Transcript: H19—LVF-116 Simple Home Modifications

HadleyH19—LVF-116Simple Home ModificationsPresented by Sandy Gabrielson and Caroline Row

Sandy GabrielsonThis instructional audio recording is provided courtesy of Low Vision Focus at Hadley. This is Lesson H19: Simple Home Modifications.

Hi, I’m Sandy Gabrielson.

Caroline RowPrepaired individuals maintain independence by providing information and by teaching new ways to do things that have become difficult.

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Sandy GabrielsonYou may like to have a friend or family member learn these skills with you. They could be helpful while you listen to our step by step instructions and perform the various tasks.

Caroline RowWe suggest you listen all the way through the lesson before you start learning new skills. This will give you an overview of what you will be doing and you can make sure you’ll have everything you’ll need to perform each task.

Sandy GabrielsonWe’ll also take breaks throughout the lesson, which will give you time to perform a task, take some notes, practice new skills, or just take some time for yourself. At each break, we’ll ask you to press pause. You’ll hear a few seconds of music, and then we’ll come back. Just to be sure, take a moment now to figure out how to pause the device you’re using.

Caroline Row

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That’s a great idea. Let’s take our first break now. So to hear how each one works, just press pause after the music and we’ll be right back.

Sandy GabrielsonWelcome back. That’s how each pause in this lesson is going to work. Let’s get started.

The most common cause of vision loss in people over 55 years old is from progressive eye diseases like macular degeneration, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy. While these almost never cause total blindness, they’re called progressive diseases, because they cause eyesight to diminish over time. As eyesight declines, there is a continuing effort to find new techniques and tools to overcome challenges that you hadn’t encountered before.

Millions of people in the world are suffering with low or declining vision, and each of them is searching to find devices that will help them maintain a full and independent lifestyle. Fortunately thousands of useful devices are available at a variety of places to help people adapt. So, if you’re looking for a clock with a large

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display, or a simple device to help you thread a sewing needle on the first try, big department stores have them. Telephones with oversized keypads can be found at just about any electronics or office supply store. And if you’re trying to find the right magnifying glass, low vision clinics or stores have dozens of magnifiers to choose from.

Caroline RowOf course, most of the devices we’ll be talking about are also available online, but some of them, like the magnifiers, you may want to try out for yourself first hand. Otherwise, buying these tools online is cheap, easy, and convenient. There are literally thousands of devices to consider and choose from. And, as always, if you need help finding something, visit our website for more information. We’ll give it at the end of this lesson.

Sandy GabrielsonNow, the devices you find useful depend on your current eye condition and what you’ll need to fully live an independent life. So there are two things to keep in mind when shopping for adaptive devices.

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First, as Caroline mentioned, whenever possible, go to the store and try the device out for yourself. Even though you may find a magnifying glass online that seems like it would work great, you may realize it’s too heavy or not powerful enough. But even though you try something out first hand, doesn’t mean it will work at home. The store’s probably much brighter than your home, so what you see through the magnifying glass may be deceiving. Which is what brings up point number two.

Know what a store’s return policy is. Make sure you’re able to return it if you’re not happy with it, and how long you have to test it out. In short, there are a lot of useful devices available. But if you can, try something out before you buy it.

Caroline RowHere’s what we’ll cover in this lesson. We’ll begin with magnifying devices. We’ll go over the different kids and understanding their different uses. We’ll also cover video magnifiers and their advantages and drawbacks.

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Then we’ll go over different lighting sources and types of lamps while focusing on the two most important aspects to lighting: brightness and direction. After that, we’ll run through a list of useful devices, we’ll tell you about talking devices, and we’ll finish the section by going over support canes. Next, we’ll cover handling bills, coins, and credit cards, as well as tell you about devices that can help you neatly and accurately write checks.

We’ll finish off the lesson with ways to identify clothing color and devices to help make ironing safer.

Sandy GabrielsonThat’s quite a list. We better get started.

Caroline RowAgreed. But first, as a note, this section about magnifiers is very in-depth, and there’s a lot to go over. So if you’re not already, find a comfortable place to sit down.

