Meeting Life’s Challenges, LLC

Meeting Life’s Challenges, LLC
Making Life EasierTM for people with chronic illness (and everyone else too!)
9042 Aspen Grove Lane, Madison, WI 53717 ph 608-824-0402

The Accessible Home: 10 Blind and Low Vision Tips
Every seven minutes, someone in America will become blind or visually impaired. By 2030, the estimated number of visually impaired Americans 65 and older will double to seven million. Vision impairment can result in the loss of independence. Here are a few tips that will make living in your home easier if you or someone you love is blind or visually impaired.

Increase Size
• Use large and bold print reading materials, even game boards and playing cards.
• Use magnifiers — everything from a simple magnifying glass to high-tech digital readers — to enhance your vision. A low vision specialist can help you determine the best magnifier for you.
• Use large print, high contrast computer keyboards, calculators,
telephones, and remote controls.

More tips to follow.

LARGE PRINT CALENDER AND PLANNER

It's hard to find a calender I can use for work. My Ipad calender is great but I always write my appointments in a calender. I found this one by searching Large print weekly planner. The numbers and lines are easy to read as the name implies - See It Bigger.

Plan Ahead See It Bigger 18 Month Planner, July 2014 - December 2015, Assorted Colors, Color May Vary

• 3 year reference calendar
• monthly laminated tabs
• monthly and weekly format
• Customer will receive one Planner in any of the following colors: Assorted design colors: Berry, Blue, Black. Color is random and cannot be chosen at this time.

WARNING SIGNS OF LOW VISION

Here are warning signs of low vision:

• Having trouble recognizing friends' and relatives' faces.
• Having problems performing tasks that require you to see things up close, including sewing, reading or cooking.
• Having difficulty matching clothing or distinguishing colors.
• Having trouble around the house because the lights don't seem as bright as they once were.
• Having difficulty reading road and street signs or store-front signs.

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, make an appointment with your doctor.

MY FAVORITE PENS

Pilot® G-2 Retractable Gel-Ink Pens

Bold point, 1.0 mm Varsity of colors. 
Smooth writing gel-ink is water resistant and smear-proof. Contoured rubber grip conforms to your writing grasp for maximum comfort. 
Acid free for documenting and record keeping.

AT&T Mobility

If you or somebody you know is blind or visually impaired, then you'll definitely want to take note of AT;T's latest offering for its Android phones, which is certainly more charitable than its prior solution. For a limited time, the carrier is distributing a free, customized version of Mobile Accessibility, an app that provides voice cues and assistance for completing many common tasks on Google-powered smartphones. Users will find the ability to place calls, send email and text messages, set alarms, browse the web, find their current location and more. With voice synthesis provided by Nuance Vocalizer, the app traditionally retails for $99 in the Android Market -- so it might be wise to act quickly on this one. To learn more about Mobile Accessibility Lite, you'll find a quick video tour and the full PR after the break

HELEN KELLER

Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything good in the world.

PORTABLE ELECTRONIC MAGNIFIERS

I have a different type of magnifier called a Pebble with is simple to use. Enhanced Vision sells both models.

Enhanced Vision - A New Generation of Portable Electronic Magnifiers Means Independence for the Visually Impaired

Portable Electronic Magnifiers

 

April 11, 2012   Health News

(PRLEAP.COM) Huntington Beach, Calif. (April 11, 2012) - Enhanced Vision, America's leading manufacturer of electronic magnifying devices for the visually impaired, launched a flexible solution that will bring independence to many people currently struggling with various low vision conditions including Macular Degeneration, Retinitis Pigmentosa or Stargardt's disease.

