Outdoor low vision devices

Low vision is a wide concept covering a lot of conditions associated with poor eyesight. People with low visual acuity, reduced ability of depth perception and narrow peripheral vision all belong to this group. Today, more than 200 million people living on this planet are affected by low vision to different degrees. Individuals with low vision problems may experience certain inconvenience and even difficulty during many activities.

Both indoor and outdoor activities can be affected by low vision

For example, seniors with low vision can not see letters on newspapers or books clearly and some elderly drivers are unable to recognize different traffic lights. In brief words, both indoor and outdoor activities are possibly under the influence of low vision. But the fact is that many old individuals are still reluctant to stop enjoying those recreational or routine activities. While low vision aids for indoor use bring great help, those for outdoor application are more meaningful. Currently there are a great number of seniors who are dependent on low-vision devices during their outdoor activities, varying from shopping to simple walking.

Use sunglasses to filter out harmful light

Light and glare sensitivity are the most common vision problems among people with cataracts, macular detachment or diabetic retinopathy. Solutions include glare-reducing and blue-blocking lenses, which absorb the blue portion of visible light spectrum. The degrees of blue light absorption can also be controlled. And light transmission percentage is one of the parameters of glare-reducing lenses. These lenses come in colors include light and dark gray, yellow, orange etc. Prescription and nonprescription sunglasses, clip-on as well as side-shielded fit-over styles are all available. A more advanced type is photochromic lens, which darkens and lightens in accordance to different light conditions.

Various types of telescopes provide outdoor distance vision

There are also some low vision aids for outdoor distance vision, such as handheld monocular telescopes, binocular telescopes and eyeglass-mounted telescopes. Certainly, the powers of different telescopes should match personal visual needs. Another more advanced low vision device for multiple uses is head-mounted electronic magnifying glasses, which include of a portable control unit and a rechargeable battery. Mounted onto your head, these glasses can automatically adjust light focus for near, distance or intermediate vision. This type of low vision aid provides both convenience and good depth perception.

Aluminum canes and walking sticks are helpful

Blind people or those with trouble walking are always considered helpless. It is true that falls account for most of the injury-related deaths among these people, especially old ones. For those people, aluminum canes and walking sticks are helpful. They help seriously low vision individuals navigate unpaved areas and keep their balance. Canes also come in various options such as foldable, telescoping types and those with reflective tapes.