Macular diseases cause uncorrectable impairment of the central vision. In time, as the disease progresses, the patient’s ability to see what is in the direct line of sight becomes more and more tenuous.At this point, the best way to see what has disappeared in the center of your visual field is simply to look away.Now you will see it, not in the center, but in the peripheral vision. Also known as eccentric viewing (EV), this visual work-around can be easily practiced, and learned, to compensate for the scotoma or blind spot.
Practice these exercises to maximize remaining peripheral sight:
Look at an object straight on, then avert your eyes left, right, up, down, and around. Find the spot where you see best in your peripheral field, known by professionals as the PRL – preferred retinal locus.Move just your eyes, not your head.
Look into the silverware drawer and the utensils have no clear definition, look away and forks, knives, spoons become more apparent. Repeat this exercise in the medicine cabinet, desk drawer, and coat closet too.
Get into the habit of scanning left to right to see what’s in front when walking in the street. Avert your eyes to identify lights on crosswalks and be aware of the movement of traffic in your side vision.
Use your peripheral vision to identify signage at eye level, for example: restrooms, room numbers, office signs, doors in & out, etc.
When facing someone, glance away to better see their facial features in your peripheral field.
Try eccentric viewing while watching TV, close up, or at a distance.
Avert your eyes as you enter a room to get a better view of the layout, the furniture, and any obstacles in your path.
Experience more vivid color perception of clothing, home furnishings,while taking a walk in nature or looking at a bouquet of flowers.
Test your peripheral vision in all daily activities and discover where it helps most. Practice every day, learning requires repetition. In just a few days you will begin to develop the new habit, in a few weeks it will become second nature. For many macula patients adjusting the view eccentrically provides a significant boost to visual function. If it does not come with some ease, consult a Low Vision Rehab Therapist for specialized training.
Once upon a time, not so long ago, people believed that age-related macular degeneration caused total blindness. Today we know better. AMD affects people over age 50, resulting in a blurring of the sharp central vision used for reading, driving, identifying faces, and other detail oriented tasks. The peripheral vision is not affected and can be helpful in compensating. The dry form of AMD accounts for about 90% of cases, marked by slowly progressing changes. The remaining 10% have the wet form which causes more aggressive vision loss due to leaking blood vessels behind the eye. Treatment is available and effective in managing wet AMD.Patients are able to continue a productive and independent life with the active implementation of small changes and the embrace of technology.
Here is a collection of OE’s recent and most popular content on the subject, in recognition of AMD Awareness Month – February 2021.
Closeup of elderly woman’s eye
What Is AMD?
An explanation of age-related macular degeneration, thorough and well presented for review as an informative introduction or to refresh your knowledge. Read Now
Image of the logo for The Retina Counselor.
Emerging Treatments For AMD
A primer on clinical trials in the process for the next generation treatment and management of wet and dry age-related macular degeneration with an emphasis on more efficient and convenient patient care. Read Now
OE Patients Podcast in white text with magenta and white OE Patients logo.
Episode 14: The Retina Counselor
Listen in as Dr. Mrinali Gupta discusses the future of AMD treatments and how patients can best utilize the Retina Counselor report. Listen Now
Fresh vegetables and fruits spread out on a gray table.
The Anti-AMD Diet
This is one of OE Patients most popular articles. Improving nutrition habits through small dietary changes has been found to prevent and slow the development of AMD. Read Now
Older woman using digital tablet outdoors
Living Better With AMD
Patients should be to be well informed that although there may be no medical treatments available yet, for their AMD, it most certainly does not mean “nothing can be done.” Read this article for five ways to take action. Read Now
Dahlov Ipcar “Sunlight in Forest Glade” (unfinished, 2015)
Artists Work Through Macular Degeneration
If you think AMD is a career-ending diagnosis for a visual artist, this article will change your thinking. These artists continued to thrive, despite vision loss, and you can too! Read Now
Three generations of a family sitting on a park bench.
Hope For Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Progress with age-related macular degeneration shows a promising hope for the future. Read Here for what you need to know and what you can expect. Read Now
Something really good just got even better.The reimagining and rebuilding of HadleyHelps.org was well underway as the COVID pandemic kicked in. Both the update and the timing feels perfect, delivered at a moment when it was so needed. The distance learning experts, with 100 years of experience, launched a newly designed program beautifully attuned to the needs of the largest demographic for vision loss, older adults.And by the way, creating programs accessible for an aging population, actually, improve usability for everyone.
