Visual Aids for Macular Degeneration
Visual aids for macular degeneration help maintain your independence and help you to maximize your useable vision.
These aids for low vision include many more products than just magnifiers. There are specialized glasses and large number, large print, or talking aids to assist you in maintaining your independence and to help you continue to do the things they enjoy.
It is important that you find ways to adjust and adapt as your macular
degeneration progresses. Identify first the activity you want to do and then find the appropriate aid to help - such as telling time. Possible solutions are a large number wall clock or a talking wrist watch.
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Macular Degeneration Aids
You can continue to do many of the hobbies you find enjoyable - you just have to do them differently with the help of visual aids. Macular degeneration magnifiers, cooking aids, large print books, and electronic reading devices are just a few of the great aids that can help you.
From large button TV remotes to talking calculators, there are solutions to your loss of central vision. If you give up the things you enjoy too easily, a sense of hopelessness and depression can set in. But when you find new ways to read, watch TV, use the phone, cook a dessert, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and independence.
Listed below are several low vision solutions that will make everyday living a bit easier. Vision aids for macular degeneration include a variety of gadgets and tools such as magnifiers, lights, bold print books, and contrasting colored measuring cups that allow you to enjoy everyday pleasures such as reading, playing cards, baking, and watching movies.
Check them out here.
TV Glasses
High definition and large screens make today's TV's better than ever for seeing vivid colors and detailed images.
However, that beautiful view can still appear blurry to someone with macular degeneration.
We bought these television glasses for my father-in-law who has wet AMD in one eye and dry AMD in the other eye. Normally he pulled his chair up really close to his 42" high def TV.
Now he can sit farther away from the TV - on the couch at home or at a friend's house and enjoy clear, vivid TV viewing thanks to these distance magnifiers.
After several months, he says he is still enjoying the clearer vision thanks to the TV glasses. Find out some easy tips to help making TV watching more enjoyable or how to enlarge the screen with TV magnifying glasses.
Macular Degeneration Magnifiers
Low vision magnifiers are perhaps the most often used of all aids for macular degeneration.
However, there is no one magnifier that is going to be able to help with all of your different reading needs or hobbies.
Small pocket magnifiers to full page magnifiers make it possible to check a price tag or read your favorite newspaper.
From desk top magnifiers to pocket magnifiers or TV screen magnifiers - there is a magnifier for your every need.
Find a task or hobby frustrating because of your limited vision? There is often a solution.
Macular Degeneration Magnifiers
Talking Visually Impaired Products
Amazon has a technology that benefits those with macular degeneration or those with other low vision problems. With a simple voice command you can:
Check Weather
Play Music from Amazon Music, Pandora, iHeartRadio or Spotify
Set Your Alarm
Set a Timer or a Reminder
Ask a Question
Manage Your Calendar
Keep a To Do List
Listen to the News Headlines
Talking Products for Visually Impaired
Keyboard for Visually Impaired
A keyboard for the visually impaired will use contrast, back light and/or large print letters and numbers for easy visibility.
Contrasting colors can include white on black, black on white or yellow on black. Check out some ideas here:
Keyboard for visually impaired
Large Button Phone
Are you finding it difficult to make a phone call because you are having trouble seeing the numbers on your phone?
Then find out how you can make this task simpler with larger buttons, bigger numbers and easy speed dialing.
You can also get talking caller ID and amplified sound for those who are hard of hearing.
Read more about low vision phones by clicking here:
Macular Degneration Aids for Telling Time
If you are over the age of 50 and for sure if you have macular degeneration, reading the numbers on an average watch is difficult at best and usually not even possible - especially in low light.
One of my father-in-law's favorite low vision aids is his talking wrist watch. He just presses a button and holds the watch up near his ear to hear the time.
The watch also has large numbers with dark black numbers on a crisp white background for better visibility.
Large Number or Talking Wrist Watch
Large Number and Talking Clocks
Want to know what time it s when you wake up in the middle of the night? A large number clock with a black background and contrasting red numbers can be visible often from a distance.
Talking clocks announce the time and will often have large number displays so the numbers are easy to see.
You may want to know about some special features, like clocks that tell you what time it is or ones that display the month and date, before you make your purchase.
Click here to check out ways to keep track of time:
Low Vision Lighting
One can maximize their usable vision and reduce magnification power with improved lighting and helpful strategies of how to best use light.
The need for more light increases as macular degeneration progresses. From general lighting to improve safe navigation around your home to task lighting for reading bills or books, find out how improved lighting can make a big difference in your ability to perform tasks and to get around at home.
Macular Degeneration Lighting Tips
Low Vision Aids for Writing
Don't let macular degeneration keep you from writing. The most important tip is to have a gooseneck or adjustable lamp on your desk so that the light can be directed onto your paper.
Use wide lined paper that has a darker and thicker line which is easier to see and follow.
