Tag: legal blindness

Gia Pergolini is a Champion

Congratulations to Gia Pergolini for delivering the first Team USA gold medal at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Her first place finish, in the 100 meter backstroke, was her second consecutive gold medal in this event. In Tokyo 2021, she took gold and set the world record. In Paris, Gia also won silver in the 50 meter freestyle. More about Gia below, in video and in conversation.

Gia Pergolini wins FIRST AMERICAN GOLD of Paris Paralympics | NBC Sports

Read original post from NOV 18, 2021…

Many rise to the challenge of vision loss, but very few break world records and earn gold medals to prove it. Gia Pergolini did, in the 100-meter backstroke, as a member of Team USA at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in August 2021. At seventeen, she certainly showed us how it’s done. Gia set her sights on gold and was prepared for it by a competitive swimming career that began at age five. Along the way she picked up two silver medals and broke four world records. A visual impairment would not deter this world-class athlete.

Gia’s world record setting gold medal win in Tokyo and interview at Retina Society 2021

I spoke with Gia one Saturday afternoon following her swim practice and was particularly interested to learn more about her point of view. Here are the questions I asked, followed by the answers, in her own words.

How do you explain or describe your visual impairment to someone?

“I usually just say, in the simples words as possible, because I don’t know what good vision is. I explain, I can see, but it’s very, very blurry. I can see who is in front of me, but I can’t tell what eye color they have, or if they have makeup on, or not. I also say that I have blind spots in the middle of both my eyes and if I position my eye in a certain way, I can actually see the blind spots.”

The visual impairment Gia describes is the result of Stargardt Disease, a macular degeneration, causing progressive central vision loss while leaving peripheral vision in tact. She was affected from a very young age.

What are the technologies you use everyday?

“Obviously, I love my computer and my phone, I think those go hand in hand. Just the ‘zoom in’ features on my phone, especially nowadays a lot of my work for school is online, so my Mac and Apple phone can zoom in. The ‘zoom In’ feature on my iPhone has saved my life. I did not know that existed until my friend, Anastasia Pagonis, (and roommate at the Tokyo games) actually taught me this. And I use my Zoom Mag video magnifier, if I have to take tests or quizzes at school.”

You have benefited from the services of CVI, Center for the Visually Impaired, in Georgia, how did they help?

“They were super helpful. Not a lot of the teachers at my school were educated on this, they didn’t have a student like me. CVI reached out to them and explained what was going on and told them what they could do to help me in the classroom. They showed me new technology the would also help me in the classroom. They were just hugely helpful because they were there to help guide my parents through this weird and confusing time.”

How do you find the accessibility of your schoolwork today?

“It has improved a lot, CVI was so good that I found what worked for me and I just stuck with it. Now in the classroom I just need my video magnifier and the computer and I’m all good. I’m at a place where I’m comfortable in the classroom.”

Vision loss is often misunderstood by people not experiencing it, what would you like them to know?

“ I think they should just keep an open mind and listen. I feel that is the best advice you can give to someone who is not educated on something. Try to be in that person’s shoes, veer from stereotypes, because not everyone who is ‘blind’ has dark glasses and a cane, or uses a guide dog.”

What advice would you give about dealing with a visual impairment?

“I would say, there is always a way to work around things. It may not seem fair, but you can get so much out of it with positivity. Like my sport, I would not be where I’m at without my visual impairment. So just look at the bright side, and I know it might be tough, but if you need help find someone to talk with or find an organization that can help. There are many resources online”

Gia Pergolini sets an empowering example for people of all ages. Find the things that work and practice to improve your ability. There is so much we can learn from, and teach, each other. Help elevate awareness, and educate others, to the fact that people are often visually impaired, even though it’s not visible. Most important, if you need help, get it.

Thank you Gia!

September 26, 2024
Voting With Vision Loss

November 5, 2024, Election Day in the USA, is approaching. Election laws and voting regulations vary by state, some have recently changed in significant ways, so it’s important to check current policy for early and absentee voting where you live. The best way to confirm your registration and mail-in deadlines is to call your local Board of Elections or go to Can I Vote and select your state.

