possible to have fun with AMD.

Maybe we can do a book or an infomercial on that: Fun with AMD. Sort of like Fun with Flags from the Big Bang Theory. Any thoughts on content?

Anyway, I went to my exercise classes and wrote a couple of pages yesterday. Walked Beastie Baby. Today was a haircut and a trip to the local warehouse store. Also actually wrote that report I was putting off. Sorted some laundry. Found an audiobook I want to listen to. Busy, busy, busy.

But for me, busy, busy, busy is better, better, better.  Not only do you distract yourself with activities, but you get to use your talents.  Sometime in Sunday school I learned we are supposed to use what we were given. It was never said you use what you were given until you start going blind.

So onward! Lin suggested I do a page on a normal weekday. Okey dokey. Monday.

The time I get up is determined by what time the crazy transportation company says it is going to pick me up. I have learned I also need to be ready about 15 minutes before they said they would be here because they are frequently early. Jeez. Flexibility is a virtue.

Monday is different from a weekend day because I have to really be sure my clothes match. I cannot slink home in humiliation in an hour or so because colors I thought were one thing are another and clash….badly.

OttLight

I have a small OttLite on my ironing board but the best bet is still natural light. If all else fails, I ask my husband “what color is this?”

If we were talking Thursday for the weekday, I have to make sure I have everything I need for the entire day. That means I get on transportation with CCTV, purse, briefcase, lunch, yoga mat and workout clothes. Having a good memory and a strong back are also virtues.

Justand V2

Back to Monday. At school I set-up my portable CCTV. I turn on my computer and ZoomText is soon up and running. These things are invaluable. At home I often crank the font size up to 28, but all that magnifies is the text. ZoomText does everything on the screen. If you are on your computer all day, ZoomText is worth the investment. Also LOVE my CCTV, but the price on that is salty and you can get similar results with an iPad and Justand.

Sue’s Eschenbach Smartlux Digital Magnifyer

I check for lunch choices with my handheld reader. I also read anything I cannot get to my CCTV with the reader. Something nice about the reader is I can hold it up to something slightly above my head and take a photo of it. Nice little feature.

Since I was always dropping my reader – slippery little devil! – we put a lanyard on the arm on the back. I can wrap the strap around my hand. It has gone on the floor much less since.

 

To review some of these devices, check out Sue’s page A Day in the Life.

Sue’s Telescopic Glasses

My telescopic glasses help me do student observations. I look like an alien, but the kids are used to it.

Books such as testing manuals have been scanned onto my iPad. My tech person at school did 90% of the work but I also scanned. It was a bit labor intensive but it allows me to read questions and score.

That is pretty much a work day. Questions? Continue reading “A Day in the Life: Work Day”

Mess of Topics

How about a conglomeration this time? Excellent synonym for a mixed up mess of topics.

OK. Payment methods. That article just went into several different kinds of secure (we hope) payment systems that have sprung up since all of the credit card fraud and hacking has been occurring. These systems put an extra layer between your information and the outside world. Example: PayPal. I am betting most of you know MUCH more about them than I do.

Second topic: an observation I have made about myself recently is how little I actually wear my glasses any more. I am not finding them all that useful. Sort of discouraging considering this is the pair with all the bells and whistles and set me back $841!

I find the bifocals are not helpful at all when I am trying to read. The far point correction does not help either.

What works best with the CCTV and the zoom on the iPad is to ‘naked eye’ it. Anyone else experiencing that?

Oh, iPad. While I am thinking about it, I want to mention I just upgraded the system on my iPad mini. I think they enhanced the pinch and zoom feature. I tried to find something addressing it online but could not find anything. Just the same I believe zoom is working a couple of places it did not before. Writing my emails for example. I also think it zooms a little larger. I have been using the zoom window feature from the accessibility menu less since the upgrade. That feature can get a little flippy on me. Sometimes it sticks and sometimes you push a little too hard and your screen goes flying off. Maybe this will be a better option.

[Lin/Linda here:  There are several new accessibility features in iOS Version 10. Here’s an article with 4 of them.  One of the new features allows your iPhone camera to become an electronic magnifier. Here’s how to set it up.]