Sandy Gabrielson

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The first thing to understand about magnifiers is how the magnification power of a lens is rated. It’s pretty straightforward, actually. If you want to make something appear two times larger than it is, a 2x magnifier will double its size. 2.5x will be two and a half times larger. 3x will be triple its size, and so on.

Some magnifiers go up to 30x, which enlarges its object to 30 times its original size. Lower power lenses, like 2x or 3x, have larger diameter lenses, which allow you to see a bigger area of what you’re looking at. So if you’re using a wider magnifier to read the newspaper, you can see several words at a time through it. Through smaller diameter lenses, you’ll only see one or two words at a time.

You may notice visual distortion when using magnifiers, but it’s something completely normal, so don’t worry. When you’re moving the lens across the print as you read, the letters start out at almost the original size at the edge of the lens, but then quickly get larger and rounder when they reach the middle, only to get smaller again towards the other edge. This distortion is caused by the curvature of the lens, and is found in all magnifying

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lenses. The distortion also gets harsher with more powerful lenses because more curvature is needed to increase the power of the lens.

When considering getting a magnifier for yourself, here’s another thing to keep in mind. 8x lenses are different from lower power lenses like a 2x in several ways. First of all, the glass of an 8x lens is much thicker, so to keep the weight and cost down, it has a smaller diameter. Like I mentioned before, this change gives you a smaller view, so you’ll only be able to read a couple of words at a time. We found that 8x lenses are best for reading what we call short and small amounts of print, like dosages on a medicine bottle or price tags in a store. The change from a 2x to an 8x is gradual and sometimes the best lens for what you need is often found in between the two.

So when it comes time to choose a magnifier, it’s best to try a few of them out to see which one works best for your needs. If you want to read newsprint, a larger diameter with 3x or 4x power may be enough, but if you still can’t read it, you may need to try out an 8x lens. The diameter of the lens is the next factor to consider. Would you

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like to read a couple of words at a time clearly or several words at a time with less magnification? We recommend actually trying out a few in the store and comparing them before you make a purchase.

Caroline RowSo now that you’ve figured out which lens works best for you, you’ll need to consider whether you want a handheld magnifier or a hands-free magnifier on a stand. Handheld models are, well, handier, because they’re portable.

Sandy GabrielsonThat should be their tagline. Handheld magnifiers: they’re handy.

Caroline RowRemind me to send an email to the magnifier exec this afternoon.

Sandy GabrielsonHe’s only known as Mr. 300x.

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Caroline Row[laughs] Since handhelds are so handy, you can take them to what you’re wanting to magnify. You can walk it right over to the thermostat or take it on the go to clearly read a restaurant menu. But there is another thing to take into account when choosing a handheld. Whether you want a Sherlock Holmes style magnifying glass or one that you’re able to place onto what you’re reading instead of having to hold it up. With Sherlock’s preference, you’ll need to hold it above what you’re looking at. But there are also page and dome magnifiers which you don’t need to hold at all.

Page magnifiers are just as they sound: plastic sheets that magnify what you put them on. They can be as big as a piece of paper or smaller and narrow, like a ruler. Their magnification usually only goes up to 2 to 5x, so if you need something more powerful, these may not work for you.

Dome magnifiers are like little glass domed tuna cans. They’re great because they’re more portable than the sheets, but they’re a little bit heavier and

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their magnification is only a little bit more powerful, normally up to 6 or 7x.If you plan on using your magnifier for long periods of time, a tabletop magnifier with a stand is what you may want to consider. Depending on the model, it can either have an adjustable swing arm, or a goose neck style flexible arm so you can move it to where you need it. The stands they sit on can be a heavy base or a clamp that you can clip right onto the edge of a desk or table.

Lighting is also very important, and plenty of light should be directed on what you’re magnifying. Desk lamps work well because they’re bright and can be focused on what you’re trying to see. Whatever you use, make sure it’s completely shaded, so no light is directed in your eyes, making it difficult to see the object.