Hadley 2.0 is the newly developed approach for adult learners. Video and audio based learning opportunities are now presented in smaller bites that take minutes instead of hours. You decide, for example, which features of the iPhone you want to learn and in what order. Feel free to repeat a workshop, or even a sentence, as many times as you need to, there’s no limit. No need to worry about failing here, it’s all about success.
Image Shows senior woman smiling on hadleyhelps.org home page.
The pandemic compounded many of the challenges inherent to vision loss.It became clear that technology skills are essential, although the training has not always been so readily available, especially from the privacy of your own pace.Now you can log on to HadleyHelps.org and decide what you want to learn today. The primary categories are: Daily Living, Technology, Adjusting to Vision Loss, Braille, Recreation, and Working. A click on Technology brings up subcategories: Android, iPhone & iPad, Windows, Apple Watch & TV, Talking Books, and Zoom. Selecting iPhone & iPad brings up the courses organized by series. The very first is iPhone & iPad Low Vision Features, segmented into five quick courses: Zoom, Text Size, Dark Mode, Speak Screen, and Magnifier.Similar to a tasting menu, Hadley’s small bites are abundant and delicious, don’t stop at one, enjoy them all.Explore the entire catalog here.
The technology offers, alone, is enough to trigger a celebration, but there are many more topics and perks available to Hadley subscriber.
No fees or costs to the user.
Ask the Experts for a live tutorial.
Call in and join an interactive Discussion Group on a variety of topics including: cooking, crafting, writing, gardening, travel, Braille, and Spanish.
Listen to Hadley Presents Podcast.
Transcripts are available for all content.
Have a workshop printed and mailed.
Get alerts and email notifications.
Provide feedback after every workshop, Hadley is paying attention.
I have been a fan, a follower, and a Hadley learner, personally and professionally since discovering the iPhone VoiceOver Tutorials by Douglas Walker while on staff at Lighthouse. We often share Hadley links on OE and featured Hadley in the OE Patients Podcast Episode 3. The Hadley Institute is a nonprofit organization living up to its mission to create personalized learning opportunities that empower those with vision loss to thrive — at home, at work, and in their communities.Take advantage of Hadley’s learning opportunities and don’t forget to give back, from time to time, by supporting the great work they do with a charitable donation.
Dr. Mrinali Gupta talks about the Retina Counselor reports, published on OE, and how patients can best utilize the information provided on treatments in development for age-related macular degeneration and diabetic eye diseases.
Living in a pandemic, like living with vision loss, rattles our confidence and upends our sense of security. We have little choice but to accept the change and adjust to a new normal. In both scenarios it would be well-advised to embrace technology. Digital access is not an option today, it is a necessity.As the COVID shutdown curtailed major segments of daily activity, the internet opened, enabling us to order food deliveries, stay in touch with loved ones, visit doctors by video, work remotely and educate online.
Before the pandemic, patients with vision loss were counseled against isolating or social distancing. Now both behaviors are widely encouraged to keep everyone healthy and well. With faces partially hidden behind the safety of a mask, the ability to read expressions and recognize others is a problem suddenly affecting the population at large.
It would be fair to assume that the added restrictions would elevate the degree of difficulty for people with low vision. The downside appeared very steep for many in the early days, but as we settled into this new reality, it became clear there were some silver linings.
Image shows: Multiple faces on Zoom video conference screen.
Zoom Video
The now ubiquitous Zoom video conferencing platform will likely go down in history as the pandemic MVP. It stepped in to fill a potentially massive void with a virtual, and COVID-proof, face to face connection. The technology kept work and school ongoing remotely. It allowed for family gatherings, dinner with friends, support group meetings and therapy sessions.
And for those of us with central vision loss, it gave back an ability to see peoples’ faces more clearly than we had in years. I can attest to this experience as a patient with a visual acuity long documented as “counting fingers.” It’s amazing to zoom in and see someone’s facial details more vividly on a digital screen than if they had been sitting right beside me. It did not take long to find others also enjoying the gift of “Zoom acuity.”
Video calls can be accessed either on a smartphone, tablet or computer screen.Far more opportunities have opened up through this medium.People can now attend conferences, seminars and trainings online without the significant expense and travel requirement. Museums can conduct virtual and accessible tours, allowing their patrons in for the closest look at art ever.These are just a few examples of how virtual engagements are expanding.
Pandemic safety precautions pushed us, visually impaired or not, to embrace digital options to maintain daily life. Here are some of the highlights.
Image shows: Man with mask and gloves providing food delivery service to home.
