Aids for the visually impaired
Magnifiers, magnifying glasses, binocular glasses, monoculars. What accessories can you find in the SPEKTRUM? What makes daily life easier for patients? How to use the available aids?
Who is a visually impaired person?
A visually impaired person is one who, despite corrective glasses, still has difficulty performing some daily activities.
What is the difference between a visually impaired person and a blind person?
In blind people, the visual analyser does not function well or is practically non-functional, so they are deprived of the optical information provided by the environment. They have very great difficulty in analysing external stimuli using their organ of vision. Therefore, blind people derive their knowledge of the world through touch, hearing and smell. These are usually people who can perceive the intensity of light during the day, night or artificial light. In contrast, visually impaired people function well on a day-to-day basis thanks to their sight, but there are situations where things can get complicated. Reading, recognising certain shapes, working at a computer, dusk and lack of access to good lighting are often challenging for them. They move mainly with the help of an assistant.
What are the aids for the visually impaired?
There is a lot of aids available for visually impaired people these days. These facilitate daily functioning in society. Reading newspapers, checking the time, performances at the theatre, shopping at the on-line shop. Everything is constantly being improved and adapted to the needs of users. Unfortunately, visually impaired people may have acquired visual problems that have resulted from their previous lives. Constant computer work, reading in the evenings without good lighting, exposing the eyes to high brightness on the phone and computer. These are just some of the causes of visual deterioration.
Aids for the visually impaired available at SPEKTRUM:
Binocular glasses – an optical instrument that allows the sharpness of the image seen to be adjusted – enable both near and far vision. They are lightweight; therefore, visually impaired people benefit from them when watching TV, especially when a film is subtitled. They take them with them to cinemas and theatres when they have seats in the back. In binocular glasses, the lens parameters can be adjusted for each eye separately.
Monoculars – an optical device to help visually impaired people who are monocular. If they see less well with one eye, monoculars make it easier for them to see smaller elements with just that eye. The telescopic system used in them allows the focal length to be changed, allowing a visually impaired person to see at closer and further distances. Simply put them to the eye and adjust the focus to read previously unseen sentences.
Magnifying glasses – glasses that are mounted in a classic frame. These provide high magnification and a large field of view. Thanks to them, visually impaired people can obtain excellent quality of reproduction of objects lying close to them. The patient will have their hands free to carry out various activities. Their main purpose is to eliminate reading problems.
Magnifiers – an optical instrument with a focusing lens. They create a simple and magnified image for the visually impaired. A magnifying glass can be a great accessory for observing plants, insects or maps. Visually impaired people can also use a magnifying glass when reading the paper press. They are not big and heavy, so you can always take them in your bag or even your pocket.
Websites – our website has been designed so that visually impaired people can use it without difficulty. Simply select one of the available options by clicking on the icon in the right-hand corner:
- larger text
- smaller text
- high contrast
- bright background
- underlining of links
- clear font
Find out more!
Need further information? Do you have questions? Feel free to contact us!