But to make it easier on you, most magnifiers have built-in lights. In fact, all of the topics we talked about: the handheld, the page, the dome, and the stand magnifiers all do. They’re a bit more expensive, but they direct just enough light without needing an outside source.

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Sandy GabrielsonThere are even fingernail clippers with magnifiers and built-in lights.

Caroline RowI’ve seen those. What will they think of next?

Sandy GabrielsonI’m hoping for a self-magnifying newspaper.

Caroline RowWell, you’re aiming pretty high. Now, remember to try out the different magnifier options before deciding on one. Small selections of low-power magnifiers can be found at your drugstores, but better selections can be found at Low Vision stores. If you don’t know where one is, ask your eye doctor for the store nearest you. When you’re trying them out, bring along what you most often be enlarging: a prescription bottle, newspaper, cookbook, even your fingernails can all be put to the test. If you

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know exactly what you want, you’ll also be able to find it online, and most often for cheaper, too.

Sandy GabrielsonSo far, we’ve covered a lot of ground about magnifiers. And we’ll be taking a break soon, but there’s one more we need to cover. The video magnifier. These are also commonly called closed-circuit TV or CCTV magnifiers. They’re digital cameras that focus on your object and show the enlarged image on a monitor or TV screen. They’re able to magnify something up to 80 times its original size, sometimes even more. It doesn’t matter if it’s flat like newsprint or pictures, or three-dimensional like pill bottles and fingernails. Video magnifiers will magnify them all.

Of course, there are different types of these, too. There are handheld styles, which only magnify to about 20x. they range from a few hundred to up to $1,000. They either have a camera and video monitor in one unit or it plugs into a larger monitor or TV screen. To use the video magnifier, just hold it over what you’re looking at. Unlike the glass magnifier, the video magnifier has no distortion.

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And since it’s portable, just like the ones from earlier, you can point it at a thermostat or take it with you to a restaurant. Whatever you’re holding it over will show up on the screen.

There are larger and more powerful options, which can be up to a few thousand dollars. These magnifiers are basically cameras on stands with a screen attached. You place what you’re magnifying below the camera and it’s then shown on the screen above. Sometimes they even have a moveable base, which you can slide left to right and front to back so you can smoothly slide what you’re reading to the camera’s stationary view. Nowadays, there are even video magnifiers that you can connect to a laptop or tablet. We won’t go into those specifically, but they work pretty much the same way.

Depending on the monitor size and the magnification power of the video magnifier you’re using, you may only be reading one word or only a few letters at a time. So it may be difficult to use at first. Just take your time and try to move what you’re reading smoothly under the camera. The cost will vary depending on the model and its

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features, like whether the video monitor is black and white or color. The camera has the ability to auto-focus and the amount of magnifying power will all affect the price.

Just like before, when shopping for a video magnifier, you should try them out for yourself. Locate a Low Vision clinic or store or ask your eye doctor for the one nearest you. Have a salesperson demonstrate the models for you and spend time trying them out on your own until you find one you like.

If there isn’t a Low Vision store near you, you can find video magnifiers online from companies in products for the vision impaired. Two of the best-known companies are Maxi Aids, spelled M-a-x-i-a-i-d-s, and Independent Living Aids. Both companies will also mail catalogues to you if you’d prefer or you can look at their products on their websites.

Caroline RowIf you don’t have a computer or internet service, it would be helpful to find someone who does and ask them to search for either of the companies

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Sandy just talked about or the phrase “video magnifier” online. These aren’t the only companies that have magnifiers available. You can find them from hundreds of companies online. And remember, you can always visit our website, lowvisionfocus.org, for more information.

Sandy GabrielsonPhew! That was a lot to cover. I don’t know about you, but I could definitely use a break.

Caroline RowI could, too. And because this was a lot of information, it may be a good idea to listen to the last section over again and take notes if you need to.

Sandy GabrielsonIn the next section, we’ll talk about making the most of your remaining vision by getting the right amount of light to help you. So just like before, pause your device after the music and we’ll be right back.