Voting with vision loss can certainly present challenges, but that should never preclude you from exercising your right. Democracy is a serious business and we’ve seen, in many elections now, how every vote matters. All eligible voters should participate in the process, no excuses.

The way elections are managed from state to state may vary, but the basic rules of voting are the same across America. You must be registered to vote in every state, except North Dakota. Voters with visual impairments should know there are several ways to get the job done with relative ease.

Vote Absentee Ballot

Absentee ballots are available in all 50 states and can be requested in advance, online, or by phone at your local Board of Elections. For many people with vision loss, this is the preferred method because it can be accomplished in the privacy of your own home. The post office cannot guarantee the delivery of mailed ballots less than 2 weeks before the election, which means this process should be completed by the second week of October. Your ballot can be delivered by hand to the Board of Elections office or polling place during the early voting period or on Election Day.

Voter placing her completed ballot in box

Vote in Person with Assistance

On Election Day or once the early voting phase begins, plan to join a friend or family member and get a little help casting your ballot. This is an option many visually impaired voters find easiest to accomplish. Your polling place will also offer in-person voting assistance. To ensure transparency, the assistance provided is bipartisan in nature. Your ballot will be marked as you wish, with the oversight of a designated Democrat on your left, and a designated Republican on your right. It’s actually a meaningful gesture for the country, a representation of how our political parties can work together for the common good.

Accessible Voting Machines

To vote in person, independently, ask for the accessible voting machine which enables your use of enlarged text, or an audible guide, to assist in marking your ballot. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) requires one accessible ballot-marking device, and that a person trained in its use, be available in every polling location.

Giving up your vote is never a good option.

Go to vote.org online for help registering, checking your registration status, requesting a mail-in ballot, or learning more about your state’s voting options and requirements.

Post originally published Sep 24, 2020, and most recently updated Aug 7, 2024

August 7, 2024
Accepting A Slower Speed

Adjusting to vision loss always means accepting that some things will be different, and that very likely includes the speed at which you get things done. It doesn’t mean you can’t, it just means you need to allow more time. Personal and professional skills and abilities are not less valuable at a slightly slower speed. If you make an amazing omelet, or write beautiful poetry, or negotiate incredible contracts…don’t let vision loss stop you.

Giving up is never the best option. Learning a new way to do something independently, feels better than depending on others to do it.

Be patient with yourself and consider these practical tips to help you keep it moving.

Get Organized.

Whether it’s a closet, kitchen, or bathroom — everything has its place. Being able to reach into a utensil drawer or a medicine cabinet and find what you’re looking for, because it’s exactly where it belongs, is priceless. Time to Get Organized.

Leave Extra Time.

It is no longer feasible to operate by the seat of your pants. Giving yourself a cushion in terms of time is the smart way to proceed.

Manage Expectations.

Don’t overestimate how much you can realistically get done in any given time period. Re-evaluate, prioritize, and acknowledge accomplishments.

Use Magnification.

Make sure you have the right tools to magnify the text you encounter each day. Magnifiers Are A Must

Listen.

Consider transitioning some of your daily reading to listening. There are numerous ways to utilize audio for books, newspapers, and computers.

Listen to this article with the ReadSpeaker button, located in the top-right corner of this page. VoiceOver Speaks to You.

Automate.

Set up online banking and eliminate the arduous monthly hell of writing check and balancing accounts on paper. Your balance updates automatically online and your bills are paid with the press of a button. No envelopes, no stamps, no snail mail. 6 ways To Make Bill Paying Easier.

Practice.

Learning something new requires practice. Don’t give up on anything until you’ve repeated it 20 times. By then you will have totally adjusted over to it. And, once you know it, you know it. Learning at Any Age with Vision Loss.

