In this video, Beverly shares her personal journey with vision loss and how discovering Future in Sight and low vision rehabilitation services transformed her life — while occupational therapist Beth Daisy explains exactly what low vision rehabilitation involves and how it can help.
In this video:
- How to find services in your area.
- Tools and devices that support independence with macular degeneration
- Why early intervention makes a difference
- Barriers to access and why they matter
- How low vision services help people avoid assisted living
**Please note, Future in Sight is New Hampshire based. You can find low vision services in your area by contacting the state, asking your eye specialist for a referral, or Googling “low vision services” or “low vision rehabilitation”.
Transcript
Beverly: Until I was losing my vision, I had never heard of Low Vision Rehabilitation Services. I had no idea there was help out there. It was really, really difficult. I just felt isolated, and, almost hopeless.
I first found out about them when I got a flyer in the mail from the state of New Hampshire about a peer group meeting that they had. And I had been pretty much flying solo until then.
When I went to the peer support group for the state, there was a wonderful lady there who kind of took me under her wing and told me all about Future in Sight. And I started to go to their support group as well.
And that is when I learned about everything that Future in Sight can and will do for people who are losing or have lost their vision. It was just a wonderful thing to find out and they really added to my independence.
Beth Daisy: An optometrist is typically focused on managing a person’s overall eye health. And an ophthalmologist is typically going to be managing a person’s eye disease. Whereas low vision rehabilitation is not going to be focused on improving the person’s vision, but rather improving how they’re able to live and work in their daily life.
As an occupational therapist, we can help people address all aspects of their daily life. To make the most use of their remaining vision, but also teaching them how to do things in a different way and training them on the aids and devices that are going to help them complete those tasks.
We offer low vision occupational therapy. We also offer orientation and mobility services which teaches people to navigate in their environment to include the use of the white cane. We also have volunteer services, because a lot of people with low vision no longer drive and that’s a really important thing we like to offer our clients. We also offer adjustment to blindness counseling services to help people emotionally adjust to their vision loss. And we also offer a lot of different groups and activities, from peer support groups to different technology based groups.
Beverly: The state actually came to my home and made sure it was safe for me to live here. And they have what they call dots, and they put dots on my dryer, on my stove, on my microwave, on anything I may need to feel that I couldn’t see anymore. The tiny things that I can’t read anymore. So I know what they are just by feeling the dots.
They gave me a, I call it a stick. It’s the long blind cane. They took me outside and walked me up the street and taught me how to cross the street. They also told me about the para-buses, transportation. You have to call them. It’s a small bus that will come and pick you up.
Beth: We use a lot of adaptive devices and techniques with our clients. Some of them may include handheld magnifiers. Or we’ll use things called bump dots that we can put on appliances so people can find their particular setting. We’ll use things that are large print, and a lot of talking devices such as a talking clock.
Also, in the world of technology, we have things like smart glasses, and AI. So, smart glasses come in two categories. There’s those that are going to improve people’s vision, and there’s those that compensate for vision, such as those that use artificial intelligence to answer questions about the person’s environment.
Meta Glasses: “These are organic and pasture-raised eggs.”
Meta Glasses: “Yes, this orange juice has pulp in it.”
Beverly: Thank you.
It just opened up my world.
Beth: Possibilities are limitless. People can use their devices to manage their calendar appointments, play music, have books read to them, and even make emergency phone calls.
Beverly: Alexa, turn off chair light please. “Ok.”
Beth: Our number one referral source are from people’s eye doctors. That includes both optometrists and ophthalmologists. A lot of people don’t regularly see their eye doctor, unfortunately. But a lot of people are followed by their PCP. And we’d also really like to stress that primary care providers can make referrals to low vision specialists as well.
Coverage for low vision services varies significantly from state to state. Each state will have an older individuals who are blind program, and qualifying for those services varies. However, low vision occupational services should be covered by both private insurance and Medicare across the country.
Some state programs do cover the cost of aids and devices to help people with low vision. Unfortunately, insurance does NOT cover the cost of those devices. And that’s where it’s important for there to be grants and programs to help defray those costs so that people can get the tools that they need.
Beverly: When I started to lose my vision, my husband would drive me everywhere. I was not able to drive after my husband had passed away, so it’s been seven years since I’ve not been able to drive. Not being able to drive and have my independence is pretty much a depressing fact.
Beth: One of the ways that we can help people access low vision services is by increasing the transportation options that are available to people. Especially seniors and those with disabilities. Imagine for a moment if you had to travel two hours to get to an appointment, but now imagine that you can’t drive because of your vision impairment. And it may even be difficult for you to take public transportation because of your vision impairment. So accessing services is especially difficult for people who are low vision.
Beverly: If I met someone in the mall and they said, “I don’t have access to these things,” I would make sure that I let them know exactly what these things were. Just call your state, and find out what they have available for people that are visually impaired. I bet there’s things out there that you don’t know about. It was really easy for me to get access to these services once I found out about them. Everyone was so helpful. I would make a phone call and they would either come right away or set up an appointment for me. It was wonderful.
Beth: No matter where someone lives, we need to make sure that three things are happening. That number one, people are getting to those eye appointments regularly. Number two, that those referrals are being made to low vision services. And number three, that there are adequate transportation options for people to get to those services. Low vision is an unseen disability that often goes unrecognized. When people get a diagnosis of an eye condition or when they find out that they have low vision, they often catastrophize and think that life is over. And I want to offer them hope, because so many people can really benefit from low vision services, and not just LIVE with low vision, but thrive with low vision.
Beverly: When I think that there are actual places that don’t have any help available for visually impaired people, it really makes me feel sad. If I didn’t have the resources that are available to me now, I would not have the same life I’m living for sure. Number one, my family lives an hour away. Number two, my best friends have either passed away or moved away. And so, I would be kind of reclusive.
I believe advocacy and rehabilitation for people with visual loss is really important because many people will just sit in their homes until they learn about these things. I was one of them. And the minute I Iearned about any help that was available to me, I went out and got it. It really has changed my life. I feel absolutely independent and safe.