That was third topic. Back to the second topic I also find I don’t mind the gap (apologizes to the Londoners out there. I could not resist the pun) in my vision so badly if I don’t wear my specs. I have been myopic for over 50 years and without my glasses the fuzzy caused by the GA blends in with the rest of the blur. Strangely normalizing for me.

Bringing up another stray thought. Do you think people with a history of crappy eye sight adapt better to the problems of AMD and visual impairment in general? It would make sense.

Topic last: I am still trying soooo hard to turn my mind and adapt to this new reality. It is killing me! In case you have not figured this out (a little slow on the uptake? ?), I like to take charge. I think I have great ideas! Stepping back and letting others take the lead on this fitness community party thing is ridiculously hard. Can I run around freely and do what needs to be done? Ahhh, no. Therefore can I take the lead? Not really. Still want to. Old war horse here. What a momentous pain in the tush is AMD! Continue reading “Mess of Topics”

I Have Macular Degeneration…Now What?

June 2023 There’s an announcement that since Sue has not written any new journal pages for some time, the site has been archived until we can decide if the work necessary to make sure all information is accurate and up-to-date can be made. In the meantime, you’ll get some pages ‘not found’ or ‘private’ until that decision has been made. The emphasis for several years has been on the Facebook group.

Where can I quickly find information about AMD?

One of the best resources available is from the Prevent Blindness organization’s website called Guide Me.  You answer a few questions and you will get a personalized guide with important aspects of AMD based on your answers:

Click here to go to Guide Me.

Click here to watch a 4-minute video that explains what AMD is, what causes it, and what can be done about it.

Click here for a good list of Frequently Asked Questions.

Click here to go to a great site maculardegeneration.net where you will find articles written by people with macular degeneration and caregivers. They also have a Facebook page.

What other websites are helpful?

Here are some of our favorites:

Click here to find out should I take the AREDS or AREDS2 supplements?

Click here for a video that covers important information about AMD

Click here for a description of dry vs. wet AMD (we are not recommending any products in this article, but be aware that the site may profit from some products they advertise.)

Click here for an explanation of the stages of AMD (we are not recommending any products in this article, but be aware that the site may profit from some products they advertise.)

Click here to read about what happens if you have AMD in only one eye

Click here for some answers to common questions about depression after diagnosis

Click here for an article about how vision rehabilitation helps prevent long-term depression

Click here for a very comprehensive page about wet AMD

Click here for a very comprehensive page about dry AMD

Click here for an article about how fast AMD progresses

Click here for 10 questions to ask your doctor

Click here to find a support group (I’ve been told that this site may not be up-to-date. Ask your eye specialist for a referral.)

Click here for eye-healthy foods including a Healthy Vision Grocery List (2/14/2022 site wasn’t formatting properly.) Click here to read the answer to the question ‘What should I be eating or not eating to hopefully slow the progression of my AMD?’

Click here to find out what vision changes/symptoms to look for (we are not recommending any products in this article, but be aware that the site may profit from some products they advertise.)

Click here to find out about the people who can help you (what are the differences between the types of eye doctors, do I need to see a specialist, etc)

Click here for tips on how to make the most of the vision you have (section toward the bottom of the page; lots of other good information on the whole page)

Click here for a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) from the Macular Disease Foundation Australia.

Click here for a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) from our Facebook group.

Where can I do more research?

You can do searches on the Internet – there is a LOT of information there.  We have done a lot of research and here’s how you can find it.

Click here to go to How to Navigate and Search Our Website.

Join our very active Facebook group Our Macular Degeneration Journey. There’s lots more information there as well as support whenever you need it.

How do I move around on the website?

Click here to go to How to Navigate and Search Our Website.

To find about more about me, about Sue, about our project, go to the menu at the top of the page.

Reviewed 02/14/2022

 

 

 

 

Good Enough

The Cambridge English Dictionary actually gives a definition for getting one’s act together. Go figure. The good lexicographers offer the following as a definition: “To start to organize yourself so that you can do things in an effective way.”

Well, that is pretty much what I have always thought it meant. That is how I know I am not accomplishing it! The outcomes of my actions are not leading to my being effective at all.

I had plans to do great things this weekend. Friday sort of went to ‘holy hail Columbia’ because I spent all day shall we say “discovering the joys” of the new computer system at the office. I was sure I would rally and get lots done this weekend. Did I mention I am a cockeyed optimist?

