I know I have heard about tablets for visually impaired but I can't find them. My mom has a regular tablet and uses large print but her eyesight is getting much worse. Thanks.
What does your mom use her tablet for? For general web surfing she may do better with the larger screen available on a laptop, or perhaps desktop with a large monitor. Other than that I think that it is the software rather than the devise that will enhance accessibility, giving her the ability to change fonts and backgrounds as well as have text read to her.
Thank you for responding. The only thing she does is read on her tablet using the kindle app. She uses the largest font but it is no longer helpful for her. Her macular degeneration is getting too difficult for her to see much. Thank you so much!
So my FIL has been seeing a Low-Vision specialist through the VA. And they offer all kinds of options so we've been seeing all kinds of toys here lately. The only drawback is that HE needs to tell them what he needs rather than them showing him options, unless they just draw out of him what some of his needs are.
Anyway - here are a couple of options that we have come up with. Some are reasonably affordable and others are ridiculous and I can't believe that the VA actually paid for it!
So first, we got him a 24 inch CURVED monitor - for any web surfing. And we ensured that the resolution is set to the largest we can set it to and the magnification is set to the highest we can manage to fit the most we can fit on the screen. The curve allows for the full use of the screen.
The VA sent him a magnifying light - that he can use to look through to view his phone.
Recently they approved him for what they call a CCTV magnifier - which is basically a magnifier box. This one is PRICEY!! Kind of like an old school projector and they run in the thousands. He can use it to read his mail, the newspaper, any type of books and it magnifies it up on this projector screen that is bigger like a CCTV screen that I believe the one they are sending him is also 24 inches. I don't know if that would work for a tablet but honestly I think that a bigger monitor for a computer would solve the issue just as well if it's not a paper reading issue.
They have also sent him magnifying glasses. There are magnifier screens you can put on top of the computer screen.
Thank you so much for responding. I will check into these options. I really appreciate your help!
My mom has an tablet and reads her kindle books and with large font. Unfortunately, she has been able to do this for 3 years but at 95 now, she is having extreme difficulty reading becuase her macular degeneration has gotten much worse.
Contact your Division of Blind Services and get a social worker assigned for your mom.
They can assist you in what services and items are available. Your mom's eye doctor can also refer her to a Low Vision facility for assistance.
As my dad's vision declined we went to the local low vision clinic for reading glasses, lighted magnifiers, special lamps and several sessions of training.
FYI all apple products such as tablets have assessability features built in. You may experiment with font size but also brightness and contrast adjustments.
Also, try different types of fonts, one may work better than what the person is using now. Also try different colors for the wording. Example, on our TV "closed caption", we have it set for a very dark pink, we found it was so much easier to read.
Thank you so much!
Anyway - here are a couple of options that we have come up with. Some are reasonably affordable and others are ridiculous and I can't believe that the VA actually paid for it!
So first, we got him a 24 inch CURVED monitor - for any web surfing. And we ensured that the resolution is set to the largest we can set it to and the magnification is set to the highest we can manage to fit the most we can fit on the screen. The curve allows for the full use of the screen.
The VA sent him a magnifying light - that he can use to look through to view his phone.
Recently they approved him for what they call a CCTV magnifier - which is basically a magnifier box. This one is PRICEY!! Kind of like an old school projector and they run in the thousands. He can use it to read his mail, the newspaper, any type of books and it magnifies it up on this projector screen that is bigger like a CCTV screen that I believe the one they are sending him is also 24 inches. I don't know if that would work for a tablet but honestly I think that a bigger monitor for a computer would solve the issue just as well if it's not a paper reading issue.
They have also sent him magnifying glasses. There are magnifier screens you can put on top of the computer screen.
There are also software programs you can use.
My mom has an tablet and reads her kindle books and with large font. Unfortunately, she has been able to do this for 3 years but at 95 now, she is having extreme difficulty reading becuase her macular degeneration has gotten much worse.
They can assist you in what services and items are available. Your mom's eye doctor can also refer her to a Low Vision
facility for assistance.
As my dad's vision declined we went to the local low vision clinic for reading glasses, lighted magnifiers, special lamps and several sessions of training.
FYI all apple products such as tablets have assessability features built in.
You may experiment with font size but also brightness and contrast adjustments.