Affordability and disability access technology

Abstract

For people with mild or even severe reading vision loss, it is reasonable to think that an optical solution is both the optimum and the most economic solution. For many years the author “survived” by using a proscribed Low Vision Aid in the form of a powerful telescopic lens combination. This aid travelled with me for years, never crashed like a PC and enabled me to read books, fill in forms and cope with at least some hand-written material. A vision deterioration led me away from the optical to the talking PC solution and this greatly relieved the fatigue, neck ache and frustration which are often part and parcel of such optical solutions. It is my hope that many professionals in the field of Optics will take the time to familiarise themselves with computer access synthetic speech or software on-screen magnification so that they can, when appropriate, guide their patients to the micro-chip alternative.