Visual impairment

Last updated 01-02-2022

Two persons playing goalballAssistive products for persons with visual impairment cover many different types of assistive products from simple objects to advanced special optics, magnifying devices, electronic devices, computers, special software, speech synthesizers, etc.

If you have reduced or lost sight, you can, by using assistive products, compensate for it, and thereby have a better chance to manage independently in everyday life, both at home, in day care, during education or on the labour market.

On AssistData there is a wide range of products that are intended for or practical for persons with visual impairment. The assistive products that are described in the following are primarily aimed at persons with blindness or severely impaired sight, where the visual impairment extends beyond what can normally be corrected by the use of eyeglasses, contact lenses or surgery. In the following, you can read more about which types of assistive products may be relevant for you with a visual impairment.

Assistive products for seeingOpen

Assistive products for seeingClose

Persons with visual impairment can benefit from assistive products for seeing if there is remaining sight. There are various products that either aim to shield, enhance or in some other way optimize the use of the remaining sight.

Light sensitivity can be accommodated by special filters that ensure that certain light waves will not get through to the eye.

Regular and electronic glasses enhance the remaining sight, making the most of it when you wear them. See examples of special optics:

Various types of binoculars, sheet magnifiers and reading bars Woman using magnifier to read the label on a dressas well as image enlarging video systems and magnifying software have the function of making the desired object larger, so that it is easier to see details, decipher text or otherwise read information. You will find examples of these products in:

You can read more about magnifiers in the guide Magnifiers.

Orientation and mobilityOpen

Orientation and mobilityClose

One challenge with visual impairment is to find your way around. This can range from the very near orientation, where it is not possible to get an overview of the immediate surroundings with the help of vision, to challenges on a larger scale, for instance how streets in a city are connected, the location of certain places, and what obstacles you can expect to encounter on your way.

Guide and symbol canes are assistive products for the immediate orientation. They work in part by giving you direct contact with the ground and obstacles, so you can move about safely, and in part by signalling to those around you that you have a visual impairment.

There are also white walking sticks and elbow crutches, which are useful if, in addition to a visual impairment, you have difficulty walking, e.g. due to reduced power in the legs, pain in the legs or back, reduced balanced or dizziness. In this way, the stick with the characteristic red and white reflectors can signal to the environment that you have reduced vision, while at the same time the stick can provide the necessary support.

Acoustic warning devices or signallers are stationary objects that can be placed in environments where you would like to be able to move about independently and possibly without a guide cane. The acoustic warning devices emit an auditory signal by which you can navigate.

Tactile maps are tangible maps and can contribute to better orientation of larger areas. They work by allowing you to read lines and figures that illustrate roads, buildings etc. There is a small selection in AssistData under:

Tactile maps can also be ordered from the NOTA library.

Tactile compasses are another option that can make orientation easier. A tactile compass works like any other compass, except it can be read with your fingers.

GPS and other electronic navigation devices are available in versions that are accessible to people with visual impairments. These can be used to find your way in new places and when you need to find a specific address. Some of them also have the option to insert your own landmarks. It is a useful option if you need to know where you are on a route that you use frequently.

Also, read the guide Assistive products for electronic orientation, which provides an introduction to different types of electronic orientation products and their possible applications.

Reading and writingOpen

Reading and writingClose

Challenges with reading and writing can take up many resources when you have a visual impairment. Various assistive products can compensate and relieve this. Which assistive products are relevant for you, depends on – among other things – the degree of your visual impairment, when it first occurred, what you want to read and perhaps how you have previously been reading.

Assistive products for seeing can help relieve challenges with reading and writing if you have usable remaining sight. Because these products work by enhancing the remaining sight or by magnifying the text you need to read, you will be able to continue to read printed text.

Assistive products for reading and writing braille are relevant if you are already a braille reader, or have a desire to become one. There are assistive products such as typewriters, writing frames, printers and DYMO® label makers for writing braille on paper/plastic as well as note-taking devices and reading bars for reading electronic braille.

Assistive products for recording notes are a quick and versatile solution and do not require a lot of equipment, apart from the recorder. Assistive products for listening to audiobooks and electronic text are also an advantage if you are reading texts of some length or if you want to read fast.

Screen readers and magnification functions on smart phones, tablets and computers are solutions to access the information that is on the screen. Whether it is most appropriate to use speech or magnification depends on any remaining sight, and it will usually be possible to use a combination.

You can read more about screen readers and their functions in the guide Screen readers without word processing support.

LightingOpen

LightingClose

As a consequence of impaired sight, you may need special and customized lightning, because your remaining sight requires special lighting to work optimally.Køkkenarbejde med direkte lys på arbejdsområdet
The special requirements can either be particularly strong light, indirect lightning, a certain colour temperature (Kelvin) in the lighting, or dimmed lighting.

You can read more about assistive products for improved lighting in the guide Special lighting.

Distinction and markingOpen

Distinction and markingClose

A challenge with visual impairment is visually being able to tell the difference between objects that are similar in, e.g. size, shape and colour. It may also be difficult to orientate on surfaces that are even, but where there are, for instance, touch sensitive buttons or other controls.

Assistive products for marking can relieve these problems if you equip the desired objects with characteristics. These characteristics may be either visual (bright colours or clear writing), tactile (with tangible symbols, lines or braille) or auditive.

You can read more about the choice and use of marking in the guide Assistive products for marking.

Colour identifyers are assistive products to distinguish between colours and can for instance be used to tell the difference between the colours of your clothes. It can assure you in your choice of clothes. Colour identifyers can also be used on many other objects where you want to know the colour. It could be, for instance, the napkins and tablecloths in the cupboard or the towels in the bathroom.

ActivitiesOpen

ActivitiesClose

If you have a visual impairment, you may have challenges related to participating in a number of activities where others would normally use their sight. Even if you cannot see, you still have to cook, clean, do your nails, go in for sports, look after the house and garden, play games, and participate in all sorts of other activities.

A large number of specific assistive products have been developed for use in various situations and in relation to different activities. You can use the search field on AssistData to search for more specific products, e.g. blood sugar meters, kitchen utensils and sports equipment.

Specifically about assistive products for cooking, you can read more in the guide Assistive products for cooking, which has a section on assistive products for cooking for persons with visual impairment.



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