Sue’s journey with AMD began before 2016, but it was early that year when she began to write about it. It was also when she got assistance to help her to continue to work. In Pennsylvania, that came from the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation’s (OVR’s) Bureau of Blind and Visual Services (BBVS). Through them, she received what she calls her ‘toys’ and training to use them. I call those toys her toolkit.
They helped her find a CCTV, a Smartlux handheld video magnifier & reader, and MaxTV telescopic glasses. For her iPad mini, she found free apps to do things like magnify.
She was using her CCTV almost every day. She used her iPad to watch her favorite TV shows and movies and to listen to free audiobooks through the BARD app from the National Library Service. At her job, she had been using the ZoomText on a desktop computer. She’d explored the apps NaturalReader and KNFB Reader.
The tools in her toolkit haven’t changed much. She continues to use her CCTV almost daily which is a device she recommends to those with low vision. One of the ‘toys’ she still loves is her iPad where she watches TV shows and movies, listens to audiobooks through the BARD app, and sometimes uses the text-to-speech apps. At work, she continues to use a PC with ZoomText.
I think that what is important is what she said:
“I guess what I am saying is don’t give up on learning how to deal with your vision loss. Human beings are very adaptable creatures. You will be amazed what you can do when you try.”
What’s in YOUR toolkit?
Let us know!