FREE EYE CHART: DOWNLOAD, PRINT & TEST

The good folks at Vision Source Signature Eye Care [link] are making available a free eye chart.  All you have to do is download it here.

 

An eye chart is a great way to check you and your family’s vision at home.  Keep it around for after a party.  You get an informal opinion of impairment by using the eye test on guests. (Just kidding, btw)

It even comes with instructions:

How to Use the Eye Chart

Print the free eye chart on regular 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper

Tack or tape the chart to a windowless wall in a well-lit room at eye level

Measure ten feet from the wall

Cover one eye (if you wear glasses for distance vision, keep them on)

Have another person point to each line as you read the letters out loud and keep track of which letters you get right

Continue to the bottom row or until you can no longer read the letters

Write down the number of the smallest line where you identified the majority of letters correctly (Ex./ If you were able to read 5 out of 8 letters on line 8, you would write 20/20.)

Cover the other eye and repeat steps 5-7

What Do the Results Mean?

That depends on the age of the person being tested. A 3 to 4-year-old should be able to read the 20/40 line, and a 5-year-old the 20/30 line. Older children and adults should be able to read the majority of letters on the 20/20 line.

If you notice any results that fall outside these standards, be sure to schedule an eye exam with a licensed optometrist.

THE PROMISE OF “OPTOGENETIC GOGGLES” TO RESTORE SIGHT

Two new startup companies have announced they will begin clinical trials of high-tech goggles that, when combined with the emerging technology of optogenetics, may have the capacity to restore sight to some individuals.

According to a report in the MIT Technology Review [link], researchers hope the combination of wearable electronics and gene therapy may restore vision by re-creating the retina’s ability to sense light.   

GenSight Biologics of Paris [link] and Bionic Sight, based at of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, will soon begin testing patients who have the degenerative eye retinitis pigmentosa, a condition which destroys photoreceptors, the light-sensing cells in the retina. If successful, te approach could lead to treatment of other types of retinal diseases that involves the loss of photoreceptors.

Optogenetics is a type of gene therapy that bypasses damaged photoreceptors and stimulates other kinds of retinal cells so that they become sensitive to light. The visor-like goggles are used to beam high-intensity light into the eye causing the modified cell stimulation.

The goggles, developed by The Institut de la Vision in Paris [link], include a camera, a mircro processor, and a digital micro mirror. The device converts the images the camera captures into bright pulses of red light in order to stimulate the modified cells.

This combination of technologies has been successful tested in blind monkeys and rats. Soon tests will begin with human volunteers.

Initial tests of optogenetics began in 2016 by RetroSense Therapeutics, a company based in Texas. In that study, a blind woman became first person to receive an optogenetic treatment to help restore her vision. Four more patients are now enrolled in the trials. No results have been reported yet.

FEBRUARY IS LOW VISION AWARENESS MONTH

…and I bet your didn’t get me anything! LOL

Maybe the best gift you can get yourself or someone else is a comprehensive vision screening. According to The National Eye Institute (NEU), over four million people living in the US have a vision impartment and most aren’t aware of it [link].

Low Vision Awareness Month was established a few years ago by the non-profit organization Vision Council [link]. It’s purposes are to raise awareness of low vision, to urge folks to have periodic vision check ups and to provide ways for people with vision loss to cope. (Some of the best low vision coping tips are on the right.)

 

Vision loss often creeps in slowly. 

Aging is the most frequent cause but there are many other factors such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI), diabetes and many more.

Tip for getting a free eye exam: Contact your local Lion’s Club [link].

Time may be of the essence. Most vision impairments cannot be corrected. Once your vision is gone, it is gone forever. Vision loss may leave you feeling anxious, helpless, and depressed.

Check out this excellent YouTube video about low vision:

Download a free Low Vision Fact Sheet here.

DREAMING OF MY LOW VISION KITCHEN

I love to cook. My work as a public media consultant and blogger takes considerable concentration and occasionally deep thought.  Thankfully, cooking uses different skills, It provides immediate feedback: The food I prepare either tastes good or it doesn’t.

My wife and I have been living in an older house in a suburb of Minneapolis. We love our house but it is often not accommodating for a person like me who is experiencing low vision. We are planning on moving this summer and I’ve been dreaming of my new low vision kitchen.

• HIGH-CONTRAST COUNTER TOPS & CABINETS

The tail belongs to Sky. He is looking for tuna!

This is what I have now. The salt-and-pepper scheme looked good in the showroom. Since my vision has gotten worse, my current counter top is like a Bermuda Triangle – I can see stuff going in but then it becomes lost in the visual confusion.

This is much, much better. Stark contrast is the key for people with vision impairment. Choose a counter top that is all one color, preferably a mellow white.

• SOFT BRIGHT LIGHT WITHOUT GLARE

My wife and I installed track lighting in our kitchen over a decade ago. This decision was obviously for style rather than functionality. 

I am constantly changing positions when I am cooking to take advantage of the available “cone of light.” Track lighting also produces unexpected dark areas.

Light in the kitchen should be plentiful, evenly distributed and free from glare. 

Keep lighting simple and make certain busy locations have adequate light.

• ORGANIZE & LABEL INGREDIENTS & CONDIMENTS

It is no wonder I can’t find what I am looking for in our current kitchen. 

I plead guilty to slough but I am dealing with a number of systemic problems: Insufficient light, deep cabinets and random item placement. It is difficult for me to distinguish between various products.

Kitchen organization depends of personal preferences. 

Use easy layouts where similar items are next to each other such as salt being next to pepper. 

Your organizational system needs to be both intuitive and obvious. 

Look for simple solutions like placing rubber bands, file cards, or tactile dots on food items. Or, consider using a “talking label” device.

• CHOOSE LOW VISION APPLIANCES

I can’t tell you how much I dislike our current can opener. 

My low vision situation means I have almost zero depth perception.  Your don’t want me pouring the beer at the party. 

Everyday I have problems opening cans because I can't tell if the bade is in the can.

This can opener is a better choice because of its lighter color. 

Some manufacturers are offering “talking appliances” specifically designed for people with low vision.

• FOOD PREPARATION SAFETY

Kitchen safety depends on all of the solutions we have discussed. But you will one more: Common Sense.

Common Sense thinking makes you more confident and comfortable. Plus, your food will taste better.