I have found it interesting to explore with different people I meet the point when they decide to look into electronic reading machines. Because of our store, people usually meet us before or when they are making this decision.

Some people, for a variety of reasons, wait way too long to be introduced to what is called a CCTV, or electronic reader. These devices are a salvation for stressed eyes. Ask anyone who has gotten the help to buy and be shown how to use a good one. Electronic magnifiers become indispensable for daily life. I like to call my CCTV my right arm. I write with it, read with it, groom my hands under it, and most importantly, I play under it. These machines have been around for ore than fifty years.

The CCTV is far easier to use and enjoy when the need for large amounts of magnification is less. Once a person is comfortable using this tool, the process to enlarge size is quick and painless. There is no more worry or struggle. In fact, you feel comfort because you can see the smallest detail.

My own story is that the point of decision was instant. My first reading machine helped me keep my job. So did my first screen magnification software purchase. I had to find a better way to read and stay on the computer or I was sunk.

I can reflect back that I delayed grieving about what was happening to me because I was so focused on continuing my beloved work. So the good part for me was I learned a lot in a short time. I found not one but many ways to see things better. I wanted it all. And Ken, always the lemons to lemonade guy, founded a business. He joked at the time that he was starting the business in self-defense.

If you are struggling, if you can read but not for very long, if you miss your crosswords, or if you find that you carry worry in your belly about tomorrow, it is time to meet the world of low vision technology.

People who feel at risk for falls or insecure about bumping into things, either in their apartment or outside in the world, should contact their state agency for the blind and ask for assistance in obtaining a white cane and learning its proper use. You do not have to be totally blind to qualify for this assistance. In fact, many people with macular degeneration benefit by using a white cane. Usually a cane can be purchased from the state, too. States are staffed with Orientation & Mobility counselors (called O & M Specialists). They are certified to help you determine which type of cane is best and what size of cane will fit you. They also teach you how to use the cane safely.

If you do not wish or feel it is appropriate to go through comprehensive O & M training with vision-blocking glasses, just indicate your wish to be trained as a low vision user. For those who do not have a prognosis of total vision loss, this may be a good way to go. For many people, a white cane that is built like a support cane is the perfect answer and requires minimal training to use. It gives stability while indicating to others that your sight is impaired.

In the four years that I used a white cane, I found it a tremendous relief in the simple act of seeking help, for example, at a Portland bus stop. No one greeted my request for clarification with “attitude” that the bus stop sign was obvious and right in front of me. This actually happened to me more than once. I also never had to hear my pathetic explanation to a stranger that I was sight impaired, explaining why I was asking a question that might have seemed dim-witted. In fact, when people understand that you are out and about with this disability, more often than not they find their grace to admire your courage and extend their kindness to you as a fellow human being. In my view, being the recipient of human kindness is worth a bundle all by itself.