Staying Healthy
Tools that help when it's hard to see
Assistive devices can empower you and promote independence.
- Reviewed by Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter
Your grandfather's best defense against daily vision struggles might have been a magnifying glass or a pair of eyeglasses. The tools at your disposal are vastly different, with sophisticated computers and artificial intelligence making up for vision impairment in ways Gramps could only imagine. "Advances in technology have revolutionized what people with vision impairment can do, especially in the last 20 years," says Alex Bowers, an associate scientist at the Schepens Eye Research Institute at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear. She's investigating new ways to help people make the most of their remaining vision.
Today's basics
Most smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers have built-in tools that can help people with vision impairment. These accessibility features can enlarge the text or cursor size, adjust a screen's contrast, zoom in for a close-up of anything on screen, turn speech into text, and read information (such as documents, texts, emails, or calendars) out loud.
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About the Author
Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter
About the Reviewer
Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter
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