What are low vision aids?
Devices, either optical (magnifiers) or non-optical (lighting and electronic systems) that can be used to improve the quality of vision.
There are low vision aids which can help you to do lots of useful things close-up, like reading or seeing control buttons on a cooker. There are also other low vision aids which can also be useful for seeing things which are far away, like road signs or looking at a view.
Magnifiers
If you have found a problem with everyday tasks such as reading a price tag, viewing the TV schedule, seeing the controls on the cooker or watching TV, then using a magnifier can help in making the print or object large enough to see.
Magnifiers have different strengths and designs so they can be used for different things. They vary based on their power, lens type and design purpose.
Magnifying Power
On the whole, the larger the size of the magnifier, the weaker it will be. More powerful magnifiers are smaller and have to be held close to your eye and what you want to look at. With stronger magnifiers, which are smaller, you might not be able to see as much at once, you may be able to read parts of words rather than whole words or sentences.
Whilst a magnifier’s power can be measured in a number of ways, the most common method is the “times magnification”. Given as a number e.g.” 3x” it describes how many times larger an object will appear when viewed through the magnifier than with the normal eye. So a magnifier with a 3x magnification will make objects appear 3 times larger than without the magnifier.
Magnifiers can be optical or video based.
Optical magnifiers include:
- Hand-held magnifiers
- Dome or bar magnifiers
- Stand magnifiers
- Magnifying spectacles and spectacle mounted magnifiers
- Telescopes and Binoculars
Generally available in power ranges from 1x to 20x.
Video magnifiers can be hand-held or plug into a TV or computer monitor. They operate as a Closed Circuit Television using a camera to feed the picture to the display device. They can provide from 2x to 60x magnification.
Magnifiers for looking at near objects
Hand-held magnifiers are used for things to be seen close up and are often known as “magnifying glasses”. They are designed for short term tasks such as reading menus, prices and medication. They are very versatile, easy-to-use and portable and can be held in either hand above the print or object. Hand-held magnifiers can be round, oblong or square with strengths from 1.5x to 15x. They are available with or without light sources.
Illuminated Hand Magnifiers are available with LED bulbs providing a good white light to improve contrast. They have a very low power requirement provided by a battery which makes the device very portable.
Pocket and folding magnifiers are smaller versions of the hand magnifiers which are slim and handy to fit in a pocket or handbag. They are ideal for taking out and about e.g. for shopping, and may have an integral case into which the magnifier can be folded or placed for protection. Strengths range from 2x to 10x magnification.
Dome magnifiers are round or dome shaped magnifiers which are placed directly onto the page to be read providing a steady image. The magnifier can be moved across the page to see the line of text and can be used hands free on the page. The dome shape of the magnifier can help to increase the illumination of what is being viewed as its shape guides all available surrounding light onto the page. Strengths available are up to 2x
Bar magnifiers are shaped as a long bar and used for reading and following lines of text. The device will magnify one line of text. They are also placed on the page and can be used hands free and moved across the page. Some models come with an integrated red guideline to aid reading. Strengths available are up to 2x
Stand magnifiers are magnifiers mounted on stands that rest directly on the object or page being viewed. They are designed for extended viewing of near objects such as when reading or writing. The device can be used hands free so can be good if hands are weak or shaky. The magnifiers are available in different shapes and sizes and in strengths from 2x to 20x magnification which will be consistent as the focal distance is set by the size of the stand.
Illuminated stand magnifiers provide the added benefit of built in light with the addition of LED bulbs. The batteries of these magnifiers tend to last a good length of time as the LED bulbs require low power and the bulbs don’t blow. Illuminated stand magnifiers can be plugged into the mains or are fitted with batteries which aids portability. The addition of the lighting improves the contrast of the text being looked at improving the quality of the vision.
Hand/Stand magnifiers are devices which can be both hand-held and also have an integral fold out stand. They have the advantage of both the portability of a hand magnifier together with the stability and hands free capability of a stand magnifier which can be used for example to put a pen underneath to sign documents.
Magnifying spectacles are designed for hands-free viewing of near objects for an extended period of time, such as reading, especially in bed. Worn as normal glasses they have stronger lenses which are thicker than normal lenses and can magnify objects close to. Objects have to be held much closer to see them clearly but it enables the user to have both hands free. There are also magnifying spectacles for near and intermediate distance such as TV viewing which consist of two sets of lenses where the space between the two can be adjusted to alter the magnification.
Spectacle-mounted magnifiers are either fitted into the spectacle frame or clip on. They can be very strong lenses which clip on to spectacle frames or telescopes which are pre-fitted into the spectacle frames or within the lenses for near, intermediate and distance viewing. Spectacle mounted magnifiers can be made to be used by one or both eyes. Care should be taken with telescopic mounted magnifiers to avoid walking around whilst wearing them as disorientation could occur with the restricted field of view which will make things appear much closer than they are.
Magnifiers for looking at things in the distance
Monoculars are mini-telescopes which you look through with only one eye. They make distance objects clearer and some can magnify for near as well by changing the focus. Monoculars are pocket-sized and portable so can easily be carried outdoors. Unlike magnifiers the bigger the telescope, the stronger it is and strengths range from 2.5 x to 10x magnification. Weaker monoculars can be mounted onto spectacles but the stronger ones are too heavy.
Use two eyes for looking at objects in the distance. They can be compact and portable and as they are hand-held a steady hand can be needed to use them. Magnification ranges from 8x to 80x.
A video or electronic magnifier operates as a closed circuit television system. The electronic magnifier plugs into a TV screen or computer monitor to display. The user puts the material to be viewed underneath a special camera and the page appears on the screen. The user then has controls to make the print bigger and bolder. These video magnifiers provide the highest levels of magnification and help to enhance the contrast of the objects being viewed. Magnification can range from 2x to 45x. The systems are versatile, hands free and have integral lighting with the ability to change the contrast and colour combinations and to zoom in and out. Portable versions connect to a PC and smaller CCTV readers are available. These have a hand-held camera that can be moved across the page and which is plugged into the TV to display the image. The size of the image will depend on the size of the screen available.
Lighting & Coloured Filters
Lighting can be an important aid to making the best of your vision. You can make things easier to see by using better lighting. You need to have as much light as you feel comfortable with. Fluorescent lamps with low wattage providing directional ‘daylight’ type lighting can improve the contrast and help with near vision. They can help to make detail and text sharper. Various types of lamps are available including floor standing, table top, portable battery operated lamps and some come with magnifier attachments.
Coloured Filters help to enhance contrast and reduce dazzling. They are available in a frame to be worn over a standard pair of spectacles or as a clip-on filter attached to the top of a spectacle frame which can be flipped up or down as required e.g. when going inside. Especially suitable for outdoor use, they help to filter out harmful ultra violet light. Different colour tints are available to improve the vision with particular eye conditions. See the colour filters chart in Choosing your Low Vision Aid for more details.
Where do I get low vision aids?
An optometrist or low vision specialist can assess the degree and type of vision loss you have, and advise on the appropriate low vision aids such as magnifiers, telescopes and video magnifiers, which will help your vision. Vision Enhancers Ltd is able to provide a full collection of optical vision aid products together with guidance to help you in choosing and using devices to meet your specific vision aid needs. Some vision aids will be available from your local low vision service so that you can try them at home. The types of aid available will depend on the product range held by the particular clinic.  |
Click here to download our 2010 catalogue
Visually Impaired? Customise this site to meet your vision needs
