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.

MY LATEST HUMPHREY FIELD TEST RESULTS

Ever since my right eye was scorched by a surgeon’s microscope light during a routine procedure in 2003, I have annual visual field tests to see what I can see. These tests are the way I trace my devolving vision from year-to-year.

Last week I had another Humphrey Field Test and I thought I’d tell you about it.  The Field Test is done on a machine called the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA). On the left is a picture of a woman being tested on a HFA.

During the HFA, I look at a screen through a peep hole.  I stare at a dot in the middle of the screen.  Then the HFA’s computer begins a long series of blinking lights in different parts of the screen. If I see a light, I click on a mouse. The HFA tallies up the clicks and creates a map showing where I can see and where I can’t.

A visual field test is used to detect blind spots caused by diseases and other conditions. Specific causes appear as unique patterns.

Let’s look at my left eye first. Here are the results of my most recent test.  Keep in mind that parts of the visual field where I can’t see are in black.

To see how the vision in my left eye has changed over time, here is how my left eye visual field looked in 2010. I definitely have a smaller “field of view” now compared to seven years ago. 

And, this is the good news!

Here is the most recent (2015) HFA test results for my right eye. Holy blindness! I guess I’d better consume more medical herbs.

MAKE AN EYE EXAM PART OF YOUR CHECK UP

FACT: Your eyes and vision are important indicators of your overall health.

Blogger Judith Potts writes in the UK Daily Telegraph [link] that eye tests are as essential as blood pressure checks and other health assessments. Eye tests can reveal more then most people think. The eye is a useful organ to look at for signs both not only signs of eye disease, but also for diseases elsewhere in the body.

Researchers at London’s Institute of Ophthalmology have discovered that changes in the retina may reveal the presence of Parkinson’s. These changes are often earlier warnings than the onset of muscle stiffness and tremors.

Dr. Susan Blakeney, a clinical adviser at the institute said about the study:

“This is exciting news. Parkinson’s affects one in 500 people, so it would be great for optometrists to be able to play a part in its early diagnosis.

The eye is the only transparent part of the body and the retina is an extension of the brain, so the eye is a useful organ to look at to not only check for signs of eye disease, but also for diseases elsewhere in the body. A regular sight test should form a part of everyone’s healthcare regime.”

A routine eye exam can also detect signs of diabetes, brain tumors and high cholesterol.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends a comprehensive eye exam every two years for adults ages 18 to 60, and annual exams for people age 61 and older. Folks who have a family history of eye disease such as glaucoma and macular degeneration should have a comprehensive exam every year.

In some cities, Lions Clubs provide free or low cost eye exams. To find a Lions Club in your area, go to [link].

NEW FILM – “BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS” – SHINES A LIGHT ON GROWING UP WITH LOW VISION

BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS is a new documentary that is the buzz of the blind and low vision communities. The film tells an uplifting and true story of a young legally blind woman, Michelle Smith. Michelle is a student at the Perkins School for the Blind in Boston (where much of the movie is filmed). The story concerns Michelle’s quest for her dreams in spite of being treated like an outcast by her peers.

In BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS, Director Garrett Zevgetis provides an uncensored look at Smith’s life and challenges. She has some vision but is legally blind, experiences autism and is bruised by her parent’s divorce. None of this deters her from her dream of becoming a Hollywood voice actor.

Dr. Lotfi Merabet

Dr. Lotfi Merabet, OD, PhD, MPH at Harvard University was a key consultant for BEST AND MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS. Critics have praised the film’s portrayal of blindness, low vision and the social awkwardness of many people with vision deficits. Dr. Merabet is the featured speaker at the 2017 CATSS Symposium, February 3^rd at the University of Minnesota. You can find Information about the Symposium below.

Take a look at the promotional trailer [link].