Post originally published Nov 21, 2017 and updated Nov 9, 2023

November 9, 2023
Skewed Views on Vision Loss

OE Editor, Dorrie Rush looks right
toward camera and smiles

2023 Letter from the Editor

It’s 2023, happy new year. The number boggles my mind, for so many reasons. Since 2020, it seems we have been living in an altered universe. Although the hope was life would eventually return to normal post-pandemic, deep down we knew things might never be the same. A stark reminder that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. The lost sense of normalcy and need to accept and adjust felt oddly familiar to life with vision loss

As age 65 approaches, I am compelled to look back, 33 years, to the start of a life changed by progressive vision loss. Having known only 20/20 vision to that point, it was hard to understand what was to come. The questions far outweighed the answers. I feared total blindness as I was simultaneously encouraged to believe there would be a cure in the next 10 to 15 years. Three decades later, neither cure nor blindness has become a reality.

Although my vision qualified as “legal blindness” 20 years ago, the terminology is misleading. My visual acuity has not been recorded with numbers for a very long time; instead my eyesight is reduced to absurd classifications such as: counting fingers and waving hands. This deceptive language insults my intelligence and my eyesight. At the very same eye exam, when I say I cannot read the forms they are handing me on a clipboard, they say, Oh, you don’t look visually impaired.” I reply, “Yes, I do, this is what visually impaired looks like.”

The fact is, I am still able to type this article into a computer and see the words magnified on screen. I have never stopped working or felt the need to declare myself disabled. The fears I felt early on did not come to fruition. My life was changed, but not interrupted or devastated. It would be more accurate to say, it has given me purpose. By sharing my experience, I hope to convey a better understanding for everyone touched directly, or indirectly, by vision loss.

Communication on this topic is anything but clear. The OE post titled, Surprises Contained in the White Cane, brought up a pervasive ignorance about the cane. We heard from too many visually impaired cane users being called out, in public, for faking blindness. Some have been accused of faking sightedness because they do not use a cane. I tell someone I have not seen in several years about my recent adoption of the white cane; they ask, “Can you see anything? Do you have light perception?”

Skewed perceptions perpetuate stigma. As I said in the white cane article, “It’s a conundrum, of poor public awareness caused by inaccurate terminology, and a correction is long overdue. Vision loss is a spectrum, and that deserves a better understanding.” Let’s not make it any more difficult than it has to be.

January 10, 2023
OE Patients Best Of 2021

It’s that most wonderful time of the year, when we circle back and take a look at OE’s most popular posts from 2021. Move forward and discover an audio guide for baking, advice on utilizing peripheral vision and the power of small changes. The list includes our most read content on accessible technology and emotional well-being. We want you to be inspired to develop a new skill or create a good habit for the fresh new year!

If you’d prefer to have the text of pages read to you, just click the button marked “Listen” on the upper right menu.

Gia Pergolini shows gold medal triumph. Image Credit: Cady Studios

Gia Pergolini is a Champion

She is OE’s Person of the Year. At 17, Gia Pergolini is a world class, world record braking swimmer, and a gold medalist in the Tokyo Paralympics. She teaches us about strength and grace while living with vision loss.

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Image shows plate of delicious freshly baked brownies.

Breaking Eggs Makes Baking Audible

Take a delightful baking class with professional baker and former Great British Bake-Off contestant, Ruby Tandon. Both the experience and the results are delicious! It will maKe you wish more cookbooks were audible.

Read Now

Woman practicing eccentric viewing.

8 Ways to Practice Eccentric Viewing

Advanced macular degeneration leaves a blind spot in the center, eccentric viewing can help you learn to actually see around it, utilizing the unaffected peripheral sight. Here are some easy ways to practice and make it natural.

Read Now

Image shows: 2021 Happy New Year banner.

This Year Small Changes Are Big

Feeling overwhelmed by vision los, or the pandemic, try dealing with change in smaller, bite-size increments. Join us and explore ways to get things done in minutes instead of hours. Breaking up monotony and boosting efficiency will help restore our sense of stability.

Read Now

Image shows Hadley workshop image of iPhone in hand.

Meet Hadley 2.0, Your Private Tutor

Hadley is the vision loss resource everyone needs to know. A welcoming place to learn technology, access podcasts, attend workshops, join discussion groups and more. Log in to this user friendly environment online, or they’ll even mail the printed content to you. It’s unique and amazing!