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Hello again. Making the most of your remaining vision involves using the best lighting for what you’re doing, what you’re trying to see, and your own eye condition. Sometimes you’ll need a brighter light, and other times, less light is better. In this section, we’ll go over the two major aspects of using lighting. The amount, or brightness of the light, and controlling its direction to reduce glare. So let’s start with the amount of light. More specifically, the type of light bulb and wattage, as well as its focus and intensity.

Caroline RowIt’s easy to think that more light is better, but sometimes, that’ not the case. Let’s use direct sunlight streaming through a window as an example. The sunlight can make the rest of the room appear darker, making it difficult to see detail. A Venetian blind allows you to control the sunlight, and if the blind is white, the reflective light is more evenly distributed. Another example is when there are too many lamps on in one room. The lamplit areas leave dark spaces in between them, which unevenly lights the room. Using an overhead ceiling light easily eliminates this problem.

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How much light is coming from the overhead light fixture is also important to take into account. First of all, all the light fixtures are designed for certain wattages of light bulbs, and using a higher wattage bulb than a fixture’s designed for is a fire hazard. If your ceiling fixture is only designed for 160-watt bulb, that’s not much light. Replacing the whole fixture with one that’s designed for more light, like one with 375-watt bulbs, will light the room that much more.

Also, you can change the on/off light switch to a dimmer switch, so you can adjust how much light you need for what you’re doing. Dimmer switches work best on fixtures with incandescent light bulbs, because you can have them fully illuminated and dim them all the way down to their lowest setting, which is about the same as a night light. You’re able to dim overhead fluorescent light fixtures, as well, but usually, you can only adjust them from full to about medium brightness. And even though they create less shadowing then regular light bulbs by giving off a generalized or diffused light, they also begin to flicker as they die. So unless you

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want your kitchen to turn into a disco, with a strobe light, we suggest staying away from them.

Sandy GabrielsonBut if that’s what you’re wanting, we suggest having the Bee Gees and Donna Summer on repeat.

Caroline RowAnd be sure to invite Sandy. He’s quite the scene stealer on the dance floor.

Sandy GabrielsonYou know it. I’m like Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, white suit and all.

Caroline RowNow, when it comes to sitting on a couch reading or working at a desk, you’ll need some sort of lamplight nearby. A floor or table lamp with an incandescent bulb can be good for lighting a general area when looking at photographs or playing cards, but for close-up work like reading a

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label or knitting, a brighter and more focused light is better.

A high-intensity desk lamp with a halogen-type blub works great at directing a very bright white light onto a small area. How a lamp is positioned can also change the intensity of the light. Try it yourself with whatever you do regularly to find the best distance. If you keep a regular table lamp and a high-intensity lamp on your desk, you can experiment with them to find out which best suits the task at hand. And if you’re able to, find either type with a dimmer switch for flexibility.

If your lamp doesn’t have a dimmer switch, you can buy an external one that looks like an extension cord with a dimmer switch for about $10. One end plugs into the wall and the other plugs into the lamp. They can be found in the electrical department in any of those big discount department stores, and of course online.

Sandy GabrielsonThe direction that the light is coming from is just as important as the source. A lamp with a goose neck

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or adjustable swing arm will help you position it right where you need the light. Remember, whatever you use, make sure it’s completely shaded so no light is directed in your eyes, making it difficult to see the object.

Another problem can be reflected light that bounces back into your eyes. To keep this from happening, position the light source to your left or right so the light bounces off to the other side and away from your eyes. A floor lamp placed behind you to the side and up at about a 45-degree angle will provide a soft light from over your shoulder with no reflective problems. Keep this in mind when using a magnifier so the light doesn’t hit the side you’re looking through and reflect into your eyes.

Here’s a quick lighting suggestion: carry a small pocket-sized or keychain flashlight with you for when you’re out and about. You can use it to help read the menu at a restaurant, find a keyhole in your door, or even when digging through your wallet or purse. An even smaller option is a high-intensity photon micro light. Some can be as small as a quarter, and others are even made to fit over

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the head of a key. The bright narrow beam it puts out is handy for spot reading or finding that keyhole.

