It has been said, “Just because you have the measles doesn’t mean you can’t catch chicken pox”. Many people affected by macular degeneration and other diseases of the eye have learned that glaucoma is often a secondary condition with which they must also deal. “Today, there are more than an estimated 3.2 million Americans that […]
We reported here in March 2019 that Google had created a new Android app called Lookout to help the visually impaired. Similar to Microsoft’s Seeing AI for Apple devices, the application uses artificial intelligence (AI) combined with Talk Back to identify objects, read text, scan barcodes, and identify currencies. At that time, Lookout was available only for Google’s […]
We reported here in October 2019 that Genentech had reported good Phase 2 trial results examining the use of their unique alternative to intravitreal injections. The Port Delivery System (PDS) is a tiny refillable implant that provides patients affected by wet (neovascular) age-related macular degeneration with continuous delivery of Lucentis as necessary. The company has […]
A survey of 2,000 adults in the U.S. has shown that 42% have used telehealth services in place of their regular in-person visits to eye clinics since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Telehealth is a service made available by way of telecommunication devices like computers and smart phones. Using this recent […]
People with severe vision loss can less accurately judge the distance of nearby sounds, potentially putting them more at risk of injury, according to new research published in the journal Scientific Reports. Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University’s Vision and Eye Research Institute (VERI) tested participants with different levels of vision loss, presenting them with speech, music […]
In March, we posted an article which suggested ways to keep busy in spite of low vision. As we continue through another month of mass quarantine, here are more suggestions contributed by an especially thoughtful reader in response to that article. Learn a language. Duolingo, a method used in the school system, can be downloaded […]
Support groups for people with blindness and low vision are important monthly events in hundreds of senior centers, clinics, retirement communities, and other venues for older adults. Recent public health concerns, however, are causing worries about attendance at these gatherings. MD Support has announced that its telephone support group, TeleSupport, is welcoming guest callers during […]
Many doctors are restricting clinic visits to urgent or emergent problems during the coronavirus pandemic. Are anti-VEGF injections considered urgent? What qualifies as an emergency? Should I let my eye physician know if I am showing symptoms of COVID-19? I’m in a clinical trial. Should I continue to participate? In addition, remember that “social distancing” […]
A presentation to the International Low Vision Support Group May 11, 2006 By Dan Roberts, Founding Director Macular Degeneration Support The retina is the thin lining in the back of the eye, and the macula is at the very center. When the macula is healthy, we are able to see in fine detail. When it […]
(Featuring “Sarah’s Day”) by Dan Roberts As an unabashed gadget geek, I have followed the development of low vision technology since my diagnosis in 1994. The first fifteen of those years offered a number of optical and non-optical devices to help our low vision community get by, and we have hungrily consumed each and every […]