Read Now

Image shows: large screen with video meeting participants

Pandemic Silver Linings for Low Vision Patients

Well yes, we are so tired of talking about the pandemic, however, it cannot be denied, there were many interesting surprises in it for visually impaired people.

Read Now

Image shows Apple AirTag in case with holder.

Lost and Found with AirTags

Once again, Apple has created a product that is inclusive and exclusive, all at once. It’s also good for your health, because it eliminates the anxiety that occurs when you can find keys, wallets, etc., as you’re leaving the house.

Read Now

Old friends playing chess

Don’t Allow Vision Loss to Affect Your Cognition

We like to say, “vision loss affects your eyes not your brain,” but that is not totally true. Here are the tips for avoiding cognitive issues and dementia related to low vision.

Read Now

Image shows serene woman relaxing with a cup of tea.

Prioritize Your Emotional Health

Mental health does not take care of itself, you must be an active participant. Here is the excellent advice of our health & well-being expert.

Read Now

December 29, 2021
Legal Blindness Can Be Confusing

There is a term related to vision loss that is misunderstood and chronically misinterpreted. Most people have heard the term but do not know what it means. It consists of two words which do not clearly articulate their purpose. Let’s clarify what Legal Blindness is, and what it is not.

What is legal blindness?

Legal blindness is a government standard measurement of visual acuity that qualifies a person for disability benefits and disqualifies their ability to drive. The US Social Security Administration defines legal blindness as vision no better than 20/200 or a visual field of 20 degrees or less in both eyes. This means if something is 200 feet away, you have to stand 20 feet from it in order to see it clearly, but a person with 20/20 vision can see it clearly from 200 feet away.

What is the difference between legal blindness and total blindness?

Total blindness denotes a complete lack of vision, also referred to as no light perception (NLP). Approximately 15% of people who are legally blind are totally blind, the majority have varying degrees of visual impairment. The terms are frequently conflated, causing a good deal of the confusion.

Can you be legally blind in one eye?

No. The vision in both eyes must be no better than 20/200 OR must have a visual field of 20 degrees or less.

It is also possible to be deemed legally blind if one eye has a field of 20 degrees or less and the other eye has an acuity no better than 20/200.

Can you be legally blind if your vision is correctable?

No. There is no such thing as, “legally blind without my glasses,” if your vision loss is correctable with lenses, be very grateful, you are not considered legally blind.

Is your driver’s license revoked if classified as legally blind?

No. There is no requirement that legal blindness be reported to the Department of Motor Vehicles. An eye doctor may advise you to stop driving long before you reach legal blindness. Don’t resist that advise, it should be taken seriously for your safety and the well-being of others you’ll encounter on the road.

Image shows woman looking at eye chart with one eye covered.

Is legal blindness the same as actual blindness?

No. About 15% of people who are legally blind are totally blind, 85% have impaired vision. Referring to everyone who meets the legal blindness qualification, as “blind” is not accurate or appropriate. It is really up to the individual, how they wish to identify. While many vision loss terms have become largely outdated, the two that are widely used today are visually impaired and low vision, representing a spectrum that describes vision loss ranging from 20/70 to 20/1000 and beyond.

According to the CDC, approximately 12 million people in the US, over age 40, have low vision, or uncorrectable vision with an acuity of at best 20/70.

What are causes of legal blindness?

Most legal blindness occurs in adults over the age of 40 and is caused by progressive eye diseases including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma. Some people are visually impaired since birth and others inherit eye diseases, like retinitis pigmentosa, Stargardt Disease and Leber’s, that present earlier in life. Other illnesses and accidents can also cause severe vision loss that reaches the level of legal blindness.

How do people deal with legal blindness?

Legal blindness need not be a watershed moment, don’t be derailed by the psychology of it. Dealing with progressive vision loss should begin long before this point. If you are not notified of this milestone, it will more than likely pass without your knowledge. Keep things in perspective and use this opportunity to explore potentially new resources available to you. Ask your doctor for referral to vision rehabilitation services in your area, which you now may fully qualify for.

