Blind and Visually Impaired Community
↑
4
↓
Something to help grandma with macular degeneration to read (self.Blind)
submitted 5.19848816872428y ago by vasuss
Hello,
apologies if this is the wrong subreddit to ask in. I know there is one specifically for this disease but it does not seem active.
My grandma loves reading but it's getting harder for her as her vision is getting worse. She has multiple reading glasses but she says those don't help much, she's been using a magnifying glass but even with that it's not easy, not to mention the one she has is pretty small.
Obviously a bigger magnifying glass is in order. I've also been trying to figure out what other/better options are there to help her. I'm probably going to get an e-book reader that supports text-to-speech in our native language, but the problem is that a lot of the books she likes to read are not available in any electronic format.
I've found a bunch of specialized products on this website $1 and I want to know if there are any other notable products for this purpose that you could recommend? I have seen a few more solutions on random websites online but I am having a hard time determining what is a genuine recommendation and what is just an advertisement.
Thanks for reading, I am thankful for any and all advice!
apologies if this is the wrong subreddit to ask in. I know there is one specifically for this disease but it does not seem active.
My grandma loves reading but it's getting harder for her as her vision is getting worse. She has multiple reading glasses but she says those don't help much, she's been using a magnifying glass but even with that it's not easy, not to mention the one she has is pretty small.
Obviously a bigger magnifying glass is in order. I've also been trying to figure out what other/better options are there to help her. I'm probably going to get an e-book reader that supports text-to-speech in our native language, but the problem is that a lot of the books she likes to read are not available in any electronic format.
I've found a bunch of specialized products on this website $1 and I want to know if there are any other notable products for this purpose that you could recommend? I have seen a few more solutions on random websites online but I am having a hard time determining what is a genuine recommendation and what is just an advertisement.
Thanks for reading, I am thankful for any and all advice!
B-dub31 3 points 5y ago
Maybe a handheld digital CCTV magnifier? This allows you to vary the magnification levels and invert colors (ie convert standard black text on white to white text with a black background). I use the magnifier app on my iPhone and iPad myself for this purpose, but there are purpose-built devices out there.
brass444 2 points 5y ago
Have you tried the SeeingAI app? It’s free and easy to use. My mom was able to use it. She also got a nice sturdy magnifying floor lamp with a heavy base from a low vision doctor.
B-dub31 1 points 5y ago
Yes I have. Its a great app. A magnifying lamp sounds great! I need a lot of light and magnification, and that would do both.
OutWestTexas 2 points 5y ago
Would she like Audible? I listen to a lot of books.
vasuss [OP] 1 points 5y ago
Ah, I should have specified in the post that she doesn't speak english. E-books or audio readings would have to be in czech, which audible doesn't have. Furthermore, many of the books she reads are only available in paperback form, sadly
KillerLag 2 points 5y ago
If regular magnifying glasses aren't working well, then it may be time to switch to a CCTV. It gives you a few more options such as increasing the contrast or inverting the colours.
A larger magnifying glass is not always the solution. When you increase the magnification, you decrease the viewable area. A 3X magnification lets you see only 11% of the area, which requires more scanning, and increases the changes of losing where she is.
A larger magnifying glass is not always the solution. When you increase the magnification, you decrease the viewable area. A 3X magnification lets you see only 11% of the area, which requires more scanning, and increases the changes of losing where she is.
vasuss [OP] 1 points 5y ago
Thank you! I wasn't sure about the magnifying glass, though I could just get a more expensive one to get better results, guess that isn't an option haha, damn.
About the CCTV magnifiers - could I ask you if you have any idea what sort of price range I should in general aim for? I am seeing products from 100 USD all the way to 500, and while the price ultimately isn't an issue I do not want to spend too much on something if it won't be worth its cost
About the CCTV magnifiers - could I ask you if you have any idea what sort of price range I should in general aim for? I am seeing products from 100 USD all the way to 500, and while the price ultimately isn't an issue I do not want to spend too much on something if it won't be worth its cost
KillerLag 1 points 5y ago
They have desktop versions that go for thousands. The handheld ones have a smaller screen and are usually a little cheaper.
Depending on where you live, check about low vision services. They may have low vision specialists who can demo the different models and see if government assistance is possible in getting them. I'm in Canada and all the provinces have different plans. I imagine it would be similar in the US (if that is where you are from).
Depending on where you live, check about low vision services. They may have low vision specialists who can demo the different models and see if government assistance is possible in getting them. I'm in Canada and all the provinces have different plans. I imagine it would be similar in the US (if that is where you are from).
This nonprofit website is run by volunteers.
Please contribute if you can. Thank you!
Our mission is to provide everyone with access to large-
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
©2023 HumbleCat Inc • HumbleCat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Michigan, USA.