First of all, my CCTV betrayed me. The battery went dead and refused to power back up. My husband thinks it is the transformer. That is the black box on the cord for us uninformed.

The replacement CCTV is supposed to be here Monday. That gives me several days to work under my back-up system, the iPad on my Justand. Not too bad. I fussed around until I got it so I could write under the iPad. Finding where I was supposed to be writing was ‘fun’. There seems to be a spatial distortion between where things are in reality and where they look to be magnified on the iPad screen. There were times I was using both hands to figure out where I wanted to write! Reading notes to type from was easier.

The other problem was the iPad kept going to sleep! Somehow it had been set to go dormant after two minutes of inactivity. In case you don’t know, you go into Settings to fix that little problem.  [Lin/Linda here: click here to go to instructions on how to change the auto sleep option on the iPad.]

I got the iPad set so it goes to sleep after a half an hour now. You can also set it so it never sleeps if you wish. I did not.

I had five psychological reports to write this weekend. I have one finished. Another almost done, another one is half done. I keep discovering I don’t have what I need to complete the job. For years I drove a station wagon or a hatchback. The cargo spaces were always full to overflowing with tests and scoring manuals. Now, if I am working at the office, half the time what I need is home. If I am home, it is at the office.

I find myself constantly changing direction because my original plan had been thwarted by not having the right materials for the job. Very frustrating.

So, to sum up, it appears I need to stop expecting great things. I have to stop thinking I should have it all together. Things break. There is a learning curve for every new skill and mastery takes time. Having duplicates for everything is just plain expensive and I cannot practically do that. This is my dose of my ‘new reality’.

Therefore, today I will finish what I can. Four half-done reports? So be it. At least I am closer to the goal than when I started. That will have to be good enough. Progress now. ‘Perfection’? Maybe later.

Continue reading “Good Enough”

Good Stuff Cheap

There is a discount store called Ollie’s.  Their motto is “good stuff cheap”. I am going to steal that motto to talk about my new toys!

standnew1The first thing I got yesterday was the Justand V2e.  It is made in China and distributed by Procomputing, Grapevine, Texas. My BVS rehabilitation therapist said they paid $120 for it.

What the Justand does is hold your iPad steady. That way you can use the free magnification app you downloaded from the App Store and turn your tablet into a magnifying reader just like a CCTV! If you are not really mobile, your Justand and iPad can also take the place of your regular reader. My reader was $600.

Justand= $120. iPad = $450. Magnification app = free. This set up is $570.00 as compared to the $3500 paid for my CCTV. Add the $600 for the reader onto that and we are talking about saving some serious money.

The second thing I got today was the KNFB Reader. The KNFB Reader is for sale in the App Store for $100. Watch out for this one when shopping. I saw something that looked the same on Amazon and the price was $1,000. Of course I may be wrong. We all know what it is like to not have the sight be what it used to be. Maybe what Amazon is selling is more than software???? Anyway, caveat emptor.  [Lin/Linda here: what Sue found on Amazon is indeed not just software, it is a phone which is only sold in Florida and costs $1,325.]

KNFB Reader is apparently made by Kurzweil, the people who were pioneering the technology in the 70s, in conjunction with the National Federation of the Blind. K and NFB; get it?

You take a picture of a page, hit a button and the machine reads to you. For some reason my iPad voice is an Aussie. Doesn’t matter. I understand her.

There are a variety of other languages available besides dialects of English. My habilitation person had a page written in English read in Turkish. Since my Turkish is, shall we say weak – OK, nonexistent – I had no clue how good the translation was. At least it sounded Turkish-ish.

The last thing I got was another app, AudioNote. The idea is to record lectures, etc., at the same time you are writing or typing notes on a page of the iPad.  I haven’t had a chance to play with it since I only received it yesterday. I will let you know if I get an opportunity to use it. The INDATA Project of Easter Seals has a how-to video on YouTube if you want to see what it looks like. Audio Note is $5 in the App Store.

I still have one more app coming. My habilitation worker thinks I need it. I have no idea what it is. I guess I will be surprised.

So, there you go. Good stuff cheap. Hope some of this is more in your price range. Continue reading “Good Stuff Cheap”