What benefits does legal blindness qualify for?

Legal blindness means that you qualify for some government benefits that may include vision rehabilitation services, vocational training, disability benefits and some tax exemptions. Most benefits require further qualifications and an intensive application process.

Additional resources at:

VisionAware: Vision Rehabilitation Services

VisionAware: Visual Impairment and Social Security

October 29, 2021
OE Patients AMD Guide

There is a lot to know about age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This is particularly true for newly diagnosed patients, but also important for patients at every stage of AMD.

STAY POSTED with OE Patients monthly updates, here’s the signup.

Wrinkled Face Of Elderly Woman

What is Age-Related Macular Degeneration?

You’re not alone if you were recently diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It’s one of the most common causes of visual impairment in older adults, affecting millions in the United States alone. Chances are the nice woman sitting next to you in a clinic’s waiting room has AMD also and is undergoing treatment.

Read the Article

Fresh vegetables and fruits spread out on a gray table.

The Anti-AMD Diet

One of our most popular posts, authored by a nutritionist and wellness expert, looks at the impact diet has on slowing the progression of AMD. It’s popularity reflects the interest in, and importance of, making healthy food and lifestyle choices for better outcomes overall.

Read the Article

Three generations of a family sitting on a park bench.

Hope for Age-Related Macular Degeneration Patients

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common eye condition that impacts millions in the United States alone. In our previous article, What is AMD?, we explored the different levels and types, as well as major risk factors. Thankfully, treatment is an effective option now. Even just fifteen or so years ago, having the advanced form of AMD almost guaranteed that your vision would become severely impaired.

Read the Article

Artists Work Through Macular Degenerat

Artists Work Through Macular Degeneration

These visual artists with AMD, in their 70’s and 80’s, continued to flourish, some crating their best work after vision loss. They inspire us to carry on doing what we love to do.

Read the Article

Three seniors using different technology in a living room.

OE Agrees With AAO

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO), most patients with age-related vision loss believe there is nothing they can do to improve quality of life. AAO and OE want patients to know — that is not correct.

Read the Article

Image shows group of AMD patients applauding.

NEI Study Shows AMD Vitamins Work

A 10-year follow-on study by the National Eye Institute confirms the AREDS2 supplement formula is effective in slowing progress of AMD in patients with moderate to advanced disease.

Read the Article

Image of the logo for The Retina Counselor.

The Retina Counselor – AMD

Learn about treatments in development for AMD and find a printable PDF to discuss with your retina specialist.

Read the Article

August 30, 2021
Give Yourself the Gift of Empowerment

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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December 18, 2020
Improve Your Outlook
Optimism and positivity are inherited traits. Studies show they can also be learned behaviors. It is never too soon, or too late, to build the skills that help us bounce back from adversity.

Facing vision loss is a daunting proposition by any standard. Although we may feel discouraged and overwhelmed at times, getting trapped in negativity is detrimental to overall health and well-being.

Possessing the ability to change the way we think, is a gift in itself. Choosing to exercise our mental muscle builds resilience and resolve. Working on a brighter perspective won’t improve your eyesight, but it will help you see better.

Visual impairments range from minor to severe across a wide spectrum. Even the great majority of people meeting the qualification for “legal blindness” have significant usable sight. People generally exhibit an amazing ability to adjust and carry on. A positive outlook and can-do spirit are qualities key to success.

Here are a few steps toward a brighter perspective:
- Acknowledge and value the vision you have. Take time each day to look around and appreciate the things you can see. Go for a walk in the park. Admire the ever-changing sky. Watch the sunrise or set. Get close up to see the face of someone you love and give them a kiss.
- Live in the present, don’t waste precious time lamenting your vision past or future.
- Give yourself credit for triumphs, even small ones. Every success builds confidence and buffers against depression.
- Practice and repeat. The more you do, the better you get.
- Use your experience to help others. Optimism is infectious.
Tell us: what keeps your glass half full?

