Did you know that? Statistics show that low vision affects 2.2 billion people globally, and 12 million in the US, impacting their daily lives.
Low Vision can result due to the following eye conditions, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), Geographic Atrophy (GA) and Glaucoma
Age-related macular degeneration affects 200 million globally and 20 million in the US and those numbers are expected to double by 2050.
Glaucoma affects 4.2 Americans and is expected to increase to 6.3 million by 2050.
Living with vision loss requires making adjustments to your daily life. Seek out a low vision specialist or vision rehabilitation services. They can help you to learn to use your remaining vision to the fullest and allow you to maintain your lifestyle and enjoy the activities that you like. They also have a number of assistive devices that can help.
Here are a few that can help.
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Screen readers: Software that helps blind or visually impaired people read text on a computer screen
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Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC): Tools that help people who have difficulty speaking, such as picture boards and computer-based systems
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Mobility aids: Devices that help people move around, such as wheelchairs, walkers, and canes
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Braille: An early form of AT for people who are visually impaired
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Text-to-speech software: Translates written text into audio recordings