Online Deliveries
Navigating a grocery store was never an enjoyable activity for people with vision loss. The pandemic necessitated a vast expansion of online delivery options, so shopping doesn’t have to be arduous anymore. Most of these services offer same-day delivery or curbside pick-up. Services like Instacart, Shipt and Prime Now also make it possible to communicate with the shopper to insure you’re getting exactly what you want. Once these accounts are set up and products are purchased, it becomes easier to repeat orders by accessing your previous lists. Amazon even has an Accessibility Customer Service Line, for customers with visual impairments, to assist with online shopping. The same goes for ordering take-out from restaurants for delivery through Seamless, Uber Eats and DoorDash. Generally, customers find this a better way and it is likely that most will continue with online deliveries in the long-term.
Image shows: Woman leades video business meeting from home.
Work from Home
The shift to work from home (WFH) happened on a scale and at a speed we would not have imagined achievable. The benefits of this arrangement may even exceed its original purpose of flattening the curve of COVID19 cases. According to Gallup (April 2020), a majority of employees would like to continue WFH even when the pandemic ends . For employees and job seekers with vision loss, the upside is that flexibility and quality of life is being widely recognized resulting in more opportunities. We discussed WFH in on the OE Patients Podcast (September 2020) and our experienced panel also agreed this development will serve to improve employment opportunities for people with visual impairments.
Image Shows: Health care provider talking with patient on video visit.
Telehealth
Patients quickly found telehealth calls and video visits quite appealing as a pandemic alternative with the understanding that they can supplement but not replace in-person visits. On the OE Patients Podcast (June 2020) Allen C. Ho, MD, a retina specialist, discussed better utilization for video visits beyond triaging the need for urgent care. He introduced us to the new hybrid visit being studied, which combines a quick in-person appointment for a fundus photo and OCT scan, followed by a video call with the provider to assess the images and talk with the patient. The result is efficient, high quality and safe patient care. Dr. Ho said, “I see healthcare moving more toward at-home and remote services enabled by technology and accelerated by the pandemic of COVID19.” Our listeners respond very favorably to more convenience and less time in waiting rooms.
Embrace Technology
The common thread throughout these examples of the pandemic silver linings is the use of technology. It is all within the grasp of anyone using a smartphone or tablet. With built-in visual and speech features these devices well-accommodate the needs of patients across the spectrum of vision loss. Age is less of a barrier than one might imagine. Pew Research (2019) shows 73% of people over 65 were Internet users, with screen time over 4 hours per day. We expect significant growth in internet usage for 2020, mainly driven by the pandemic.
Considering the number of Americans with low vision is projected to double by 2050, the American Academy of Ophthalmology stated in a press release (September 2019), “the tragedy isn’t that people have lost vision, it’s that most believe nothing can be done to improve their quality of life.” This is not true and AAO recommends patients make small changes that have positive impact and embrace technology.
Patients look to professionals for advice. Physicians and healthcare providers play an influential role in encouraging patients’ digital acceptance and preparedness. It is the key to maintaining independence and an all-important sense of normal.
A must-listen for everyone interested in clinical trials. Dr. Avni Finn takes us inside the process and thoughtfully provides the detailed guidance every patient needs to know.
The end of one year and the beginning of another is the perfect time to consciously consider ways we can do better with vision loss. Being aware of helpful resources and getting motivated to make small changes is a strategy that pays back in multiples. There is no limit to what you do, so select one empowering step you can take today and come back for another soon. We’ve curated a collection of our favorite OE articles and podcast from this year to get you inspired.
Here’s a small change you can make right away. If you’d prefer to have the text of pages on OE read to you, just click the button marked “Listen” on the upper right menu.
OE Patients Podcast in white text with magenta and white OE Patients logo.
Must Know Info About Adjusting To Vision Loss
Too many patients with low vision believe “nothing can be done” to improve their quality of life. In this episode Dorrie Rush and Jaydan Mitchell are busting that myth with a review of just the basics everyone needs to know about living better with vision loss. Listen to the Podcast Here
Savvy senior woman happily using smartphone.
Your Smartphone is a Comprehensive Low Vision Device
Living with vision loss, like living in a pandemic, requires us to accept change and embrace technology. Digital access is no longer an option, it is a necessity.Every patient experiencing changes in vision should know there are a multitude of accessibility options, available in their smartphones (and tablets), designed to help compensate low vision. Read More
Senior man talking using smartphone voice assistant outdoors.
How Ai Compensates Vision Loss
Today, Ai is ubiquitous. The technology that simulates human thought processing and response has the power to make many things a lot easier to deal with. It gives visual information a voice, and that is a dream come true for people with vision loss. But the real beauty is that it’s good for everyone. Read More
Image of woman dancing with man on beach.
