Low Vision Blog

The following story was submitted by one of our readers and I think we can all agree that Babe is a true inspiration and a perfect fit for this section. Our thanks go out to her son who was kind enough to share this with us.

“My mother will be 99 years young in September 2010. When she was 91 she had been reading (one of her most favorite things to do) and she suddenly felt a pain in her eye. She lost clarity and things became hazy to the point she could no longer read her book.” (continue reading…)

Reni Jackson lost much of his sight, but he never lost his competitiveness.

After his eyesight deteriorated when he was a teenager, the Louisville native continued to thrive in sports. He eventually became a star in the niche sport of goalball, which was created to aid the blind. (continue reading…)

By Denise DeWitt

A new product just approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is offering new hope to elderly patients with end-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The implantable, miniature telescope is considered breakthrough technology to help offset the effects of AMD, which results in functional vision loss and is the leading cause of blindness in older Americans.

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Enhanced Vision, the leading developer of low vision devices, is having a monthly drawing on their website for a chance to win PEBBLE! Pebble’s small lightweight design makes it the perfect companion whether you’re travelling or at home. Easily read labels, prescriptions, price tags, menus, bus schedules and so much more with this ultra-portable video magnifier. (continue reading…)

A famous local artist, Virginia Doyle, has graciously lent her work to Benetech/Bookshare for display on conference room and hall walls.

The unique aspect of this display is that in 2002, Virginia was diagnosed with macular degeneration, a medical condition of the eye that makes it difficult or impossible to read or recognize faces.  This disease is a leading cause of blindness among older citizens due to the loss of light sensing cells in the retina. (continue reading…)

Brian McKeever never set out to be a trailblazer for elite athletes with a disability. The legally blind cross-country skier from Canmore, Alta., just wanted to push the limits of his own ability.

But when he tackles an Olympic cross-country trail in the Callaghan Valley in February against the world’s best endurance athletes, the man with just 10 per cent vision — all of it peripheral — will be pushing a clear vision of athletic excellence that is blind to limitation. (continue reading…)

As reported by Medical News Today, UC Irvine scientists have created an eight-layer, early stage retina from human embryonic stem cells, the first three-dimensional tissue structure to be made from stem cells. It also marks the first step toward the development of transplant-ready retinas to treat eye disorders such as retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration that affect millions.

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Canadian cross-country skier Brian Mckeever is the first winter sports athlete to compete in the Olympics and Paralympics. mckeever, who is visually impaired, believes in the power of big dreams.

MIAMI (AFP) – A 60-year-old US grandmother, blind for nearly a decade, has recovered her sight after surgeons implanted a tooth in her eye as a base to hold a tiny plastic lens, her doctors said Wednesday. (continue reading…)