How Non-Optical Low Vision Aids Support Everyday Learning
What Are Blind Aid Devices?
Visual impairment occurs when the ability of a person’s sight or vision decreases by such a large degree that it cannot be fixed with conventional means such as glasses and lenses. Complete loss of vision leads to blindness. A person with a normal vision can see from as far as 200 feet. But a kind person can only view from 20 feet away. To help the blind with sight in today’s world, several blind aid devices have been introduced in the market. There are some fantastic gadgets in the market that help propel without vision. These blind aid devices have been developed using the latest technological advancements.
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What Are Low Vision Aids?
Low vision aids are explicitly designed to help people who have a poor or weak vision. These devices provide increased magnification, along with very high-quality optical features. A person’s vision usually degenerates with age. Cataracts, which are the white milky layer over the eyes, block the light rays from entering the eyes. Visual impairments have been affecting people from all over the world for a very long time. There are several optical and non-optical aids available in the market nowadays that have come out as a solution to this problem. These aids are also known as blind aid devices. There are several low vision aids ppt online that one can look up to gain more knowledge in the subject.
What Are The Symptoms Of Blindness?
A few common symptoms of blindness are:
Cloudy vision
Inability to see shapes and figures
Highly poor night vision
Colour blindness
Hazy images
Constant eye redness
Swollen eyelids
White pupil instead of a black pupil
Constant itching in the eye
Several diseases can lead to blindness or visual impairment. When the optic nerves of the eye get damaged, visual information from the eye cannot travel into the brain anymore. Glaucoma is one such condition that causes blindness. Macular degeneration causes the eye muscles to become weak, which destroys the eye’s capability to see integrated details. Other similar diseases that may lead to blindness or vision loss are optic neuritis and tumors in the retina.
Other than people with the diseases mentioned above, few other people who are at risk of turning blind are patients who have diabetes, heart strokes, or people undergoing eye surgery.
Misconceptions About Blindness
Eating carrots help save vision: Although this may be true to some extent, there is no medical proof regarding this condition.
Using lenses can reduce blindness: Not real at all. Lenses are only advised for people with high power.
Too much use of electronic gadgets leads to blindness: A simple warning uttered by parents but has no truth to it.
Solved Examples
Mention Some Blind Aid Devices And Their Functions
Answer: Owing to the advanced technology, various solutions have come up for the visually impaired and blind people. Blind aid devices with different designs and functions offer a whole range of features for people with visual disabilities. The simple visual aid is the thin colored sheet of transparent plastic. Some colors such as red and yellow, when placed over a page to be read, increase the contrast, and thus makes the writings and alphabets visible.
Some other countries have also developed GuideDogs that are highly trained and help the visually impaired people to stroll across the cities and towns. The dogs are trained such that they adapt to human life comfortably. Not only do the dogs help the visually impaired to crossroads but also keep them protected from the outside world.
Fun Facts About Blind Aid Devices And Blindness
Notes and coins are now made in such a manner that even the visually impaired can understand the value just by touch.
The size of a note increases with value in Euros as well as rupees.
Food is placed in plates and dinner tables in a particular position to guide the blind and visually impaired.
For people with low vision, books are now printed with larger fonts.
Books in Braille and audiobooks are also helpful for the blind.
Children with low vision must take proper consultation from experts.
Technological advancements have made education easy for visually impaired children.
FAQs on Non-Optical Low Vision Aids: Tools & Uses for Students
1. What are non-optical aids for low vision?
Non-optical aids are special tools and devices that help visually impaired individuals with their daily tasks without using lenses to magnify things. Instead of making images bigger, they often use other senses like touch and hearing or improve visibility through better lighting and contrast.
2. What are some common examples of non-optical aids?
There is a wide variety of non-optical aids available. Some of the most common ones include:
- The Braille System: A tactile writing system using raised dots that are read with the fingertips.
- White Canes: Used for navigation to safely detect obstacles while walking.
- Auditory Aids: Devices that use sound, such as talking clocks, audiobooks, and screen-reading software on computers.
- Large-Print Materials: Books, newspapers, and keyboards designed with extra-large letters for easier reading.
3. What is the main difference between optical and non-optical aids?
The key difference is in how they assist a person. Optical aids, such as magnifying glasses and special spectacles, work by using lenses to make objects look larger and clearer. In contrast, non-optical aids do not magnify. They help by adapting the task or environment, for example, by using sound, touch, or high-contrast colours.
4. How does the Braille system help a visually impaired person?
The Braille system is a powerful non-optical aid that enables reading and writing through touch. It consists of patterns of raised dots that represent letters, numbers, and punctuation. A person can read by moving their fingers across these dots, allowing them to access written information without relying on sight.
5. Why are non-optical aids so important for daily living?
Non-optical aids are crucial because they help with a broad range of everyday activities beyond just reading. For instance, a probing cane provides safety and independence while travelling, while a talking watch helps in telling time. They empower individuals by providing practical solutions for navigating their environment and accessing information.
6. Are modern tools like smartphone apps considered non-optical aids?
Yes, many modern digital tools are excellent examples of non-optical aids. For example, screen-reading software on a smartphone reads out text messages and app names, which is an auditory aid. Similarly, apps that identify currency notes or colours using the phone's camera and announce them aloud are advanced non-optical tools that use technology to assist with daily tasks.