This article was first published August 7, 2017 and refreshed August 20, 2020
August 20, 2020
GoGo Grandparent Gets An Uber Without An App
Uber and Lyft are technology companies operating new-age transportation networks on a global scale. Their names have become synonymous with dated terminology like taxi or cab. They deliver transportation to people where and when they need it. The entire process fully transacted on a smartphone app.

Naturally, this seems like a perfect fit for the transportation needs of older adults. But according to a study by PEW Research, less than 1% of Uber customers are 65 and older, while about 4 in 10 seniors are using smartphones.

Justin Boogaard was living with his Grandma Betty, after college, when she gave him the idea for GoGo Grandparent. Betty noticed her grandson was taking a lot of Ubers wherever he needed to go. She recognized this could be a great way for her to get around as well and she wanted to get in on the action. One problem: Uber can only be summoned by app, and Betty didn’t have a smartphone.

Image shows a grandmother happy and talking on the phone.

Necessity is, after all, the grandmother of invention. Justin set out to find Betty an easier way to get an Uber, and a startup was born. GoGo Grandparent takes the app out of the equation as it adds people back in. Less technology and more personal attention open up these transportation services to a significant demographic they would not have otherwise attracted. With GoGo Grandparent the transaction is conducted by phone, with customer service agents. They order the car, communicate with the driver, and monitor your trip.

There is technically no age requirement, so you don’t actually have to be a Grandparent and you can schedule a ride from any phone you choose. The concierge fee for this service is $0.27 a minute, which means if the ride takes 15 minutes the fee added to your fare is $4.05.

Uber and Lyft cars are notoriously difficult to locate, particularly if you are visually impaired. GoGo Grandparent can help by making the driver aware and by providing the customer with more detailed location information.

Image shows a smiling grandfather talking on phone.

GoGo Grandparent recently added a membership requirement and new services – here’s an update.

Basic Membership

The basic membership now carries a monthly fee of $9.99, enabling customers to order an Uber or Lyft from any phone, no app required. There is also a Concierge Fee, of $0.27 per minute, added to the fare and billed to your credit card by GoGo Grandparent. No cash is exchanged. Set up custom pick up locations, use voice commands for ordering, and set up family alerts to keep your loved ones in the loop.

Gold Client Membership

An upgrade to GoGo Gold Client is $30 a month and and it offers premium perks including:
- Driver rings your doorbell, buzzer, or house phone
- Driver accompanies you to the car
- Gold Client calls are priority transferred to an operator
- One cancellation free every month
- Prescription pickup & delivery
GoGo Gourmet & Grocery Deliveries

Just in time for the COVID-19 pandemic, GoGo Grandparent expanded its app-free ordering to include food and groceries delivered to your door. Restaurant orders are fulfilled by delivery services like DoorDash, GrubHub, Postmates and Uber Eats, with a Concierge Fee of $6.50 per order for Basic Members, $2 for Gold Clients. Groceries are fulfilled locally by Instacart, Walmart, Postmates and Shipt, with a Concierge Fee of $13 for Basic Members and $5 for Gold Clients.

If this sounds interesting and you think you’d like to try it out, GoGo will also give you a 30-day free trial.

Phone: 855.464.6872

GoGoGrandparent.com

Please note, this article was not paid for, affiliated with, or endorsed by any third-party companies. The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author’s.

Originally published on October 2, 2017 and updated on June 17, 2020.
June 18, 2020
Learning at Any Age with Vision Loss

In these changing times, embracing technology is essential. We’ve resurfaced this popular article to remind you how to adopt and adapt, successfully.

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.

There is ample proof that physical fitness rewards us with multiple long-term benefits. Learning new skills is in fact, critical exercise for the brain. Just like weight training or cardio workouts, you will love how good it makes you feel.

Learning something new is a process we each have many personal references for. It is similar to our earliest learning experiences: learning to ride a bicycle, to swim, to skate or to play an instrument. At first, the prospect seems daunting. You are inexperienced, wobbly and unsure. But the more you do it, the better you get. At some point, after a fair amount of practice, it becomes ingrained in your muscle memory. You can now do it without really even thinking about it too much. It has become second nature.