That’ll do it for lighting to suit your remaining vision. Remember to experiment with and compare different light sources and directions to see what works best for you and what you’re doing.

Caroline RowIn the next section, we’ll go over a list of useful devices. Like large-display clocks and telephones with oversized keypads. Then we’ll cover different talking devices that may help you. We’ll wrap up the section with a discussion about support canes. First, if you’d like to take a break, just pause your device after the music. If not, that’s fine, too. Just keep listening and enjoy this musical break.

Welcome back. In this section, I’ll talk about large display devices, and then a variety of talking devices, and we’ll finish by discussing the styles and advantages of using support canes. Take it away, Sandy.

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Sandy GabrielsonYou got it. Large-display devices help people with low vision by making their displays large enough to see. Wall clocks are available in enormous sizes, some of which are more for décor, so make sure you can read it clearly if you decide to buy one. We suggest finding one with black hands and numbers that contrast to a white background. High-contrast wristwatches with large faces are also available, and digital clocks with large, bright time displays are common.

You can also find a number of other products with large displays, like blood pressure and glucose monitors as well as medical thermometers and those thermometers for indoor-outdoor use. Calculators are also made with large displays, and they come with an oversize number pad. Telephones also come with large buttons on the keypad and equally as large speed dial settings. Large display or oversize button products can be found in low vision stores and from many different

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retailers online. Many, though, can be purchased at any electronic, big discount department store, or drug store.

Sometimes, devices with big displays or buttons aren’t enough. And that’s where talking devices are most popular. Instead of having to read your temperature on a regular thermometer, a talking thermometer will read it out loud in a clear recorded voice. In many models, you can choose a male or female voice, and in some, even choose a different language.

Here are just a few of the taking device options that are available. There are talking dictionaries that give you complete word definitions and how to spell the words. Weight scales that announce your weight today, and from yesterday. And prescription bottle readers that tell you what’s inside, the correct dosage, and when to take the medication. There are also talking glucose meters, blood pressure monitors, microwaves, and believe it or not, talking TV remotes.

Caroline Row

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Welcome to the future, huh? Sounds like something out of Star Trek.

Sandy GabrielsonSo does this next one, which is among the most popular talking devices: talking watches and clocks. Besides being able to recite the current time, they can be set to announce each hour, turn it into a talking alarm clock to remind you to take a medication, or use as a talking time while you’re cooking dinner. Some models can even be set to vibrate in your pocket when the alarm goes off. And since you have multiple pockets, here’s a device to put into another one. A small, digital voice recorder. Instead of writing notes, just record yourself reciting phone numbers or shopping lists or quick directions and play them back whenever you need them. In some models, you can create file categories. So with the push of a few buttons, there you go: your audible phonebook, and with another push, there’s your grocery list. Pocket-size digital recorders are available anywhere electronics are sold and online. And best of all, they’re getting cheaper and cheaper each year.

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In general, the list of talking devices is large and growing, and can be found at your local low vision store, some electronic stores or big department stores and online.

Caroline RowShopping for one of these handy talking devices usually means going out and about, and sometimes, even walking along in familiar places, like your neighborhood, can be risky when you have low vision. Not being able to see an uneven crack in the sidewalk or misjudging a curb can be enough to make you fall. Using a support cane or a walking cane can be very helpful to keep you supported and on your feet as you walk along.

Support canes are widely available and many are made of aluminum, which is lightweight, but very sturdy. They can support up to 250 to 400 pounds of pressure. Some even have lights to help you when it’s dark. Did you know 400 pounds is equivalent to 20 geese or 400 pigeons?

Sandy Gabrielson

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A pigeon weighs a pound?

Caroline RowYep. Their barrel chests are very deceiving.

Sandy GabrielsonI didn’t know you knew so much about birds, Caroline.