Start Aging Better Today
The COVID pandemic brought a sharp focus to the high risk category that combines factors of aging with underlying conditions. We asked OE contributor and wellness expert, Michelle Milgrim, to help us understand how we can stay healthy with age. Her advice is inspiring. Read More
Image shows older man happily using a tablet.
Learning at Any Age with Vision Loss 2020
The path of least resistance is rarely the best route anywhere. There are untold rewards awaiting right outside the comfort zone. This is true for everyone, particularly as we age, and especially as we adjust to a visual impairment or legal blindness. Read More
OE Patients Podcast in white text with magenta and white OE Patients logo.
Ben Benson, Restaurateur
In our converstion, restaurateur Ben Benson shares his experience building a successful business, all the while dealing with progressive vision loss. He takes us from the start of TGI Fridays, to Smith & Wollensky and Ben Benson’s Steakhouse. He speaks of the many adjustments he made throughout, and how his favorite technologies — iPhone, Siri and Alexa — help him compensate. Ben passed away in April 2020 at the age of 89, here is a tribute in the NY Times.Listen to the Podcast Here
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As we get ready to say “good riddance” to 2020, it is worth taking a moment to review how very different this year turned out from the one we were expecting.It has been a difficult year in many ways for everyone, while it imposed much greater pain on some than on others. We learned that living in a pandemic, like living with vision loss, requires a willingness to adapt, adjust and accept that life is going to be different. 2020 is a year we will remember vividly and with the clarity its number represents. So before waving so long and farewell, let’s take a look at some of the titles on OE Patients that recall why hindsight is 2020.
If you’d prefer to have the text of pages on OE read to you, just click the button marked “Listen” on the upper right menu.
Image of social distance line markers.
The New, New Normal
Until recently the concept of social distancing, or self isolating, was generally discouraged, especially for people with vision loss. Now it’s a necessity for our ongoing health and well-being. Just a few weeks ago, seeing someone veer off course, to avoid getting too close, or refusing to ride an elevator with you, would have felt very strange. Now we are raising a hand to show appreciation for the consideration of the expanded need for personal space. The wave has supplanted the smile, which is no longer detectable under our masks. And with nose and mouth coverings mandated, many more people are finding their ability to recognize faces is temporarily impaired. Read More
Image of Cats Production on Broadway.
Accessing the Arts in Place
Online, it is also possible to continue enjoying culture and the arts through virtual tour and live-stream video. For people with vision loss, streaming live events can assure a seat front and center. Here are just a few of the options, although a Google search will reveal an abundance to choose from. Some opportunities are for a limited period while live gatherings are discouraged. Read More
Closeup Image of Doctor’s Eyes in a Surgical Mask
Ophthalmology in a Time of Corona
As ophthalmologists move from the urgent care-only phase, to scheduling routine eye exams again, it is important to know how patient safety is being protected. By now, all practices should be posting updated pandemic policies prominently on the homepage of their website, and including the update in the recorded messaging for patients contacting the office by phone. Being aware of the changes you will encounter during your next office visit will elevate your comfort and trust in the process. Read More
Colorful cleaning supplies on a light pink background.
Spring 2020: Get Clean and Sanitized
The first day of Spring 2020 arrived with very little fanfare. Our focus instead turned to copious cleansing, social distancing and sheltering in place. It can be difficult not to dwell on the devastating COVID-19 news of the day. Staying healthy and safe is everyone’s priority.We suggested a spring cleaning project as a needed boost to mental health and overall well-being, although these tips apply all year long. Read More
OE Patients Podcast in white text with magenta and white OE Patients logo.
Dr. Allen Ho Talks Pandemic Safety & Eye Care
Listen to our insightful conversation with internationally recognized retina specialist, Allen. C. Ho, MD on the risks of deferring eye exams, the implementation of safety measures and how the lessons of the pandemic can improve options of convenience for patients longterm. Listen Here
OE Patients Podcast in white text with magenta and white OE Patients logo.
WFH – Work From Home
Making work from home work for you, with Dorrie Rush, Jane Breheney and Jaydan Mitchell. Listen Here
Image shows: Hands holding envelope with “VOTE” printed on it.
Voting with Vision Loss 2020
To be sure, the United States election of 2020 was an historic day inside a record-breaking year. Because we voted in a pandemic, more accessible voting options were extended to all eligible voters. The expansion of early voting, and voting by absentee ballot, provides every voter with the opportunity to vote safely while minimizing the potential for crowding at polling venues. Read More
Image shows financial documents for estate planning.
