FAIRHOPE, ALABAMA Upcoming library program addresses vision issues

FAIRHOPE, Ala. — A new educational program for visually impaired computer users will soon begin in Baldwin County. Through the joint efforts of Cheryl Bradley of the Fairhope Public Library, volunteer Anne Hinrichs, AiSquared, Project A.C.T. (Accessible Computer Training) and Dr. Joe Fontenot of Community Services for Vision Rehabilitation (CSVR), the program will help visually impaired computer users.

A new program to improve the computer skills of adults suffering from vision loss will be introduced by Dr. Joe Fontenot (above) on Oct. 12 at the Fairhope Public Library. Staff photo by Curt Chapman.

The program, scheduled to begin next month, will begin with a talk by Fontenot about low vision and the aids and devices available, including computer accessibility features and special computer software. The session will take place on Oct. 12, from 1:15 to 2 p.m., in the Giddens Auditorium at Fairhope Public Library.

Following this introductory talk, there will be a computer workshop on accessibility programs by Hinrichs, who is a volunteer computer instructor for the library. This will be held from 2:30 to 3:30. If you would like to attend the latter session, advance registration is required because space is limited. Email reference@fairhopelibrary.org, or call 251-929-1464.

Fontenot said 15 computer stations at the library are equipped with software designed to help those with vision problems. The new program is a way of introducing new users to the capabilities of the software, both at the library and at home.

“It’s the first (program) of its kind,” he said. “It’s one of the first in the state tied to a public library. This is really going to be nice. With this software, they can continue to use the computer.”

Macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma and diabetes can all rob someone of their vision, Fontenot said. He pointed out, “There’s an epidemic of diabetes related to the epidemic of obesity. You can go blind from it.”

According to Fontenot, vision loss in the United States is expected to double by 2040. Right now, he said, “it’s more common than ever.”

The ongoing program will be coordinated with the existing computer education programs at the Fairhope Public Library.

AiSquared, the maker of Zoom Text and other adaptive software, has been supportive of the program, according to a library press release. Software and keyboards were obtained through Project A.C.T., a grant program funded by the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities.