Low vision

One second is all it takes to know what time it is. That is, if you can see your watch or clock. On the other hand, if you are blind, have low vision, or are deaf blind, it would be a very different situation. You may even think of resorting to the help of others in doing this vital task due to the disability you have.

There are, however, a number of assistive technologies you can use to independently know the time. Below we talk about some of the most common time-related devices and software for blind and visually impaired persons.

Once or twice while surfing the Net, you may have felt your eyesight become blurred or find it hard to focus on the screen. This is normally not a problem as you can always rest for a while to regain your perfect vision. But try to imagine yourself having limited vision all the time. What do you think are the challenges you may face as you browse web pages? How can they be solved?

The answers to these questions as well as additional related information are what we’ll focus on in this post. As you may know, we’re running a series about the challenges of Internet users with disabilities. This is the third installment in that series of posts.

Our friend Marvin will help us in identifying the common problems faced by low vision individuals. You may remember Marvin as that guy who shared with us A Day of a Low Vision Person. Let’s see what he’s been up to lately.

It is interesting to know that a particular technology can serve more than one purpose. Take for instance the concept of closed-circuit televisions. Originally designed for surveillance and industrial processes, closed-circuit televisions or CCTVs have been proven to be useful for people with visual impairments.

Here, we will focus on how CCTVs can help visually impaired persons in carrying out daily reading tasks.

In part 1, we saw how Marvin, a guy with low vision, starts his day, goes to school and does the typical tasks of a student. We saw how he uses technologies to help him do the stuff he would otherwise find very difficult due to his low vision.

Let’s now follow him as he continues his day at the university.

Being comfortable in looking at the screen is very important when using the computer. For people with perfect vision, this does not pose a concern. But for people with limited or low vision, it may be difficult to see images and regular text on the screen.

An application known as a screen reader can provide the needed solution for people with visual impairments. Here, we will take a look at what a screen magnifier is, and how it helps persons with low vision.

Through the last three weeks, we followed Lisa, who is a blind woman, and examined how she uses technology to help her. Today, we will start talking about people with low vision.

When talking about sight-related disabilities, most people would quickly think of blind individuals. There is, however, another similar disability, and it involves limited or low vision. A low vision individual does not have perfect eyesight, but at the same time, he cannot be considered as totally blind.

We’ll find out more about this disability by following a person having this visual impairment. Here, we will take a look at the disability-related issues he encounters and how he uses mainstream and assistive technologies to solve these issues.