Click here to read about some other simple tips and inexpensive visual aids for macular degeneration that will help keep you writing your checks, grocery lists, letters, etc:
Lighted Magnifying Mirror
A lighted magnifying mirror and an electric razor is a winning combination for my father-in-law.
Light and magnification make it easier to perform grooming tasks - like shaving, putting on make-up or styling one's hair. Check out some of the different features like battery operated for portability or large viewing area to see your whole face ....
Macular Degeneration Aids for Grooming
Macular Degeneration Products: Large Number Easy to Read
Large Print Checks & Talking Calculators
You can continue to keep your own financial records and bill writing with just a few inexpensive visual aids - like large print checks and check register.
Large print checks make it possible to pay your own bills and maintain your own finances.
Check with your local bank, most of them will offer these checks as one of your options.
Always keep your checks plain with no designs or graphics for easier viewing.
To learn more about these aids, where you can purchase them and some other tips for low vision writing and book keeping click here:
Large Print Checks and Talking Calculators
Book Magnifier
You may have found yourself reading less and less - because it does take more effort to read with macular degeneration.
However, the less you read the more you will lose this ability. The three most important considerations to read without eye strain are:
1. Direct lighting
Use an adjustable gooseneck lamp to adjust the light onto the reading material
2. Font Size
Get large print books from your library or book store.
3. A book magnifier
Instead of giving up, find out how a book magnifier can make reading enjoyable again:
Macular Degeneration Aids for the Kitchen
Macular degeneration aids for the kitchen include large number measuring cups, voice activated timers, pre-packaged food, and contrasting cutting boards.
With some tips and strategies you can continue to make your own meals or entertain others in your home.
Many of these low vision kitchen gadgets are very affordable and easy to use.
To learn about other products to help with cooking and tips for adjusting in the kitchen click here:
Macular Degeneration Aids for the Kitchen
Macular Degeneration Glasses for Distance
Is it hard for you to distinguish the face of your choir director or read road signs or watch TV? Just as there are magnifiers for close up vision there are telescopic lenses for seeing in the distance.
And... just like the magnifiers, the type of telescopic device you buy depends on what task you want to use it for.
There are hand held monocular telescopes (for use with one eye) and binoculars (for both eyes), as well as telescopes that are mounted to your eye glasses. A prescription is required, as well as special training from a low vision specialist.
Macular degeneration glasses for magnifying distance is just as important as magnifiers for close up tasks. These glasses can be used for watching movies, enjoying a play, admiring your grandchild's face, golfing, gardening - really any activity where you need something several feet away to be magnified.
Dr. Henry Greene the co-founder of Ocutech, explains to us how these glasses work, how someone might know if they would benefit from these glasses and where to get evaluated.
Macular Degeneration Glasses for Distance Vision
Low Vision Games and
Large Print Playing Cards
Have you become concerned that your friends no longer want to play cards with you because you are having difficulty seeing your cards?
Don't let macular degeneration slow you down.
Find ways to adjust - this one is an easy one. Buy low vision playing cards with bold, bright colors.
Remaining actively involved in activities that stimulate the mind while enjoying the company of friends - whether it is with your local bridge club or playing poker with the guys - is vital to your emotional and mental health.
Low Vision Games and Large Print Playing Cards
Large Print Calendar
Visual aids for macular degeneration don't need to be high tech. They can be as simple as a calendar that uses bold, large print with lots of space to write down appointments.
You can still write down your appointments and birthday reminders on a large print calendar.
There is plenty of space to use a black 20/20 Pen so that it is easily readable as well. You can see how this big print calendar uses big bold numbers to make it easier to see for those with age related macular degeneration (AMD).
Because writing becomes more difficult for those with AMD buy a calendar that has lots of space to write down appointments or special occasions. Look for these features:
√ Large, oversized numbers
√ Bold, black print
√ Lots of space to write down appointments
√ Nonglare paper
To get your large number calendar from click here:
Jumbo Large Print 2022 Wall Calendar 13-Months, Spiral and Punched to HangTalking Scale
A talking scale automatically turns on when you step on it and will speak in pounds or kilograms.
These scales can be one of many vision aids for macular degeneration. A clear, understandable voice will state your weight so that you don't have to struggle to read the numbers. However, they usually have a large number display as well for easier reading. They are battery operated.
Some of them offer the option of turning on or off the talking feature. A talking scale makes it possible to manage and monitor one's weight by listening to a voice that reports one's weight in pounds or kilograms.
My Weigh XL-550 Talking Bathroom Scale
Visual aids for macular degeneration are most often specific to a task -
such bioptic telescopes for watching TV, page magnifiers for reading
the newspaper or large number phones for easier dialing.
For people with AMD, there is a visual aid for almost every task. Adjusting to this visual impairment by using vision aids will reduce frustration and provide a sense of independence.
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