The way you approach learning can be applied to learning anything. For the purpose of adjusting to vision loss, let’s look at it as it pertains to technology. There is no good reason to give up the use of a computer, smartphone, or tablet because of a visual impairment. It means it’s time to learn a new way to use it, employing their built-in accessibility features.

Many people succeed in learning new things, and many don’t. There are 5 necessary elements to getting the job done and they do not require an inherent skill or aptitude. That means, saying you are not good with technology, for example, is not a valid excuse.

A woman with short hair talking and holding a tablet with lights in the background.

Here are the 5 key elements that converge in successful learners:

Desire

They possess a strong personal DESIRE to learn something specific. They are not doing it because someone else wants them to.

Learning to use an iPad is very broad and feels overwhelming. Learning to use an iPad for email, or to read a book or a newspaper, is specific and manageable. It’s fine to have more than one specific, but it is best to learn one application at a time.

Instruction

They find tutorials or training. The options for instruction do not have to be structured or formal, they can be accessed by phone, online or in person.

More advice on this in these articles on OE Patients:

Savvy Seniors Tech Support Resources

Accessibility Support Phone Lines You Should Know

Let iPhone’s VoiceOver do the Reading

Commitment

They COMMIT to doing the work and get in for the longterm, determined to succeed.

Practice, Practice, Practice

They are willing to PRACTICE every day for 1-hour, minimum. No excuses. Repetition is pivotal to the process.

Results

They get RESULTS. Successful results are the foundation for more of the same.

That’s the simple but winning strategy. Do not forget you have an impressive portfolio of successful learning to draw from.

This article was originally published April 28, 2018.

April 23, 2020
Glaucoma Awareness: Early Detection Saves Sight

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, strategically placed at the start of each new year to remind us to schedule our annual comprehensive eye exam because early detection is still the best way to prevent the irreversible vision loss that can be caused quietly in the early stages and without noticeable symptoms. According to Prevent Blindness, more than 2.8 million Americans age 40 plus have glaucoma and nearly half do not know they have the disease.

When it comes to glaucoma awareness, it’s always a good time to improve your understanding and evaluate your risk.

Glaucoma is an increased pressure in the eyeball. It can be thought of as a “plumbing problem” with either too much fluid entering a closed system or not enough fluid going out. The result is an elevation in the intraocular pressure. Over time the pressure will irreversibly damage the optic nerve, which sends visual information from the retina to the brain.

There are no overt symptoms, so the vision loss which begins peripherally can quietly progress unnoticed. Early detection is key to saving sight. Regular comprehensive eye exams are the best way to detect glaucoma in its early stages. Although there is no cure, there is effective treatment. Eye drops are commonly prescribed to control the pressure.

You are at a higher risk for developing glaucoma if you have a family history (especially a sibling), are of African, Asian or Hispanic descent; are over age 60, have diabetes or are severely nearsighted. If you are affected by any other eye disease it is also important to have your pressure tested regularly.

Woman giving man eye pressure test. Credit: Mayo Clinic

It should also be noted that pressure problems often occur after retinal procedures and may last for short or long periods of time. Dependent on individual patient anatomy or pathology, these pressure changes require careful and sometimes immediate attention if permanent damage to the optic nerve is to be curtailed or prevented. Pressure elevations may even occur long after retinal procedures, a result of “altered” slow changes in tissues over time. While everyone should be aware of the need to check their intraocular pressure on a routine basis, those having undergone a retinal procedure should be especially vigilant in the immediate postoperative period and periodically thereafter. Often slow elevations occur without noticeable symptoms.

Should you find yourself in any of the risk categories mentioned, please consult your ophthalmologist and be meticulous in keeping up with your exams to avoid visual impairment, legal blindness, and potentially even total blindness.

Eyes with a dropper. Credit: RD.com

This article has been updated from original version published January 11, 2018.

January 17, 2020