Caroline RowWell, I know that much, at least. So if you’re using an aluminum cane, make sure to leave your 400 pigeons at home. The canes come in many different styles and lengths, and you can eve adjust the length of some models if you can’t find one that suits your height. Others are collapsible and snap apart in short sections, which you can fold into a small bundle. An elastic cord runs down the cane’s shaft, so the sections don’t come full apart and spring back together when you need to use it again. Support canes can be found in a variety of colors, but the universal sign to note that you can’t see very well is to get a cane with a red

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tip. Those are available in a number of different styles online.

Support canes can be very helpful in the winter. Without being careful, you can slip off an icy curb or trip over a stair because the yellow marking is covered by snow. You can use a cane to find hazards like these by tapping its tip in front of you while walking. But just like your shoes, the rubber tip on most canes will slide around on ice and hard packed snow. To keep this from happening, there are metal tips with sharp prongs that you can attach to the end of any cane. They screw on and are hinged so you can flip them up or down. So if you leave the snow and go inside, you can flip the tip up and use the rubber tip on the inside floor without leaving marks wherever you walk.

Sandy GabrielsonLet’s take a break now, and when we come back, we’ll go over how to identify money and credit cards, as well as devices that can help you write checks. If you feel you could use a break, just pause your device after the music, and we’ll talk to you soon.

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Welcome back. Many people who develop vision problems are afraid they’ll be taken advantage of when it comes to finances. So if you have similar fears, no, you’re not alone. When you can’t see the difference between a ten and $20 bill, it’s possible that a dishonest cashier could try to pull a fast one and shortchange you. But luckily, cases like this are extremely rare. Still, the best way to keep this from happening is to know exactly what bills you’re handling. In this section, we’ll cover methods to tell your cash and credit cards apart. We’ll finish with ways to neatly and accurately write checks.

Even though you can rely on your portable magnifying device to see bills, you can’t rely on stores to have enough lighting. And what if you forget your magnifier? There are just too many variables to make this a reliable method.

One way that is reliable is to keep your bills sorted in a wallet with four separate bill pockets. Although it’s strange adjusting to a new wallet, developing a system helps. We like this one. Put the $1 bills in the first pocket, fives in the second pocket, tens in

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the third, and $20 bills in the fourth pocket. If you get a 50 or $100 bill, see if you can change it out. As soon as you receive change, put the bills in their correct slot so you’ll stay organized. If you just stuff them into a coat pocket, you won’t be able to separate the resulting wad later on.

Another system people have found helpful is to fold each different bill in a unique way. You can develop your own system that works for you, but here’s the most common way. Fold $5 bills in half end to end. Fold 10s across the middle, top to bottom. Fold 20s in quarters. Once end to end and once top to bottom. And don’t fold $1 bills at all. This way, it’s quick and easy to feel for the right bill. It’s also a good idea to use large paper clips to keep each denomination group together and separated from the others.

A good place and time to organize your money is when you’re getting cash from a bank teller. Ask them to clip each denomination together with one, two, three, or four paper clips.

Caroline Row

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You could even ask them to hand you one denomination at a time and put them right into the pockets of your new wallet. Or spend time folding them correctly and clipping them together.

Sandy GabrielsonThat’s not a bad idea. Now it’s time we answer the obvious question.

Caroline RowWhat’s that?

Sandy GabrielsonWouldn’t it be simpler just to get all 20s at the bank?

Caroline RowAh, yes. It may seem odd, but the answer is no.

Sandy GabrielsonRight. When it comes to making and getting change at the store, having a variety of bills helps

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you get closer to exact change. The closer you get to making exact change, the fewer mistakes can happen.

Caroline RowStill don’t believe us? Here’s an example. Let’s say your total is $8 and 95 cents. If you give the cashier a $5 bill and four ones, you’ll get a nickel change.

Sandy GabrielsonSimple, quick, very little change.

Caroline RowGive them a ten, and you know the change is a $1 bill and a nickel.

Sandy GabrielsonStill very little change.

Caroline Row

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Hand the cashier a 20, and you’ll get back more than one bill, and that could be confusing.