Putting Your Affairs in Order
There is no denying, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to ask ourselves some important questions. Have I prioritized my health and well-being? Do I have enough saved for an emergency? Do I want the ventilator or not? Who gets my property should I die? Suddenly we faced the cold realization, there is no guarantee of tomorrow. As social activities deferred to a later date, the idea of creating a will began moving to the top of many a to-do list. Read More
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The low vision gift guide is one of OE’s most popular webpages of the year. Get the inside scoop as host Dorrie Rush presents the very best things to give or get.
In this conversation Dorrie Rush and Carol Yaple discuss what every patient, and their physicians, should know about the life-changing visual accessibility options in every smartphone and tablet.
Living with vision loss, like living in a pandemic, requires us to accept change and embrace technology. Digital access is no longer an option, it is a necessity.Every patient experiencing changes in vision should know there are a multitude of accessibility options, available in their smartphones (and tablets), designed to help compensate low vision.
Apple & Android offer similar accessibility options including:
Text Size increased and bolded
Screen Brightness adjusted
Dictation converts speech to text
VoiceOver, Talk Back screen readers
Zoom magnifies entire screen
video Magnifier up to 15x
Improve color contrast
Reverse contrast to white text on black
Color filters for legibility
Adjust intensity and brightness of colors
Speak Selection reads selected content aloud
Speak Screen reads page aloud from top to bottom
Highlight Content as it is spoken
Typing Feedback spoken
Select voice and set speaking rate
Audio Descriptions for video content
FaceTime, Google Duo or other apps for video calls
Voice Assistants
Siri, Google & Alexa await your voice command. Ask them to open apps, make calls, send messages, search the web, tell time, get weather, turn on lights, play music and much, much more.
Here are a few or the many special apps designed to help compensate visual loss.
Seeing AI, by Microsoft for iOS, is an intelligent camera app that reads text, identifies products, people, currency, color, scenes, and handwriting.
Soundscape, by Microsoft for iOS, a map with 3D sound provides background narration into your earbuds from the left, right and center, telling where you are, what’s around you and what’s ahead.
LookOut, by Google for Android, camera vision delivers information in 3 modes: Explore describes your environment, Shopping reads product barcodes and currency, and Quick Read reads signs, labels and mail.
Google Maps Detailed Voice Guidance, by Google for iOS & Android, added voice guidance feature in the apps navigation settings.
Aira, an acronym for AI Remote Assistance, teams artificial intelligence with live agents to help people with vision loss get around and get things done. The subscriber model combines both free and fee-based service options.
Be My Eyes, has 3 million volunteers signed up to assist 200 thousand visually impaired users, when they need to borrow a better pair of eyes, or directly speak with technical support or customer service at Microsoft, Google, and more.
Accessibility Support Phone Lines
Don’t go it alone, expert technical advice is a phone call away.
Apple Accessibility Support: 877-204-3930
Google Accessibility Support: Call on Be My Eyes app
If you like having the news read to you, it should come as no surprise many others do too. It’s a welcomed option for people with vision loss, and a much appreciated alternative for people driving cars, commuting, working out, taking a walk or cooking dinner.You may be one who also prefers listening to a human voice, as opposed to a computer simulated voice. The good news is you can get all that now, and more, for a small fee.
There is an abundance and a diversity of news stories available daily, on the News app from Apple, without a fee. However, the Audio content is part of the Apple News+ upgrade, for $9.99 a month in the US, and in the UK, Canada and Australia (with price converted based on currency , of course). The premium subscription gives you access to over 300 popular magazines, newspapers and digital publications in addition to the Audio features.
Image shows screenshots of Apple News+ Audio and magazines pages.
A curated selection of new Audio stories are produced each week highlighting longform journalism from a variety of publications that include Wall Street Journal, Time, Wired, Los Angeles Times, Vogue, Esquire, and Sports Illustrated, to name just a few. You’ll find a breathtaking catalog of publications in the Apple New+ subscription like The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, National Geographic, Vanity Fair, O Magazine, Food & Wine, Architectural Digest and hundreds more.
Apple News Today is a hosted daily news update available free to all listeners, Monday through Friday. This audio feature is a podcast review of the important topics of the day with a look at how top journalists are reporting the news.
Let’s not forget, there are a number of ways to get Apple News content read to you utilizing one of these useful features found in Apple Accessibility Settings: Speak Screen, Speak Selection and VoiceOver. These are excellent solutions for reading all print articles, courtesy of the computer voice, which honestly, to most ears, is quite good,
Apple News is available free on iPhone, iPad and Mac devices which offer an opportunity for customers to experience a free month subscription when adding Apple News+.