Here is Huffington Post’s review of the film:

Best and Most Beautiful Things Premieres at SXSW

03/01/2016 11:39 am ET | Updated Mar 01, 2016

Original article link  

Xaque Gruber, Writer

One of the year’s most touching documentary films, Best and Most Beautiful Things, makes its world premiere this month at SXSW. A provocative and joyous coming of age portrait of precocious 20 year old Michelle Smith of rural Maine, she’s both legally blind and diagnosed on the autism spectrum, but the film does not pander to that. She bursts off the screen as someone immensely relatable. You’ll want to know her. This is a powerful, affecting journey into a young woman’s mind as she searches for connection and empowerment by exploring life outside the limits of “normal” through a “fringe community.”

I had the pleasure of speaking with the film’s Executive Producer, Kevin Bright, who has succeeded in navigating the waters of both TV (he was Executive Producer of Friends) and film (his previous documentary work includes directing the 2007 film about his vaudevillian father, Who Ordered Tax?). Kevin executive produced the film with Claudia Bright.

Xaque Gruber: What was it about this project that attracted you? How did it find you?

Kevin Bright: My involvement with the project began in 2009 when I started a filmmaking class for students at the Perkins School for The Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts. Michelle Smith was in that first class and was part of a group that made an award winning film Seeing Through the Lens. I loved the impact the film had on these students, giving them the power to tell their stories to the world. Our director, Garrett Zevgetis, was a volunteer at Perkins who at that time was making a short film about the impact of Helen Keller on current Perkins students.

After seeing an early cut, my recommendation was to focus the film on Michelle as a “modern day Helen Keller”. Garrett filmed Michelle - it was a 20 minute short that became a feature film and now here we are with a premiere at SXSW. 

XG: Let’s talk about Michelle Smith. She is legally blind, on the autism spectrum and lives in rural Maine - with those details she seems plucked from a Stephen King novel. She’s bound to win over many fans and hearts. Tell me what it was like working with her and do you see any of yourself in Michelle?

KB: Michelle is an inspiration to me. She could roll over and be a victim of her disability, instead she embraces it and challenges the rest of us to step out of our comfort zone and be open to different people and life styles, “unlearning normal” as Michelle says. Everyone falls for Michelle because she draws you in, makes a connection, but sometimes, can really shock you. Pity is not what she seeks, it is not in her vocabulary.

XG: Michelle’s “provocative fringe community”- how much can you tell us about it? Did her participation in this community make you squirm?

KB: It is pretty universal that your teens through your twenties is a time of exploration and experimentation, which includes sexuality. When I first became aware of Michelle in this community, I was concerned about her safety first and foremost, but also was afraid the audience would judge and define her by this one aspect of her life. I was her teacher and I felt responsible. Michelle made me aware that I knew nothing about this world and that my fears were being generated by simply being uninformed. Through Michelle I became informed and my concerns went away after seeing the positive impact the community was making on Michelle’s self esteem and life. It still makes me squirm a little, but I’m getting there.

XG: Do you have a favorite scene in the film?

KB: I have two. The first is when Michelle goes to watch her brother play in a basketball game. I think our editors Jeff Consiglio and Sarah Ginsburg did an incredible job of putting the audience squarely in Michelle’s shoes. The second is when Michelle goes swimming with her boyfriend at an indoor pool on a winter night.  The two of them alone, Michelle exhibiting wit and self-confidence, you forget that she is blind and all the challenges she is facing. Instead, you just get to sit back and enjoy two young people playing together in love.

XG: You are established in Hollywood as a TV comedy producer. So what is it like for you to step into the world of documentary film producing? And what have you learned about producing documentaries from Best and Most Beautiful Things?

KB: On one hand, it’s all storytelling, whether it’s an episode of Friends or someone’s life, telling that story is the key. Who Ordered Tax was about my dad Jackie, I knew that story well. To get Michelle’s story right took many years of patience to allow it to unfold. I wanted to pull the plug several times. But, the incredible team of filmmakers that I got to work with convinced me to keep going. This film really belongs to them, Garrett (director/producer), Jeff and Sarah (editors), and producers Ariana Garfinkel, Jeff Consiglio, and Jordan Salvatoriello. I am very proud of this collaboration, especially because three fellow Emerson College Alumni worked on it with me, which brought it all full circle.