Sandy GabrielsonIt could be a single, a ten, and a nickel, or a single, two fives, and a nickel .Or worse, if they’re running low on fives, a five, six singles, and a nickel.

Caroline RowSo to avoid problems like this, give them as close to exact change as possible.

Sandy GabrielsonAlso, when exchanging money with a cashier, ask them to confirm you’re holding the right bills. Use $9 change as an example. You could say this is the five and these are the four ones, right? Or before you get the change back, ask them to hand you each denomination separately. In this instance, the five and then four ones. Remember to either fold them or put them into the right pockets of your wallet right as you get them.

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Identifying coins by touch is pretty easy because they each have their own size and unique aspects. The edges are the best way to check. The edge of quarters and dimes are grooved. Nickels and pennies are smooth.

Caroline RowLike bills, credit cards can also be difficult to tell apart because they’re all similar. ATM cards, insurance cards, credit cards all feel similar, so we recommend marking them with a memorable system of little notches filed into the bottom edge of the card. This way, you can tell them apart by touch.

Consistently marking the bottom right-hand edge of the card will tell you which side in the front and will also tell you that the other side has the magnetic strip near the top. Since credit cards are plastic, any type of file will do the job, and the notches won’t affect the card as long as the marks don’t interfere with the magnetic strip.

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You could file one small notch on your credit card, two on your ATM card, and three on your insurance card. Make up a system that works best for you, and stick with it.

Writing checks clearly and neatly is difficult when you can’t see the lines to write on. There are two good ways to make sure you’re staying on the lines. The first is a simple device called a check writing guide. It’s normally a thin plastic or aluminum template the size of a check that has cut-out slots where the date, amounts, and signature go. Just lay the guide over the check, and the cutouts guide your pen as you fill in the blanks. Check writing guides aren’t too expensive and can be found in Low Vision stores and online.

You could also use checks with raised writing lines. These checks are a little larger than usual, and each line is raised so you can feel it to make sure you don’t tray off the line. Ask your bank to order raised line checks for you. Sometimes, they may not know that they can order checks with raised lines, but most major check makers do have them available.

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Sandy GabrielsonOne final tip before we move on. Most banks and utility companies offer large-print statements and bills. All you need to do is call them and ask for the large-print option.

Caroline RowThanks, Sandy. That’s a good thing to know. Now, knowing the color of the clothes you’re wearing is a common concern and challenge for people with low vision. So, in the next section, we’ll discuss organizing your clothes and using a tactile marking method to identify colors, and we’ll also talk about ways to make ironing safer.

Sandy GabrielsonYou know what I’m about to say. If you’d like to take a break, just pause your device after the music.

Caroline Row

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Hello again. It goes without saying that being able to identify the color of your clothes is important, but when you can’t see the color, there’s room for an accidental fashion statement.

Sandy GabrielsonLike wearing a red shirt with red pants?

Caroline RowIs this a uniform or something that’s happened to you before?

Sandy GabrielsonUh, just something I made up, heh. A bad fashion mix-up that draws a lot of attention.

Caroline RowThat’s good to know. Well, yes. To keep nightmares like that from happening, in this section we’ll tell you about a few ways to tell color by touch and then we’ll talk about making ironing safer.

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Sandy GabrielsonThe first step: take your whole wardrobe into question and thin it out. Move the clothes you don’t wear very often to the back of the closet and give away the clothes you don’t wear anymore at all. Next, buy plastic bins to put in your drawers to sort items by color. So in your sock drawer, put brown socks in one bin, white socks in another, and black socks in a third. You can separate ties and belts the same way.

Caroline RowLadies can use box separations to identify different colors of undergarments or the different types of undergarments themselves. I have personally found that empty shoeboxes make good bins to use and many are able to fit in drawers. You can also use stackable plastic bins to separate shoes by color. Red shoes go in one, white shoes in another, and so on. We’ll go over making tactile marks to identify different bins in just a minute.

