Suffice it to say; with the ever-changing world around us these days, living our lives is complicated enough, without having to deal with the loss of vision. Forced to accept, and come to terms with the facts of the matter, we all find ourselves doing our best to cope with the undeniable truth. We simply have no idea how to make the most of the vision we have left in the wake of illness or injury. The good news, there are programs available through the VA that help vets and their families cope with the challenges we face due to vision loss.
Low Vision Living Skills Help Legally Blind Veteran
by teddletonmr
Veterans should know VA benefits provide low vision living skills training for Vets suffering from sight loss due to service connected, and non-service connected illness and injury
For VA Information Call
1-877-222-VETS (8387)
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How to Find Help for Vets
Help for vets who've suffered vision loss is available and with little to no cost out of the injured veterans pocket.
In fact, dealing with the hassles associated with sight loss is a huge struggle for not only legally blind disabled veterans, their family and friends must also discover what is the best way to deal with not only the physical limitations, the overwhelming emotional toll we all struggle with.
As a legally blind vet, family member or close friend we have a unique understanding of how vision loss affects the way we live. We understand what it takes to cope with the ever-changing world around us. The sad facts are many U.S. veterans and their families are not aware of the programs that exist designed to help them get back to life and the things they once enjoyed. Today there are many tools both easy to acquire and learn. You will be amazed as to how you put workable solutions for any everyday task into practice. The very things we need help doing are available with little or no out of pocket costs, and the Veterans Administration Hospitals Blind Centers are there for us to take full advantage of those many resources.
Veterans Learn New Living Skills and Regain Independence
I rediscovered my independence through learning several new living skills technologies. Granted it has not been without a bit of soul searching. Actually, for me at first coming to grips with the notion these new skills would require a bit of hard work and dedication on my part.
Once I refocused my sense of priorities. I found it easy to understand it was in everyone’s best interest. I let go of all the negativity holding me back. Regaining the inner strength, I needed to make it possible for me to realize, in life anything worthwhile requires working hard and overcoming obstacles. In my situation reacquiring my once thought lost independence my personal goal.
In addition, these are easy to learn when we find the proper motivation. Making use of modern living skills techniques available to us, make life much easier for not only those of us, our family and friends find it rewarding when they to share in the sense of accomplishment of overcoming the everyday hurdles associated with my legal blindness.
Before getting started on the right foot, the first thing we will need to accept, one extremely important truth. The way we did things in the past as a sighted person, will absolutely need to change. That is not to say we should stop doing the things we love, quite the contrary, we will simply need to discover and embrace new ways of doing things.
Helpful Low Vision Aids
Reading Magnifiers, Digital Magnifier and Large Print Makes Reading and Playing Games Reading fun again
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Low Vision Transitions
Learning Living Skills that Benefit Legally Blind, Due to Loss in Visual Acuity and Field of Vision
Transitioning from a life defined by normal vision, to one obscured by the loss of visual acuity or field is unsettling to say the least for not only the Vet, our friends and family also share the burden. Think about it for a moment, impaired vision affects disabled vets that easily become disoriented and overwhelmed.
After all struggling to perform simple everyday tasks when you cannot see, pouring a cup of coffee, reading the newspaper or magazine, and watching TV is darned frustrating when you cannot see the words on a page, television or computer screen. Let alone drive the car to a favorite coffee shop, bar, work or a friend’s home.
Making matters worse, most folks have no idea where to start the arduous journey of regaining their independence. That is Ok; we all need help in refocusing our positive energies and redefining our individual goals.
Helpful Tips visually impaired Folks use when Pouring a Cup Of Coffee
Using Tactile Clues, our Sense of Hearing and Limited Eye Sight will make Pouring a Cup of Coffee, Hot Tea or any of our favorite beverages easier.
Visual Acuity and Loss of Field of Vision Problems
The term legally blind is not a medical diagnosis, rather a term used by Social Security and other Governmental Agencies that Define a Person’s Disability.
In many cases, Vets vision problems have to do with a diminished field of sight. These folks have relatively clear vision. Their problem, their sight is like looking through a drinking straw. No peripheral sight, they have the ability to read words on a page, but cannot tell where they are on the page making it easy to get confused. Adding to the frustrations, this tunnel vision if you will is not always in their central vision.
Our central vision is where we see all the details, colors, images, people’s facial features, text on a page and so on. From our central spot of focus where our vision is normally 20 / 20, as our eyesight transitions to our peripheral vision, acuity lessens.
Imagine for a moment how it feels to catch something out of the corner of your eye, a sudden movement; something seems out of place, or an undefined object that requires further examination. We can see something however exactly what it is, is unclear.
Talking Thermometer, Bathroom Scale and Microwave Oven
Talking Kitchen Gadgets, Thermometers and Bathroom scale Helps Folks regain Independance
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Updated: 09/24/2012, teddletonmr
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Low Vision Living Skills Help Legally Blind Veteran Chat
@katiem2 the thing that occurs to me, for many people like you and me, as we age, we develop a wide array of vision problems. The good news, as technologies come on line and improves. There are many more solutions available both low and high tech that makes dealing with vision loss less a reason to stop doing the things we love. Pouring a cup of hot tea, or coffee being only one such pleasurable activity. :)
Be well, and enjoy your cup of tea. Mike
I think this would also make a great gift for the elderly who enjoy hot beverages and yet might be struggling with vision. I wear glasses and often steam up my glasses when I pour boiling tea from the tea pot. This makes the alarm cup useful for a wider range of folks than you may have suspected. It's such a cool and useful cup, it would make a great Christmas Gift. :)K
@katiem2 the little buzzer thingy works pretty well when pouring a dark colored drink such as black coffee or tea into a dark colored cup.
Shoot even folks that enjoy a lot of cream and a ligh colored cup will find the little gadget handy.
Be well, Mike :) semper fi
Mike, I'm so glad to hear you've been back to HInes again and also that you're sharing the information with other vets needed to get them in the same rehabilitation programs. You are very inspiring, I've worked with you for many years now and would never have imagined you were visually impaired to the degree you are. You are a great source of motivation to me and I'm sure many others. Not only do you help others with vision loss but you help us with normal healthy vision rethink our gripes. Thanks for creating this helpful page, I'm sure it must be a challenge for you.
I really enjoyed the video, it turned out very well. I must confess I might need the cool little buzzer myself as I often fill my coffee and or tea cup up to the brim often spilling it as it is to full.
Great article, thanks, Will tweet and share :) K