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About Low Vision
There are many people who have a vision loss that is not correctable with typical eyeglasses or contact lenses. They've lost some vision and are unable to see well enough to participate in activities that are important to them. We say that these people have low vision. Eye diseases like macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, Stargardt's disease and glaucoma, among others, are common causes of low vision. For many years there have been optometrists who help low vision patients see better so they can return to a more normal life. Special telescopic or microscopic glasses are often prescribed which help the person return to reading, driving, using a computer, participating in hobbies or crafts. Some people are able to return to work. Most of these people have been told by their eye doctors that nothing can be done to help them. It is true that there is no cure for these diseases and the vision will not return to normal. The job of the low vision optometrist is to evaluate the person's remaining vision and prescribe appropriate glasses or other devices which magnify what is seen, making it easier to see.Free Telephone Consultation My practice is totally dedicated to helping low vision patients. That is all that I do. I always speak with patients before scheduling a low vision evaluation. That helps me understand how much remaining vision they have and what their goals are. I also answer questions and give the person an idea of what to expect from the evaluation and from the special glasses. I only schedule people who I can help. Call me for a free telephone consultation. I will be happy to speak with you and I will tell you if I can help you see better. Call toll free 1 866 321-2030 I see low vision patients in offices in Roanoke, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg and Wytheville, VA. More information at VirginiaLowVision.com and facebook.com/VirginiaLowVisionOptometrist
iPhone Helps for the Visually Impaired
Yesterday a man who I've known since he was a child came in to have a small repair made to his telescopic glasses. TJ is now 53 years old and his vision has been worsening gradually over the years. While he was here he gave me an amazing demonstration of how a smart phone can help someone with a severe vision loss.
We were talking about guitar music and he mentioned a couple classical guitar artists who he enjoys. I was in one room and he in another and I heard him talking to his phone. He was making requests of "Siri" that I was not really paying attention to. In a couple minutes he came in holding the phone and he asked if I'd like to hear some music by Doc Watson. He immediately started the music playing. He wanted me to hear some other artists and by making requests of Siri and Pandora we were able to enjoy a couple others of his favorites.
He told me that he had asked Siri for directions to my office. TJ was not the driver. He and Siri were navigating.
TJ showed me how he could ask Siri for a particular type of music from Pandora. When a list of selections came up on the screen he touched each one and the iPhone spoke the name of the musician and the song. Pretty amazing.
He demonstrated how the phone is able to help him find helpful information. He asked Siri to find a recipe for deviled eggs. Sure enough, it popped right up.
TJ has spent a lot of time mastering the many different ways that the iPhone can help him and it is a tremendous help. What a blessing this fantastic technology is to a person with a visual impairment.