Transformer's intuitive design adapts to the diverse needs and lifestyles of individuals with low vision. For the student who can't see the blackboard to write down daily assignments, the employee who can't see the spreadsheets or follow along during a presentation and anyone else in-between, Transformer VGA/ USB portable electronic magnifier is quite the welcomed solution. "Because of its adaptability, Transformer VGA/USB is the ideal choice for anyone who has ever wanted more out of a magnification device," said Barron Javaheri, President of Enhanced Vision. "


Transformer features:

Lightweight design

Magnification up to 30x

Camera rotates 330°for reading, distance & self viewing modes

Auto install software / plug & play

VGA/USB connectivity for laptop/computer*/monitor

Compatible with popular magnification software & the latest windows operating systems

Captures and stores images

28 custom color select modes

Self contained on/off LED lighting

Battery operated – up to 4 hours

Includes soft carrying case and cloth sleeve

Memory setting for each camera position

2 year warranty Transformer VGA/USB is not only compact and portable but the auto install software makes setting-up a breeze!

*Minimum Requirements Apply

Currently, more than 15 million people in the United States are diagnosed with low vision conditions, such as Macular Degeneration which makes everyday activities like reading, writing, and ordering at restaurants a real challenge. And with America's aging population, this number is expected to double by 2020. Leading eye care specialists have discovered that video magnification is a solution for these individuals to regain and maintain their independence.

For more information about Enhanced Vision and their products, please call
(888) 811-3161 or visit www.enhancedvision.com.

About Enhanced Vision
Enhanced Vision is the leading developer of innovative products designed specifically for people who are legally blind and have macular degeneration and other low-vision conditions. The company offers the most comprehensive line of electronic magnifying solutions and has helped thousands of people regain their visual independence by providing the ability to read, write, watch TV, enjoy hobbies and live an active life again. Headquartered in Huntington Beach, Calif., Enhanced Vision products are available in more than 70 countries worldwide. For more information, please call (888) 811-3161 or visit www.enhancedvision.com.

STAIRS

This weekend we went to Savannah GA. It's a beautiful old city. I the last time we went to the river front I hadn't lost my sight. It was the summer of 2001. It must have been funny seeing me "walk down" the stairs to the river front. I had to hold on to the handrail with both hands ,stand sideways, and step one foot and a time. It was about a fifty-foot ladder shaped stairs. The streets are brick and stone. In some areas the spots around the stone was warn away and the stone stuck out. I felt like I was hiking. On the way up we took a different route. I always say going down is harder but I'm glad we skipped the stairs. I got my exercise in Savannah.

FREE 411

I just renewed my Free Directory Assistance Application from AT&T. Here's how you can apply.

Directory Assistance Exemption Program

Providing helpful dialing assistance

AT&T recognizes that directory assistance services can provide helpful dialing assistance for customers with significant visual, cognitive, and physical disabilities. That's why we're pleased to waive the per call charge to AT&T 411 Info for those with qualifying disabilities.

Dial 4-1-1 for listings and more

AT&T lets you DIAL 4-1-1 from your wireless phone for information on the go. Dial 4-1-1 to quickly and easily get local and national numbers and addresses. Receive a text message with the listing and connect at no additional fee. 4-1-1 Info can utilize your location to find a business near you. It also offers movie showtimes, turn-by-turn driving directions, reverse lookup, and business category search - all with access to live operators 24/7. Get the info you need. Dial 4-1-1 today.

With each call, you can receive up to four requests and we'll connect you at no additional charge. The rate for AT&T 411 Info is $1.99 per call, plus airtime, roaming, and applicable long distance. Additional surcharges may apply when off the AT&T wireless network.

Who qualifies?

To learn if you qualify for our Directory Assistance Exemption Program, or to obtain application and certification forms by mail, please call the National Center for Customers with Disabilities.

o Voice calls: 1-866-241-6568
o TTY calls:  1-866-241-6567

For more information and to apply for the program, download the 411 Directory Assistance and Data Exemption Form (pdf).

VISION QUESTION

Vision Questions

Getting information about vision problems just got easier.

“Ask an Eye M.D.” is a new Web-based service that the American Academy of Ophthalmology haestablished in order to answer the public’s questions about eyes and eye problems. Not all questions can be answered by the site’s panel of ophthalmologists, but those that can be will
be posted online along with their answers.

In addition, the questions and answers will be archived for quick reference later.

To submit a question to “Ask an Eye M.D.” or to learn more, visit www.geteyesmart.org.


Lifeglow

May - June 2009, Vol. 26, No. 3