When to Stop Relying on Low Vision and Low-Vision Aids
By Gardner, Norman; Braille Monitor, Vo. 43, No. 3Publication Date: March 2000
Article argues for the use of Braille or help from a sighted person rather than aids such as closed circuit televisions (CCTVs) in certain situations for people with low vision. Situations when readers are advised not to rely on low-vision aids include: (1) When they are used as a “passport to normalcy,” for example, when a CCTV is used in circumstances when enlisting someone to read text out loud would be more efficient because asking for assistance would seem as an admission of incompetence; (2) When relying on them keeps the individual with low vision illiterate when the aid is not available due to equipment breakdown or simply by being out of reach; and (3) When relying on them deceives users into thinking they can make it on their own without the help of organizations like the National Federation of the Blind, which provides an invaluable support system. Learning Braille is advocated as the way to true literacy for individuals with low vision, as it can be used for reading in any situation when a low-vision aid is unavailable and, with technology such as a Braille 'n Speak, it can be used for writing as well.
Assistive Products Discussed: BRAILLE 'N SPEAK
Published by: National Federation of the Blind (Website:http://www.nfb.org)
Link to text: http://nfb.org/legacy/bm/bm00/bm0003/bm000310.htm