Sandy GabrielsonColors like navy, brown, and black, can be especially difficult to tell apart. To identify any

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clothing colors by touch, you need to develop a system that works for you. First of all, a tactile mark is needed only on clothing you can’t otherwise feel to identify. Distinctive characteristics in the clothes themselves can be used for identification. I know in my closet I only have two shirts with French cuffs, and if I want to wear a blue checkered one, I know it’s not the one with the button-down collar.

Caroline RowAnd for me, I have two favorite blouses. The red one is my only one with a rounded collar and another is the blue one which is my only blouse made from silk.

Sandy GabrielsonSome clothes you can’t identify by unique characteristics, so you’ll need to make a tactile mark on the clothing. The mark should be on the clothing itself and not on a hanger, because after doing the laundry, you won’t know what’s what so the hanger marks become useless.

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Here are some ideas we think are a good start for you to base your system on. Make sure it’s simple and easy to remember. Like blue has one mark, brown has two, black gets three, and so on. You can make marks by attaching small safety pins to clothing in inconspicuous spaces. Like under the back of a collar or inside a pant cuff. One pin for blue shirts, two for brown. One for jeans, two for khakis. Whatever you develop, just remember it.

Caroline RowAnother good marking material is called puff paint, or dimensional fabric paint. It’s found at most craft stores and is a thick fabric paint used to decorate sweatshirts or make artistic designs on t-shirts. It comes in small bottles with applicator tips so it’s easy to be accurate. To make one tactile dot, just squeeze a drop of fabric paint onto an inconspicuous place, like a shirttail or tag and follow your system. One drop for blue, two for brown, and so on. The drop will dry completely in about 24 hours and can be laundered after three days. And so when you’re getting dressed just feel the pant cuff and if it has two dots, they’re brown.

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The same paint dot system can be used to mark the sorting bins in dresser drawers or the stackable bins holding your shoes. See? I told you we’d get to that part.

Sandy GabrielsonAnother way to mark clothing is found in Low Vision stores, craft or fabric stores, and online. You can buy buttons in a variety of shapes and assign a color to each. A round button for blue, a square button for brown. A triangle for black, and so on. Just sew the button on the pant cuff or behind the collar, and feel the button’s shape to identify the color of the clothing.

However, if sewing buttons is a problem for you, don’t feel defeated by having to ask someone to sew them on for you. If you’d rather give it a shot yourself, you can attach buttons without sawing by using a device called button magic. The button magic device is shaped kind of like a gun and has two prongs at the barrel that go through the holes in the button. All you need is to just clamp the device on your clothes, pull the trigger, and it hooks the button to the material with a plastic

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fastener. The button magic device is inexpensive and found at sewing stores and online.

Caroline RowWhen ironing clothes, there are two potential problems: melting the electric cord or burning your fingers. But there are devices to keep each of these from happening. The first is an iron cord holder, which is a flexible rod about two feet tall that attaches to the ironing board. Sort of like an antenna. The iron’s cord hooks over the top of the rod and holds the cord up and out of the way as you iron. The reason it’s flexible is so that it can follow your iron as it goes back and forth.

To protect your hands from getting burned, we recommend attaching a safety guard to the iron. The safety guard is like a bumper: two plastic rods that hook on to the iron surrounding the edge of the iron’s hot plate.

Sandy GabrielsonI’d like to say this one more time: whenever you can, try it before you buy it. A number of these

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adaptive devices could work well for you, but others may not at all. Give them a try and see what you like. Also, if there’s a device you’re having trouble locating, get in contact with us. We’ll be glad to help you find it.

Caroline RowWell, Sandy, it’s been a long one today, but thanks for making it so fun!

Sandy GabrielsonYou too, Caroline. It’s always nice to be with you.

Caroline RowIf you have any questions or comments about this lesson, visit our website lowvisionfocus.org. There, you can also order more lessons. Again, the website is lowvisionfocus.org. We’re a nonprofit organization with the goal of providing independence through information for the vision impaired.

Sandy Gabrielson

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For all of us at Low Vision Focus at Hadley, I’m Sandy Gabrielson.

Caroline RowAnd I’m Caroline Row. Thanks for listening.

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