by Sharon Lovering
How many times have you heard a friend, relative or family member wish for a solution to a situation that has arisen from his or her visual impairment? And how many times have you longed for a book that would offer such solutions?
Wish no more. “Making Life More Livable: Simple Adaptations for Living at Home after Vision Loss,” revised by Maureen A. Duffy, is now available from the American Foundation for the Blind. It has been revised and updated since its original 1983 publication. It includes chapters on living independently with vision loss, general principles of making your environment more livable, a room-by-room breakdown of adaptations you can make in your home, additional health conditions that may occur, and a resource guide.
The first chapter opens with a section called “Older People: Myths and Reality.” It cites some statistics about the number of people age 65 or older, and the growing incidence of visual impairments in that population; it states that 70 to 75 percent of all new cases of visual impairment occur in the 65-plus age group. It also tries to dispel some myths about vision loss: “... Losing vision does not mean giving up your independence or the activities you enjoy. With a bit of thought and common sense, you can adjust your environment and everyday tasks to make life safer, easier, more enjoyable and more livable.”
And that theme is carried throughout the book. “Making Life More Livable” focuses on the simple, less costly adaptations, such as installing brighter light bulbs, opening the curtains to let in more light, and so forth.
There’s a lot to like about this book. It begins with the basics of vision loss, how it changes your mobility, what normal age-related vision loss is, and a discussion of age-related eye disorders. Included in this section are photographs of a variety of adaptations, for example, putting a light-colored plate on a dark-colored placemat to increase contrast, and examples of how people with different visual impairments might see a room in contrast with how someone with normal vision would see it. There is also information about low vision services, several pictures of people using low vision aids such as magnifying glasses and bold, dark ink pens, and other vision-related rehabilitation services.
One checklist is called “Assessing the Environment: Basic Principles.” It states that there are several basic elements to consider when examining your home to see where changes would be helpful: lighting; color and contrast; organization; texture and touch; sound; labels, lettering and marking; and safety. To improve visibility, make sure there’s adequate lighting for what you’re doing and maximize contrast between the object you’re working with and the background.
Another sidebar discusses the different types of lighting and how they can help people with low vision. It covers sunlight and natural light, incandescent light, fluorescent light, combination light, and halogen light. Under halogen light, it notes the fire hazards and potential for personal injury if the light is used incorrectly, which I was glad to see.
Under “General Principles,” one section stresses safety. It has some excellent safety tips, including avoiding long sleeves and loose-fitting clothing while cooking; checking electrical cords periodically; positioning pot handles so they don’t extend over the edge of the stove or another burner; and closing cabinet doors and drawers immediately after use. I’m sure many of you have bumped into an open cabinet door at least once!
In the room-by-room breakdown section, you will find more guidelines and suggestions. Duffy suggests involving family members and friends and working together to find solutions; being certain that everyone in your household can understand and use your marking system; avoiding covering up the numbers or words on your prescription bottles with markings that would prevent others from reading them; planning whatever changes you make so that you can maintain them independently; and paying special attention to safety in the bathroom, the area next to the bed, the hallway, steps and stairs. But, she notes, “there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution that is right for everyone. ... There are usually several ways to address a specific environmental situation or problem ...”
The resource section is good. It lists information providers; organizations dealing with specific eye conditions; useful web sites; catalog companies selling independent living aids, lighting products, labeling and identification products; providers of reading materials in large print, on tape and/or in braille; video description resources; and organizations that deal with other health conditions.
But the most important thing about this book for those with low vision is that it’s in large print, with an easy-to-read typeface and ample white space between lines. The one thing that concerns me is the weight of the paper; it’s light enough that I can read the back side of the page from the front. For people with certain types of visual impairments, or for people who use CCTV magnification systems, this “bleed-through” can be distracting and hinder reading.
“Making Life More Livable” is available from AFB Press for $24.95. To order, call (800) 232-3044.